tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63252191388691737432024-03-14T02:46:44.637-04:00Keep It TrillTruth and Reality<br>From One African-American Perspective<br><br>
A Black Mental Health Therapist & Social Worker<br>Dissects The Times We Live In<br>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.comBlogger201125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-9869760594152245322010-07-18T16:30:00.012-04:002010-07-18T19:50:38.358-04:00Kit, Unwired<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />My life is in transition, and my daughter Casie and I are in the process of moving. We've looked at a few places, from rooms to rent to apartments and may end up moving in with relatives.<br /><br />My son, Xavier, has been having a fit over the move, and it hasn't been easy for either of us. He's gone from rage at the lunatic landlord in the basement for telling us we have to move because he's moving, to depression. He'll probably stay with his half sister or bunk with friends.<br /><br />On a lighter note, the funniest story is when Casie and I had dinner at a New Age, 'go green', vegan group house. I went out of curiosity and because the rent was cheap.<br /><br />It was hot as mofo up in there. They've 'gone green' to save on air conditioning.<br /><br />As we finished our dinner, I noticed they have only one refrigerator.<br /><br />"How do you all keep your foods separated?", I asked.<br /><br />The head of this <span style="font-style: italic;">cult</span> answered.<br /><br />"We each pay $100 for the grocery bill each month," he said, "That's to pay for non-food items. Otherwise we grow our vegetables and we liberate food several times a week."<br /><br />"Liberate food?", I asked, puzzled.<br /><br />"Yes."<br /><br />He described what this was. Casie and I stared at our now empty plates. It was all I could do to keep a straight face.<br /><br />I said, "You mean you go <span style="font-style: italic;">dumpster diving?</span>"<br /><br />"You could put it that way. It's one of the chores you can sign up for."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">When pigs fly.</span><br /><br />Damn.<br /><br />Ya know, our country has taken a helluva beating economically. These were white folks, half who had decent jobs in the recent past but sank to this to survive. They're holding tight onto their middle class image buy dressing up their new poverty with Orwellian-like phrases such as going green and liberating food, and becoming vegetarians because they can't afford meat.<br /><br />"What if I buy and cook a steak?", I asked.<br /><br />"Some people might get offended," he replied.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">More like hungry,</span> I thought.<br /><br />The cult leader, which is how I think of him, is raking in the money. Toilet paper, soap and detergent for ten boarders don't cost no got damned $1,000 a month, and lemme tell you, that top floor room they had for rent wasn't nearly as big as advertised and was hot as an oven.<br /><br />Scams are everywhere to sucker people looking for cheap housing. My own landlord, who ain't shit, will probably skip out of town with my deposit next week. The news always talks about the housing market, yet barely says a word about the high cost of apartments; those rents haven't budged, and from what I see, continue to go up.<br /><br />Man, I wish the hell I had done some things differently, but I didn't. I did the best I could, so I have to let it go. This transition is presenting some hard choices. I may have to give up my beloved little dog who brings so much comfort to me. Well, with perseverance and a little luck, I think I can rebuild my savings and my life.<br /><br />I really have no other choice.<br /><br />My Internet will be cut sometime this week, and I'm not in a hurry to get it turned on again. I've been taking a break from the news and it's felt nice being unwired. Heck, most of the news stories have been horrible this year anyway.<br /><br />So, I'm in <span style="font-style: italic;">blogging lite mode</span> for the rest of summer. Once I turn in my cable box, I'll turn comment moderation on.<br /><br />By the way! I was awake when the 3.6 earthquake hit the the DC area. Man, what a shocker. I heard the rumble, the house shook, and my windows rattled. It lasted a long time too, maybe six or eight seconds. I ran to check on Casie (Xavier wasn't home) and it woke her up.<br /><br />The earthquake made me wonder, along with <span style="font-style: italic;">all</span> of these other converging problems, if the hands of fate aren't pushing me toward a new destiny.<br /><br />I wish God would tell me what to do. I keep listening...<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-75024649394476788682010-07-05T01:42:00.016-04:002010-07-06T22:31:55.705-04:00When Relationships Are Like An Onion And A Maze<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />What does a difficult person have in common with an onion?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZNKg0u6XfK1DGxJpVs5RXYJiIKuMQTE2q3qhwAM0r74wOsmv9D7iV6pwoqmwE0k5UQ8RPYk2k1LW-yBVj44SXYq15uyv_DkQ1xWbgWUZD6iwxzt-pnwMrj_fjK4deWYr6zZCnlkCQ_m8/s1600/OnionHead2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 393px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZNKg0u6XfK1DGxJpVs5RXYJiIKuMQTE2q3qhwAM0r74wOsmv9D7iV6pwoqmwE0k5UQ8RPYk2k1LW-yBVj44SXYq15uyv_DkQ1xWbgWUZD6iwxzt-pnwMrj_fjK4deWYr6zZCnlkCQ_m8/s400/OnionHead2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486447333169484242" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What does a crazy relationship have in common with a maze?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6uqPRG1cy42Va97yjiJiW46gyYp7CR1fArTzqUJY0MSlNWy8UpwKo32NirKs2x5-UHTNaDn_htfX_ATSxEzmgFN_4I4oknX514vxxKtItRCsBaz6bgZmSlOTGU5E1wwWnKNYYiO9y_6v/s1600/Maze+Labyrinth.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6uqPRG1cy42Va97yjiJiW46gyYp7CR1fArTzqUJY0MSlNWy8UpwKo32NirKs2x5-UHTNaDn_htfX_ATSxEzmgFN_4I4oknX514vxxKtItRCsBaz6bgZmSlOTGU5E1wwWnKNYYiO9y_6v/s400/Maze+Labyrinth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486447594747245986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When you visualize an onion and a maze, and attach the images to those concepts, the answer is intuitive, even when it's hard to put in words.<br /><br />You might recall your first childhood science experiment with an onion. Remember your surprise when you peeled it, and how many layers it had before getting to the center? How some onions have two centers? How your eyes began to burn and tear up?<br /><br />How many people have you met like this since then? Or been closely involved with?<br /><br />The thing about a relationship with, for lack of a better phrase, an <span style="font-style: italic;">Onion Head</span>, is their appeal can be their mystery.<br /><br />Most of us like a little mystery in those who initially attracted us. It gives us time to build a fantasy around this new person.<br /><br />"Oooh, he has a good job!"<br /><br />"She's so pretty and nice!"<br /><br />Okay, so he has a good job. So what. He might be so incompetent at it that he has one foot on a banana peel and the other on the way to the unemployment line, or worse, he's the office backstabber, which is part of his overall character.<br /><br />And her? He ain't seen her when she first wakes up, and her family and last five boyfriends can testify she ain't all that nice.<br /><br />Show me someone who came home from a bad first date, and I'll guess one possible reason is their date revealed too much too soon and didn't know when to shut up.<br /><br />This <span style="font-style: italic;">should</span> be considered a good first date when the person is solid and genuine, but just awkward. Human nature is weird though, and that need for a little mystery thing has eliminated a lot of good folks.<br /><br />Some bad dates of this category are good. They tell all and thus reveal their low character and/or questionable values from the start, and when it's over, you know you don't have to waste any further time with them.<br /><br />But then there are the <span style="font-style: italic;">Mutant Onion Heads</span>. They have lots of mystery, often combined with some characteristic that draws others to them without making them cry until numerous layers have been peeled away.<br /><br />These are the men or women who lure you into some kind of intense relationship with them. Time is an <span style="font-style: italic;">investment</span>, and like any investment, the more you put in, the harder it is to walk away. The reason again has to do with human nature. We hate to think we gave up a lot for little or nothing in return, so we hang in there, hoping things will return to early days before the onion made you cry.<br /><br />But an onion is an onion is an onion... and the longer you stay, the more layers are revealed and the more your eyes burn with pain from the noxious fumes of who they really are.<br /><br />By this time, you're in a relationship with them, which is like a maze. There is no straight path to their intentions much less their heart. It's all about twists and turns and getting lost... so lost that finding your way out is as hellish your previous attempts to find their center.<br /><br />There is no birds-eye view from above where you can see how to get closer to the person or to find the exit. Don't expect any honest hints from the <span style="font-style: italic;">Mutant Onion Head</span> either. <s>Deception</s> mystery is their thang, remember?<br /><br />That's what got you into the maze in the first place.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What is normal?</span><br /><br />Some of us came from families where a significant caretaker had Onion Head qualities. This can make that kind of behavior normal in our eyes. The norm is not knowing, yet wanting to know, so we re-enact this relationship over and over again as adults, subconsciously hoping we'll get it right by either finding the core, or getting the strength and clarity to conquer the problem by finding our way out of the maze.<br /><br />This isn't to say getting lost in this kind of relationship with this kind of person can't happen to anyone; it does all the time, just not nearly as often.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What happens when the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Mutant Onion Head</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> isn't a person?</span><br /><br />It can be a group, such as a workplace, community group, place of worship, training school, street gang, social club, media outlet, corporation, political party, or even a military or nation.<br /><br />And why not? The mystery is there. It - whatever it is - appeals to our need to connect and join something interesting that we can be a part of.<br /><br />When things are "interesting", it's usually because you don't know something and want to find out more. We may be more vulnerable to this than previous generations because we live in a fantasy-based, wishful thinking culture.<br /><br />To compound our need for an interesting experiences, we want to be involved and to participate. Mankind is a social animal that gets lonely, and in groups, wants and needs recognition. This includes groups of two, such as you and the person you like or love, or being part of a larger group.<br /><br />We naturally look for the core. It is there that the center resides. The question is, or should be, is person, group or nation centered, and without too many layers that involve navigating through a complicated maze to get there, or to get to the truth of what they're really about?<br /><br />If there is too much mystery and too many secrets, either there is no core, or there's more than one. This means no values, or split values reserved for different people or groups at different times.<br /><br />"She's nice."<br /><br />"He has a good job."<br /><br />"Freedom."<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-16725979049571657692010-06-29T21:38:00.005-04:002010-06-29T22:41:52.751-04:00A Prayer For Some Readers<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I'm feeling a little weepy inside now. I've had a few cyber friends confide to me this year about their health. For my readers who believe in prayer, I'll ask you to say one or a few on their behalf. I won't use "he" or "she" because I value their privacy.<br /><br />One is undergoing an extreme health problem that sounds like a matter of life and death.<br /><br />Another underwent surgery a couple months back but needs another one. It's not life or death, but it is a quality of life issue.<br /><br />Two have problems with family. It is just dawning on them that the road will be long and hard with their children.<br /><br />Another is struggling to avoid relapse and a descent into old ways.<br /><br />Quite a few of our bloggers are out of work or barely working, and barely getting by. Not knowing if you'll be able to make critical bills from one month to the next and robbing Peter to pay Paul and doing without things that really are necessities grinds you down slowly.<br /><br />Also two bloggers I am fond of are missing in action. One is a survivalist and another had a personal blog. Poof. Those blogs have disappeared. I hope they're okay and would love to get an email from them.<br /><br />And a lot of us are just tired.<br /><br />I lay awake at night, thinking about my own problems, those of those closest to me, my concern for fellow bloggers and readers, and how freaked out I am over the oil catastrophe. It all weighs heavily on me. My mind wanders to a beautiful place, like the one below, as I dream of better days for the planet and many people.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bFkv-TDDRfuNdsStnbQ9YRNZhDcfpCNHmZmKINpE0zkTFc-ZWApeYHb7sDQF22HTkMbqp28uGoctD0yb8np8zO5GFB6jm2voX1ycOAHDJ09mHC34Z5-CvdFKpUCD_5qlHil0qULubUN9/s1600/Dolphins+1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bFkv-TDDRfuNdsStnbQ9YRNZhDcfpCNHmZmKINpE0zkTFc-ZWApeYHb7sDQF22HTkMbqp28uGoctD0yb8np8zO5GFB6jm2voX1ycOAHDJ09mHC34Z5-CvdFKpUCD_5qlHil0qULubUN9/s400/Dolphins+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488371683066296002" border="0" /></a><br /><br />When some things are done, they cannot be undone. A problem can be solved, a condition can be managed. There is a difference.<br /><br />We work around the conditions in our lives all the time. The weather is one and the simplest example. We can't change it, but we can try to dress appropriately for it and usually find shelter from the storms. Doesn't always work out well. Our problems or conditions can be utterly overwhelming. In times like these, many of us beat the odds and are carried through by sheer luck - or God.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoQyqSCYMSgB9HHwWSdthLKQy4TeTihdDb449XlkVfA6F54DMPYxuSEKD91SEQCCAS50clP4DjYmvBemcrIh7O4IDZlz61LwgsF4_H3cpSCjutlqmf2WAj4U5gwr5djwX_Q91CYNJv2pY/s1600/carrying+me+through+the+storm.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoQyqSCYMSgB9HHwWSdthLKQy4TeTihdDb449XlkVfA6F54DMPYxuSEKD91SEQCCAS50clP4DjYmvBemcrIh7O4IDZlz61LwgsF4_H3cpSCjutlqmf2WAj4U5gwr5djwX_Q91CYNJv2pY/s400/carrying+me+through+the+storm.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488373090998618226" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I can't prove it logically, but I have the faith to believe that He listens and answers - <span style="font-style: italic;">unless he has a different plan for us.</span><br /><br />This is why I pray. I pray because He can hear me. It's His call on whether to answer me and how. Sounds strange, I guess, to some of you, since I'm not a regular church goer and have a real distrust for organized religion. Yeah, organized by man who corrupts everything he touches.<br /><br />I refuse to let the darkness in the hearts of us all corrupt my faith. In particular, I never forget that good does spring from out of religion. It's just spotty and inconsistent, ya know?<br /><br />I credit a lot of my analytical skills and universal way of looking at humanity as one family to those marvelous nuns who taught me so well in elementary school, and to the many other people who roll up their sleeves every day to combat an infinite number of human problems.<br /><br />But God is different from religion. I trust Him with all my heart, mind, and soul, and trust that His plan is bigger than mine.<br /><br />Before you leave this post, if you think prayer helps, please say one for my readers, especially the first one I mentioned who is so very ill, and the others who are suffering too, in their own way.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />~ Kit<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-67954549711526798492010-06-26T00:25:00.023-04:002010-06-26T11:14:48.929-04:00Kit's Dilemma, or Let's Have A Drink Together<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />My daughter, Casie, has a friend she spends a lot of time with. I'll just call him Tee. He's smart, funny, and very gay, and her hair has never looked better. Physically, the two resemble one another enough to be siblings.<br /><br />Tee's grandmother is in town and has fallen in love with my daughter. In the past week, she's taken them to the play bingo, browse at the mall, and out to lunch and dinner. I finally got to meet her yesterday.<br /><br />She chatted on for about ten minutes about absolutely nothing. I bore easily from superficial conversation, so asked her where she went to school and what she did for a living. That's when the conversation got interesting.<br /><br />"I graduated in nursing," she said, "and I worked as one for the Army."<br /><br />"Really? That must have been exciting."<br /><br />"Yes," she agreed. "I was stationed in Iraq during the first Gulf War..."<br /><br />Tee's grandmother told me about injuries and the dead and the stress, and the illness that led to her early retirement.<br /><br />She said, "I developed Gulf War Syndrome."<br /><br />She described the the chronic fatigue, muscle aches from head to toe, headaches, and sensitivity to chemicals. The symptoms would come and go, at times the pain was just miserable, and it took over three years before her doctors stopped telling her - and other affected soldiers - that it was "all in their head."<br /><br />As I listened, I wondered about something I'd read the same day.<br /><br />"It sounds a lot like what the Gulf oil workers and some residents are experiencing from the spill," I said.<br /><br />Her voice turned sad. "It wouldn't surprise me," she said. "It wouldn't surprise me at all."<br /><br />She'd already read about the condition 109 workers contracted called <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/06/riddle-me-this.html">TILT</a>, short for <span style="font-style: italic;">Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance</span>.<br /><br />A rose is but a rose by any other name.<br /><br />Today, Casie told me that Tee's grandmother, who lives near the charming coastal city of Savannah, Georgia, invited her visit in late July.<br /><br />"She said she'll pay my airfare. Please Mom?"<br /><br />I know the ocean currents. I know that the toxic witches brew in the Gulf of Death will spread up the east coast by the year's end. I know this, not from reading those stupid, panic sites, but from the hard science of the Gulf Loop and the <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/earths-terrorists-are-oil-executives.html">Ocean Conveyor Belt</a>, and from this abomination of man's stupidity resulting in still gushing oil, now anywhere from one to four million gallons per day. Already ocean wildlife is fleeing the most toxic, low-oxygen areas for safety, even if means them moving into more shallow waters.<br /><br />Casie hasn't been to a pretty beach since she was a little girl and I had money to burn in Florida. The ones around Savannah are nice too, from what I hear.<br /><br />"Please..."<br /><br />I have no idea if a hurricane will come along and blow toxic fumes across that area. Never did I think I'd have to think about this kind of insanity while raising a child. Never would say I no, either, if the weather is calm.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsqBlPcL-JsASuGhqiGZ_fi60KRHwhK8OgKb6ZLUotqNZ3b433ISnDn4XWs9mS3wIPOsXKhWYml6JxzTMBxIs_6iPnXLVmq8nX7jRHvyJ28JHhof0NV9HbXdUpDgvgUIlX_EGyRMfPaCW/s1600/Kit+-++on+the+beach+in+my+20s.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 259px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsqBlPcL-JsASuGhqiGZ_fi60KRHwhK8OgKb6ZLUotqNZ3b433ISnDn4XWs9mS3wIPOsXKhWYml6JxzTMBxIs_6iPnXLVmq8nX7jRHvyJ28JHhof0NV9HbXdUpDgvgUIlX_EGyRMfPaCW/s320/Kit+-++on+the+beach+in+my+20s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5487089718276937666" border="0" /></a><center style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:78%;">Me, back in the day.</span></center><br /><br />I loved the beach so much that the first summer I had a car, I drove an hour to get to the nearest one three times a week. I'd go alone with a book and a sandwich to heal from my first broken heart. The ocean was calming and did it's magic. In my 30s, I was practically packed up and ready to move to Florida but my mother worried the hell out of me to not go. Here's a sample of our conversations:<br /><br />"The Klan will lynch you."<br /><br />"Nuh uh."<br /><br />"Lighting will strike you."<br /><br />"Come on, Ma."<br /><br />She looked at Xavier, who was six years old.<br /><br />"An alligator will eat him."<br /><br />I paused. The house I'd picked out - yes, I had even chosen one in the Tampa area - had a lake that was literally a stone's throw from the back door.<br /><br />"Eh," I shrugged, "he'll be okay."<br /><br />"I like gators Mommy," Xavier piped up. "I sat on one!"<br /><br />"Yeah baby, I know."<br /><br />Indeed he had, at Gator Land. He had waved his hand in the audience and got chosen to sit behind the gator handler. Mr. Gator was five or six feet long, but had his mouth taped shut.<br /><br />Finally, my mother got to me.<br /><br />"I'm old," she whined. "I'll die up here all alone."<br /><br />"Then come with me! How many times do I have to beg you?"<br /><br />"I can't leave here. It's my home. I'll never figure out how to drive to the stores down there. I don't want get lost or be stuck in the house all the time."<br /><br />I gave up and stayed. Had it not been for the adoption agency unexpectedly placing my daughter in my arms the following year, I would have regretted my surrender.<br /><br />Every now and then, I wonder how our lives would be different had I moved a year or two later after the adoption was final, but by then, my mother really was getting a bit more frail.<br /><br />Such mixed feelings! How do you be true to yourself, yet loyal to those you love when their needs are greater than your heart's desire?<br /><br />I don't know, I only know that true love sometimes requires great sacrifice. I made a pact with myself, however, that I would never, ever stand in the way of the dreams of my children, no matter how much I may need them one day. Whether or not I can keep that promise to myself is yet to be seen.<br /><br />So now, my daughter sat before me, awaiting my answer if she could have a week at the beach in late July... and all I could think of was damned hurricane season and the possibility of toxic winds carrying sickness up to Georgia.<br /><br />Gee-zus!<br /><br />Finally, I stuttered, "Probably yes, but for now, it's a we'll see."<br /><br />I felt like such an idiot, but to hide this, I explained wind patterns - again. Before it was just <span style="font-style: italic;">Mama writing about some far away problem</span>, but this time Casie listened carefully since it might affect her, all the while quite possibly thinking, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mama is worrying too much and needs a vacation more than me</span>, or worse, <span style="font-style: italic;">Mama done lost her damn mind.</span><br /><br />Yeah, I'm sure some of you parents out reading this know <span style="font-style: italic;">it be's like dat sometime.</span><br /><br />At least Casie didn't laugh at me and call me crazy. I'm sure that's what I would have done to my father at age 14 under the same circumstances, and my mother would have been laughing at him with me.<br /><br />You see, she was a DC city girl, but my dad grew up farming in the Midwest. He learned from nature and <span style="font-style: italic;">knew</span> the weather, and when he talked about it, it's wasn't nothing as banal as "Nice day today, huh?"<br /><br />If he were alive, he'd be glued to the <span style="font-style: italic;">The Weather Channel</span> and the Gulf oil news worse than me, and had his own personal preparedness evacuation plan ready... just in case.<br /><br />And bitchin' nonstop.<br /><br />In these times where Orwellian-style public relations is king, and sweeping problems under the rug and cover ups are the norm, it's like this. Until something is on the front pages and in the news with whoever "is in charge" talking about it, the gravity of a crisis either doesn't matter or doesn't exist. As long as we think we won't be touched by it, many of us sit back and say, oh, that's too bad - for them.<br /><br />We are rarely "them" - until we are - and this is my greatest fear, that that day of reckoning is almost upon us.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMeV3KAb-YQZQgOmeYvZMq0JBWST-yIf1Dz4N9-0rV3tkxC02qL0Zm0_vthiRDzAzMzrq5dR2UXOZ-iVYOf5voGdDtRvSKvAVSTzum_J3PcaCRnjb-ODvK2iU14dJcWnzHTs0a2UH2D1P/s1600/oil-covered-speckled-crab-with-american-flag.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMeV3KAb-YQZQgOmeYvZMq0JBWST-yIf1Dz4N9-0rV3tkxC02qL0Zm0_vthiRDzAzMzrq5dR2UXOZ-iVYOf5voGdDtRvSKvAVSTzum_J3PcaCRnjb-ODvK2iU14dJcWnzHTs0a2UH2D1P/s400/oil-covered-speckled-crab-with-american-flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486904446531554322" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">This photo came from this <a href="http://blog.al.com/live/2010/06/lots_of_sharks_and_lots_of_oil.html">video</a></span></center><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Meanwhile, there are:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) Those like me who are scared.</span> We know the situation is very grim and thus have good reason to worry, but all the omissions, along with the misinformation leaves a void of just how bad is bad?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) Those who like to scare others.</span> They make up shit <span style="font-style: italic;">for fun</span>, like the bozo who said it was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un8co1d4zb4">raining oil</a> in New Orleans, or <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzt_4pFyXB8">this</a> person who has video of the live stream stream oil well leak where you see a door open in the background. This alleges that the whole thing is being taped in a studio. Betcha he shot that through an aquarium.<br /><br />Then there's the guy who <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbGhWlnTq1s">video</a> taped a field and said "the birds" had migrated to his state when they usually don't. I didn't see no fuckin' birds. There were some in the distance on a telephone wire, probably a bunch of summertime crows, but he didn't walk his azz over there to show them, or the alleged birds in the forest.<br /><br />Or they scare folks to profit by getting their name out there as an expert, or selling DVDs, books, and/or memberships to their "informative" websites,<br /><br />Or to push their beliefs, i.e., Armageddon, 2012, or a New Word Order plot (yes I think the NWO exists and that mega-corporate globalists will take advantage of the situation, but I think greed-based gross negligence is the culprit; like the bumper sticker says: <span style="font-style: italic;">Shit Happens</span>); or the lady on YouTube who said the dolphins communicated to her that they're just fine because the oil leak wasn't that bad.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) The ones in charge who are too scared to tell </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">the truth</span>, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth</span>, because they don't want to get sued, lose their political positions or jobs, or go to jail.<br /><br /><br />All of this leaves me feeling exactly like this person who left a comment at <a href="http://theamericanzombie.blogspot.com/2010/06/evacuate-entire-gulf.html">this</a> blog:<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><i><br />There is so much we are not being told about the bad effects of this spill on whales, dolphins, fish, marshes, people, and so on, it is frustrating to also see these crazy, over the top stories.<br /><br />Do you remember Dr. Dolittle and the creature the "push-me-pull-you"?<br /><br />That's what this is like.<br /><br />On the "push me" side, I want to know a lot more about how bad this really is.<br /><br />I want to hear credible figures about how much oil is coming out, I want to know what is going on on the sea bed, I'd like to know about all the fish and animals.<br /><br />I want to know if and when the oil is going to go into the Gulf Stream, and what that means for all of us.<br /><br />What will happen if a lot of the oxygen producing plankton dies?<br /><br />This is a bad enough situation, and I hate feeling that there is a lot of high priced PR talent working to make sure that the bad news does not come out.<br /><br />On the "pull you" side, I want these morons with their oil rains and their evacuations of 20 million people to go shit up a tree.<br /><br />It is an odd feeling, to be simultaneously ready to believe that this is the single worst thing ever to have happened, ever... and also to want people to chill the fuck out.<br /><br />That video of the oil rain guy made me wish that the man from "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" would come up behind him with one of those tranquilizer darts they use on bears.<br /><br />Maybe I just need a cocktail.</i><br /><br /></span><br />Amen, and me too.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-62987318953814892852010-06-23T17:55:00.028-04:002010-06-25T16:50:29.805-04:00Riddle Me This<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Update 6/24 @ 12:10 AM - The EPA has a <a href="http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/air.html">BP Air Monitoring</a> page with a zoomable map of toxic air quality in affected areas along the Gulf Coast on it's site.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE5ZTplM7ng8Nh0op9Mik7EdZmgpWx2pr4p7H3yslHkJVwbV2fXrl88ZqQ-_kUXY7P9O5l7XmD15qteO61KY7mi0RpeBAJTY1ZBjRlb4k43VRG8nJv2UY1S-rlLy01BNciQByUrbq3azx/s1600/EPA+Map+of+Affected+Areas+6-23-2010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE5ZTplM7ng8Nh0op9Mik7EdZmgpWx2pr4p7H3yslHkJVwbV2fXrl88ZqQ-_kUXY7P9O5l7XmD15qteO61KY7mi0RpeBAJTY1ZBjRlb4k43VRG8nJv2UY1S-rlLy01BNciQByUrbq3azx/s400/EPA+Map+of+Affected+Areas+6-23-2010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486188907447088578" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />At this moment, they state:<br /><br />"EPA has observed odor-causing pollutants associated with oil on the shore in the gulf region at low levels. Some of these chemicals may cause short-lived effects like headache, eye, nose and throat irritation, or nausea. Some people may be able to smell several of these chemicals at levels well below those that would cause short-term health problems.<br /><br />EPA is also conducting additional air monitoring for ozone and airborne particulate matter. The air monitoring conducted through June 21 has found levels of ozone and particulates ranging from the "good" to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" levels on EPA's Air Quality Index."<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/worker-illnesses-tallied-by-state-agencies-exceed-tally-kept-bp">A week ago</a> on 6/16, "Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals are in, showing 109 reports of illnesses from spill workers and others after exposure to polluted water, tar balls, liquid oil, odor and fumes, dispersant, and heat in the Gulf," and this was a 35% increase since the previous week.<br /><br />"<a href="http://www.southernstudies.org/2010/06/tilt-the-illness-afflicting-workers-exposed-to-bps-oil-disaster.html">The illness</a> -- marked by headaches, fatigue, upset stomach, and problems with memory and concentration -- has been dubbed <span style="font-weight: bold;">Toxicant Induced Loss of Tolerance</span>, or <span style="font-weight: bold;">TILT</span>. People suffering from TILT lose the ability to tolerate exposures to household chemical products, medication or even food...<br /><br />"Regardless of whether the illness being reported in Gulf cleanup workers <span style="font-weight: bold;">and residents</span> ends up being confirmed as TILT, the fact remains that the chemicals people are being exposed to in the oil and dispersants are known to have health impacts including eye, skin and respiratory irritation, as well as headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea and confusion. An analysis of EPA air testing data has found levels of these chemicals in coastal communities exceeding safety standards..."<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">********* End Updates *********</span><br /><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Study the wind patterns.<br />Read the captions.<br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84R35kvrjE9w9VKDZEEdhDBBH5gGSY8OnfwNRUO2Z0-VPBK_3eo7gLKicT2EL0RiRW5qZWTcLUlE1SNyXPHFUp8sgbKC6E6Idtd3bbL-oDj4TtQacjgRfbmTcFjA0xMOV1xFpk2jfUUH6/s1600/Hurricane+Gustave+-+Category+3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj84R35kvrjE9w9VKDZEEdhDBBH5gGSY8OnfwNRUO2Z0-VPBK_3eo7gLKicT2EL0RiRW5qZWTcLUlE1SNyXPHFUp8sgbKC6E6Idtd3bbL-oDj4TtQacjgRfbmTcFjA0xMOV1xFpk2jfUUH6/s400/Hurricane+Gustave+-+Category+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486067378079016146" border="0" /></a><center><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Gustave, 2008<br />Category 3 Hurricane</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOVLBjPwTvbMXGFWHmSefNpclSfoUBiDs8FbEJP1VhgBahyE0pgrZG9TKJpvckgQr2zf2o7tjO95IPAI-ctnsYHjj93ZPWtoKuBZgviydvCfLpkFPGzxIWNIMVCZR4aw0JJHb8FnGO2L6/s1600/katrina_nasa.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOVLBjPwTvbMXGFWHmSefNpclSfoUBiDs8FbEJP1VhgBahyE0pgrZG9TKJpvckgQr2zf2o7tjO95IPAI-ctnsYHjj93ZPWtoKuBZgviydvCfLpkFPGzxIWNIMVCZR4aw0JJHb8FnGO2L6/s400/katrina_nasa.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486066046106329874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Katrina, 2004<br />Category 5 Hurricane</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13O766GmvCZLowpweEF3nhw1RCo2kGOKf6U1b0-4rQpUby9kC0BcGyqRqlUb1hAwszS1ZEYVM9_IoEjiZFqgLejVm-WGZWktPlFX6goBS_zTv_uA9cpXSUbltxggo8mSlC-Nb-RgNlrjU/s1600/Oil9-June2010-NinetyMoreDaysOfThis.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13O766GmvCZLowpweEF3nhw1RCo2kGOKf6U1b0-4rQpUby9kC0BcGyqRqlUb1hAwszS1ZEYVM9_IoEjiZFqgLejVm-WGZWktPlFX6goBS_zTv_uA9cpXSUbltxggo8mSlC-Nb-RgNlrjU/s400/Oil9-June2010-NinetyMoreDaysOfThis.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486073586318718706" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Gulf of Mexico, Early June 2010</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46Xf-I2iXhHBo_w1uJI77FtaxWo0GvECPLAZkoP5oBmuHaWqtYNzxTFFYiVA0nKhR7yZq1Nuj6ZPtGydVOukXrv0TR-a0-LYXSVK3NAYoPdBUyKyCAMN6zIV7YFcv3ZiMjMT7kklM1iYd/s1600/OilDispersant-Corexit.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46Xf-I2iXhHBo_w1uJI77FtaxWo0GvECPLAZkoP5oBmuHaWqtYNzxTFFYiVA0nKhR7yZq1Nuj6ZPtGydVOukXrv0TR-a0-LYXSVK3NAYoPdBUyKyCAMN6zIV7YFcv3ZiMjMT7kklM1iYd/s400/OilDispersant-Corexit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486081704458733074" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Highly Toxic Oil Dispersant Overused In The Gulf</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JX1tFoHLdEbP6iFC1PQfjE6wCfzaFkDLrBdFelY_pxYLmWK7viwdqoAUsTN0YkLJ2ag5SsW0io0nT1l-ACbBVcFnCawbisnuoh2JmuUpVpdFRZgZyG_c89SJLxK2WF_yCgqBFmWbvR1x/s1600/OilMethaneExplosion-DeesIllustration.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 356px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0JX1tFoHLdEbP6iFC1PQfjE6wCfzaFkDLrBdFelY_pxYLmWK7viwdqoAUsTN0YkLJ2ag5SsW0io0nT1l-ACbBVcFnCawbisnuoh2JmuUpVpdFRZgZyG_c89SJLxK2WF_yCgqBFmWbvR1x/s400/OilMethaneExplosion-DeesIllustration.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486083937008545010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Toxic Chemicals & Methane Gas In The Gulf Rise Into The Air.<br />Moisture is released from the clouds as rain.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIb2Y5xDRtiVGRp2Xkp-L0M-d_fze-2jVtHFA3nULW0YfgmbnZlbNGvQj7wd0DFKSdNAKJrr8LZT7CYrYtCPSWvBL43sf016oUo3Cm4nA7aBnmljivGDCfMRsP-yOIPUj-01H2m8oulFGu/s1600/Oil+Dice2+by+Kit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 339px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIb2Y5xDRtiVGRp2Xkp-L0M-d_fze-2jVtHFA3nULW0YfgmbnZlbNGvQj7wd0DFKSdNAKJrr8LZT7CYrYtCPSWvBL43sf016oUo3Cm4nA7aBnmljivGDCfMRsP-yOIPUj-01H2m8oulFGu/s400/Oil+Dice2+by+Kit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486127312638181762" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Nuking Solution<br />Roll of the Die, by Kit</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEgG0UwYoA1WPp79G-XDxYrRPI2mw78CC5iY7pheM5dPjjMdby0JNIx0hnYJi09oeP8moiZPzEdBIaoofq92EPAjcUXKPzaWdG3P43pbcZx7YEj0gNk2-g_EIvsogEX-Pp4k7RhiwlZID/s1600/oil-pelicansinpen-6-2010-CSM.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpEgG0UwYoA1WPp79G-XDxYrRPI2mw78CC5iY7pheM5dPjjMdby0JNIx0hnYJi09oeP8moiZPzEdBIaoofq92EPAjcUXKPzaWdG3P43pbcZx7YEj0gNk2-g_EIvsogEX-Pp4k7RhiwlZID/s400/oil-pelicansinpen-6-2010-CSM.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486075203076501234" border="0" /></a><center><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Mrs. Smith's Kindergarten Class</span><br />Amy, Joe, Jamal, Erin, Samantha, Troy, Tanisha, Larry, Michelle,<br />Michael, Julia, David, Benjamin, Maria, Chris, Bobby, Ming, Jose, Yasmin<br />Not pictured: See accompanying <span style="font-style: italic;">In Memoriam</span> book</span>.</center></center><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Riddle me this:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"The answer is blowin' in the wind."</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> ~ Stevie Wonder</span></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">What is the question?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;">After studying the hurricane wind patterns, are you safe?</span><br /><br />Thought for now and weeks to come:<br />Got a back up plan?<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-38038385114529992362010-06-22T10:35:00.023-04:002010-06-22T13:52:56.730-04:00Boodocks Social Commentary: Making Pacts With Racism, And Sistas Expected To Act Like Trannies<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" ><i>"I will renounce Ice Cube and all his works."</i></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />And thus in Season 3, Episode <a href="http://www.hiphopmusicdotcom.com/the-boondocks-season-3-episode-8-pause.html">8</a>, titled "Pause" (start at about 6:30), the Boondocks' Grandfather, Robert, repeated this pact with racism to get fame, women, and escape the boring life he lives.<br /><br />Now that was deep.<br /><br />Tying it in with religion was genius.<br /><br />For you young'uns, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre were two of the original <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N.W.A">NWA</a>. They picked up on the revolution for justice in the black community when the <i>say it loud, I'm black and proud</i> meme ran out of gas. Until they had beef in the early 90's and gradually became less political by glorifying gangsterism for the sake of it (Dre more so than Ice Cube), those bros excelled at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiX7GTelTPM">protesting</a> police brutality and "just us" in the jails.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">At one time, a sure fire way for brothas to get chicks was to be an activist.</span> Who the FBI didn't kill, the media co-opted. Along came Good Times, The Jeffersons, Cosby, Diff'rent Strokes, and Oprah. None of them were mad, or mad enough, about anything. Just as happy as they could be. Drive a few miles from where those TV shows were taped and you'd be rolling through Black Shanty Town, USA.<br /><br />My point isn't to bash the entertainment factor of what they had to offer, or Tyler Perry's thang either because I do like him, but to illustrate that Hollyweird is guilty of <span style="font-style: italic;">overusing</span> this script as tool to smother the fires of legitimate concerns about racism, and along with it, the creativity of writers and producers who would address this side of the culture if their work wasn't killed in the cradle.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A second brief segment in this cutting edge Boondocks episode is stunningly brilliant - but a very subtle social commentary made by Aaron McGruder.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20OOvCGPlrke86A1nh-JSyFmZgX7uWd8L7HPvsnNPe-zTZPC-3rUrYsMu38keUH8lE8SBBjxuSWwdrGmF7eDWFzSsTsWFF_5gM6IfdMkWDtEEAu6zfpys15bLIPSnxNofuY977waztVzr/s1600/boondocks-aaron-mcgruder.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20OOvCGPlrke86A1nh-JSyFmZgX7uWd8L7HPvsnNPe-zTZPC-3rUrYsMu38keUH8lE8SBBjxuSWwdrGmF7eDWFzSsTsWFF_5gM6IfdMkWDtEEAu6zfpys15bLIPSnxNofuY977waztVzr/s400/boondocks-aaron-mcgruder.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485625264593242050" border="0" /></a><br /><br />In this spoof (at around 5:20), "Winston Jerome" is the cross-dressing director and will play the role of Ma Duke.<br /><br />He announces, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Ma Duke should find herself a man."</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkP6I-jMyATQ1-8zmt7fbzjA1KcezcHzxaV9iavPdwb7RUKvkbwr0HySBbVGhHY0HjWB1s5WygwjcUnajM_FDtuGFhIRF-wORViiDAg78inAFJca3i_3vzkgMf5KMBc6Z8SKabdRQon1A/s1600/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan3.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkP6I-jMyATQ1-8zmt7fbzjA1KcezcHzxaV9iavPdwb7RUKvkbwr0HySBbVGhHY0HjWB1s5WygwjcUnajM_FDtuGFhIRF-wORViiDAg78inAFJca3i_3vzkgMf5KMBc6Z8SKabdRQon1A/s400/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan3.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485616598188591554" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The question to Granddad Robert is, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Do you think you're man enough for Ma Duke?"</span><br /><br />Granddad says yes. He's dying for fame, remember?<br /><br />So in this role, his line is to say to 'her', <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"You are a strong, intelligent black woman who will make me a better man."</span><br /><br />Wow. I had to think about that shit - and then it clicked.<br /><br /><b>Have we gotten to the point where the strong black woman is expected to act like a cross dressing gay man?<br /><br />Before you jump up and say <i>oh hell no</i>, think about the increasing sexual expectations of young women.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JF3_QwPHTXnPaA1SzbGSFoHDLChQ3MKj-Y_L4qV54jSJfOuj4q8dQSPCZ4zkpjOe8voJXkwxtDoJhJ-C-AT4vtJe5L8LNaLJYpLVYFsptsmpmoQs9TF5BkUn-GGJD71HYvYVZISCy8Ja/s1600/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan4.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 237px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8JF3_QwPHTXnPaA1SzbGSFoHDLChQ3MKj-Y_L4qV54jSJfOuj4q8dQSPCZ4zkpjOe8voJXkwxtDoJhJ-C-AT4vtJe5L8LNaLJYpLVYFsptsmpmoQs9TF5BkUn-GGJD71HYvYVZISCy8Ja/s400/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan4.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485615513774094930" border="0" /></a><br />All year I've been fighting the urge to heave when I read posts promoting sistas to not only suck but to swallow and to take it up the azz, and to stop sweating the men over commitments and marriage, and instead to "just have fun".<br /><br />Now that's some gay lifestyle shit.</b><br /><br />As I see it, it's been pushed on women to behave promiscuously <i>like gay men.</i><br /><br />This goes hand in hand with Hollyweird and the feminization our men.<br /><br />Who is perceived by White America as being less dangerous than the gay black male? I swear they get office jobs hands down twice as much as the straight black male applicants. I ain't hating on the gays, and eff you if you think I am, but Aaron McGruder is on to something in that scene.<br /><br />McGruder also goes after the loonier, deeply closeted gay yet homophobic side of black churches. It makes me think of this 2007 favorite Ice Cube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQgUvY9wZsY">video</a> as a symptom of straight urban male backlash.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ngsEThf22OBDfOE3cp-xAnSVXqBwzLjKbhcHrSAPQ3FEpsMzKXrSVmwfukONQKSFjfeJz-MUJgfSCAZ5c5RrQDnGpjZdSLPncuB0_HSdjUdV6HClR9a5q9FKliVRofUdq-GuPVaX-Wr/s1600/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan5.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9ngsEThf22OBDfOE3cp-xAnSVXqBwzLjKbhcHrSAPQ3FEpsMzKXrSVmwfukONQKSFjfeJz-MUJgfSCAZ5c5RrQDnGpjZdSLPncuB0_HSdjUdV6HClR9a5q9FKliVRofUdq-GuPVaX-Wr/s400/Boondocks+MaDukeFindsAMan5.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485632351526932914" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Otherwise I don't feel the need to comment on the religious or the skin complexion issues because Twitter and other bloggers (check out <a href="http://wearerespectablenegroes.blogspot.com/2010/06/homophobic-anti-christian-boondocks.html">Chauncey's</a> and <a href="http://bigsole.blogspot.com/2010/06/video-boondocks-pause-mcgruder-hacks.html">Nordette's</a> posts) are already smokin' hot on that, and some other angles.<br /><br />Thumbs up and a standing ovation to Aaron McGruder for being perhaps the best social commentator of our times. You can watch all the Season 3 episodes <a href="http://www.hiphopmusicdotcom.com/tag/the-boondocks">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-60226263267058112182010-06-20T09:00:00.004-04:002010-06-20T09:40:24.462-04:00To The Empty Seat At The Head Of The Table<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmIwknPKV0T8kZON6zKTVogmjpDDA1CUs_AxvrzDYIR2zOKKBYx8Phn8AGH05WQ8u9FcOnwsoO7kIhblaYoEdwnVRfUZTiAz3LyGVIDmcVrTE9yihMHMY1IbScYoFT8DhnltKnfegJQd0/s1600/Seat.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 311px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmIwknPKV0T8kZON6zKTVogmjpDDA1CUs_AxvrzDYIR2zOKKBYx8Phn8AGH05WQ8u9FcOnwsoO7kIhblaYoEdwnVRfUZTiAz3LyGVIDmcVrTE9yihMHMY1IbScYoFT8DhnltKnfegJQd0/s320/Seat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484835792647947490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Dear Empty Seat at the head of the table,</span><br /><br />Happy Father's Day.<br /><br />I know that you can't talk back, but if the occupant could, he would. He'd smile and say thank you and pretend that he likes the funny tie or pair of socks or the picture one of the kids drew.<br /><br />I understand your seat is empty because he's dead, locked up, fighting a war to kill someone elses daddy, is too broke and embarrassed to come around, or just had his mind filled up with so much bullshit that he forgot how to love himself, and by extension, anyone else.<br /><br />Yes, I know that a lot of grandfathers and uncles and stepdads try to fill your space. Even the mothers and women folk try this, but it's a strain for them to sit in two places at the same time, and most prefer not to play an endless game of musical chairs.<br /><br />I know that substitutes in your spot isn't quite the same, but most people are good and do what needs to be done when they can, so try not to cry.<br /><br />The world is not ready to throw you away, although there are people in it who would like to destroy you even though they lie and say otherwise about wanting "intact" families. They're really only talking about <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> group and <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> chair that sits at the head of their table. If they really meant what they said, they wouldn't make life so miserable and difficult to survive for your occupant.<br /><br />Maybe one day, a son of the man who should enjoy your throne will avoid or escape the brutality of the world and keep you warm.<br /><br />Until then, a good strategy is for families to use <span style="font-style: italic;">round tables.</span> There are many reasons people do this anyway, such as preference of design, but one that's rarely discussed is it helps to not be constantly reminded of your missing occupant.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fRnXCjDbudcmwDlztIdMTJ4dHiLCC9O5KIIEXp_qSwsby3p3p6cDKLbtGOLmbxF7GwrZ31ISffvyOXFBl1XPzG3DoXQZV2fUUrgucWyMaKWlVFxXr22eXfYaLIU0AQIApoemTiHVCs92/s1600/Table2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3fRnXCjDbudcmwDlztIdMTJ4dHiLCC9O5KIIEXp_qSwsby3p3p6cDKLbtGOLmbxF7GwrZ31ISffvyOXFBl1XPzG3DoXQZV2fUUrgucWyMaKWlVFxXr22eXfYaLIU0AQIApoemTiHVCs92/s320/Table2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484844538872738850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Anyway, I wish you a Happy Father's Day.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The loved ones left behind</span><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-50447910690172427122010-06-18T12:28:00.026-04:002010-06-19T10:56:05.314-04:00There Will Be No Turning Back: The "Ringworm Children" Story As A Manifestation Of Tribalism & Other "Isms"<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I rarely write about or comment on anything that has to do with Israel, particularly Zionism-based politics. The reason is that the current government is as hard right as hardest right of the GOP, and have that Tea Party flavor when it comes to brown people.<br /><br />Like our haters over here who are quick to call you a racist for complaining about racism, I've seen too many times anyone criticizing an Israeli policy or practice called an anti-Semite. Writing opinions about their political and military shit is rarely worth the headache.<br /><br />However, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I discovered some history that I had never read about before. Ever hear about </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">The Ringworm Children?</span> I'll tell you about them in a moment.<br /><br />What happened then is as racist as the 1940s Brits and US Government setting up Israel in 1948 not "just to be nice" to post-Holocaust Jewry, but more to carry out a racist agenda for Jews to be the "plantation overseer" of the olive and browned skinned Persians and Arabs of the Middle East.<br /><br />The good 'ole boys used the Southern strategy of placing Jews in the plantation 'overseer' role, which is a glorified House Negro as a state, in charge of and the darker "primitive" peoples. No one knows better than the average American black folk that the <span style="font-style: italic;">House Negro</span> often internalizes racism, and become as oppressive as the oppressor, sometimes more so, to prove he's assimilated and better.<br /><br />This divide and conquer strategy set the stage for hate and war between the two groups, and <span style="font-style: italic;">for both</span> to get used and abused by white Europeans and Americans in power, who historically try to get something for nothing by any means possible.<br /><br /><span>The documentary film is titled</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> "The Ringworm Children".</span> It's 45 minutes long, has subtitles, and won <i>Best Documentary</i> at the Haifa International film festival in 2005. Author Barry Chamish wrote a review, which was fortunately reprinted <a href="http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/october2005/281005ringwormchildren.htm">here</a>, because the original site, Israeli Insider, is gone.<br /><br /><center><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=6118144849760405404&hl=en&fs=true" style="width: 400px; height: 326px;" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></center><br />I like the film better myself because it more graphically shows the racism and the children, and because Chamish, in his otherwise excellent written review, avoided using the word "North African" to describe <span>Jewish children from Morocco who immigrated to Israel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">These darker, Sephardi children and many others from Middle Eastern countries had their brains blasted with an overdose of radiation in a "social medical" program, stated in the documentary to be a eugenics program ridding Israel of </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">'unacceptable Jews'</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjhuXVzpxQmTu6UOTfnuuyAfgNqgDMZCY3PxJnlFCwa7nn_Dq1_MUP1_YH3qrgZyc8gEx3uwlrNtRmJCKGY9VDx_R1gDUIgfzjb1Uqi2GK7gVh7ipSZnPhepEyNfbngQx-goREowx9b_p/s1600/AfrMor-Isr.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdjhuXVzpxQmTu6UOTfnuuyAfgNqgDMZCY3PxJnlFCwa7nn_Dq1_MUP1_YH3qrgZyc8gEx3uwlrNtRmJCKGY9VDx_R1gDUIgfzjb1Uqi2GK7gVh7ipSZnPhepEyNfbngQx-goREowx9b_p/s320/AfrMor-Isr.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484146972957204802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This was done under the guise of treating them for ringworm during a class trip. Anywhere from 20,000 to 100,000 children were irradiated </span>with mega doses of radiation, well known at the time for causing cancer, death, sterilizing, and risking mutant progeny.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >*******************</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Below are excerpts of the written review</span> of the film in case you don't have time or inclination to watch it, and after that, a brief news clip illustrating the continued divide between the two groups, and a commentary by me.<br /><br /><br />"The subject is the mass irradiation of hundreds of thousands of Jewish children who immigrated from Middle Eastern and North African countries -- <span style="font-weight: bold;">Sephardim</span>, as they are called today.<br /><br />In 1951, the director general of the Israeli Health Ministry, Dr. Chaim Sheba, flew to America and returned with seven x-ray machines, supplied to him by the American army.<br /><br />They were to be used in a mass atomic experiment with an entire generation of Sephardi youths to be used as guinea pigs. Every Sephardi child was to be given 35,000 times the maximum dose of x-rays through his head. For doing so, the American government paid the Israeli government 300 million Israeli liras a year. The entire Health budget was 60 million liras. The money paid by the Americans is equivalent to billions of dollars today.<br /><br />To fool the parents of the victims, the children were taken away on "school trips" and their parents were later told the x-rays were a treatment for the scourge of scalpal ringworm. 6,000 of the children died shortly after their doses were given, while many of the rest developed cancers that killed thousands over time and are still killing them now. While living, the victims suffered from disorders such as epilepsy, amnesia, Alzheimer's disease, chronic headaches and psychosis.<br /><br />That is the subject of the documentary in cold terms. It is another matter to see the victims on the screen...<br /><br />The majority of the victims were Moroccan because they were the most numerous of the Sephardi immigrants. The generation that was poisoned became the country's perpetual poor and criminal class. It didn't make sense. The Moroccans who fled to France became prosperous and highly educated. The common explanation was that France got the rich, thus smart ones. The real explanation is that every French Moroccan child didn't have his brain cells fried with gamma rays.<br /><br />The film made it perfectly plain that this operation was no accident. The dangers of x-rays had been known for over forty years. We read the official guidelines for x-ray treatment in 1952. The maximum dose to be given a child in Israel was .5 rad. There was no mistake made. The children were deliberately poisoned.<br /><br />David Deri makes the point that only Sephardi children received the x-rays: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"I was in class and the men came to take us on a tour. They asked our names. The Ashkenazi [Jews of European descent] children were told to return to their seats. The dark children were put on the bus."</span><br /><br />The film presents a historian who first gives a potted history of the eugenics movement. In a later sound bite, he declares that <span style="font-weight: bold;">the ringworm operation was a eugenics program</span> aimed at weeding out the perceived weak strains of society. The Moroccan lady is back on the screen. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"It was a Holocaust, a Sephardi Holocaust. And what I want to know is why no one stood up to stop it."</span><br /><br />David Deri, on film and then as a panel member, relates the frustration he encountered when trying to find his childhood medical records. <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"All I wanted to know was what they did to me. I wanted to know who authorized it. I wanted to trace the chain of command. But the Health Ministry told me my records were missing."</span><br /><br />Boaz Lev, the Health Ministry's spokesman chimes in: <span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Almost all the records were burned in a fire."</span><br /><br />We are told that a US law in the late '40s put a stop to the human radiation experiments conducted on prisoners, the mentally feeble and the like. The American atomic program needed a new source of human lab rats and the Israeli government supplied it. Here was the government cabinet at the time of the ringworm atrocities:<br /><br />Prime Minister - David Ben Gurion;<br />Finance Minister - Eliezer Kaplan;<br />Settlement Minister - Levi Eshkol;<br />Foreign Minister - Moshe Sharrett;<br />Health Minister - Yosef Burg;<br />Labor Minister - Golda Meir;<br />Police Minister - Amos Ben Gurion.<br /><br />The highest ranking non-cabinet post belonged to the Director General of the Defence Ministry, Shimon Peres.<br /><br />That a program involving the equivalent of billions of dollars of American government funds should be unknown to the Prime Minister of cash-strapped Israel is ridiculous. Ben Gurion had to have been in on the horrors and undoubtedly chose his son to be Police Minister in case anyone interfered with them.<br /><br />Finance Minister Eliezer Kaplan was rewarded for eternity with a hospital named after him near Rehovot. But he's not alone in this honor. Chaim Sheba, who ran Ringworm Incorporated, had a whole medical complex named after him. Needless to say, if there is an ounce of decency in the local medical profession, those hospital names will have to change...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">There is one person alive who knows the truth: Shimon Peres.</span> The only way to get to the truth and start the healing is to investigate him for his role in the mass poisoning of over 100,000 Sephardi children and youth.<br /><br />But here is why that won't happen. The film was aired at the same time as the highest-rated TV show of the year, the finale of Israel's talent-hunt show: "A Star Is Born." The next day, the newly-born star's photo took up half the front pages. There was not a word about <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ringworm Children</span> in any paper, nor on the Internet. Until now."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">- Barry Chamish, 10/28/2005</span><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >*****************</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Nearly sixty years later In </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100617/wl_mideast_afp/israeleducationreligioncourts_20100617113952">today's news</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"> in Israel:</span><br /><br /><i>"Police across the country were on high alert, as thousands of protesters massed near the main entrance to Jerusalem...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The protests were called after a Supreme Court ruling ordered the jailing of a group of <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Ashkenazi</span> parents of European origin who are refusing to send their daughters to a school with Jewish girls of Middle Eastern, or <span style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0);">Sephardi</span>, descent.</span><br /><br />But although the ruling effectively pitted the ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazis against the Sephardis, both communities have come together for a mass protest against what they see as the intolerable intervention of the secular state in their religious affairs."</i><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >******************</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Sound familiar? It should. Most white, black, and Latino Americans are Christians. The whiter Ashkenazis and more melanin-rich Sephardis are Jews.<br /><br />What we all have in common is we're still suffering from the devastating impact slavery.<br /><br />While it's easy to say there is something effed up about "white people", this is too simplistic. Back when whites lived in Europe and thought the earth was flat and knew little to nothing of the existence of non-whites, most of them lived and died as peasants in a brutal feudal system serving lords and kings. These serfs were as mercilessly exploited and expendable as non-whites in many places today.<br /><br />Prior to this and across every group in the world, we can call it plain old <span style="font-weight: bold;">tribalism</span>, which generally includes a component of sexism. Tribalism is not necessarily genocidal, but it can be, and there are plenty of examples of this.<br /><br />In the more ancient, <span style="font-style: italic;">might makes right</span> times, people sucked up to the chief, and in his absence, whichever man had the biggest fist and could lie the best for his selfish advantage ruled. What, I ask you, has changed? Wars and discrimination continue and the gender conflicts remain fairly intact.<br /><br />Unless or until humanity stops this madness of allowing divide and conquer strategies by the rich to pit us against one another, and have us believe that one group - race, religion, class, or gender - is superior to another, we will all continue to behave like <span style="font-style: italic;">overseers, house or field Negroes</span> who serve rulers that don't give a damn about any of us, and we will continue to make ourselves and each other miserable.<br /><br />It is my hope we recognize our modern day <span style="font-style: italic;">tribalism</span> for what it is, lest we wake up one morning and discover that the whole world is one big plantation run by non-human and inhuman mega-corporations.<br /><br />Given the computer and military technology of today, combined with the <span style="font-style: italic;">let's somehow get rid of them, wall them off, incarcerate them, become a suicide bomber, nuke baby nuke them, sterilize them, or exterminate them</span> mentality of yesteryear, one day we will all be "them", and there will be no turning back.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-62410039789259511352010-06-15T10:42:00.042-04:002010-06-17T18:48:51.175-04:00The Art Of The End: BP Sucks So Much I Entered A "Redesign Their Logo" Contest For The Hell Of It<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Earlier this morning I ran across an <span style="font-weight: bold;">art contest</span> given by Greenpeace, called "<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/gulf-oil-spill/bp-logo">Redesign BP's Logo</a>". They think BP's logo is too pretty and misleading.<br /><br />I hadn't planned on entering, but I figured what the heck, <span style="font-style: italic;">it's therapy</span>, because this catastrophe has been bugging me out. Check out mine:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRrlbrpGrQQumhC-fcZve0d2kYdkMHVE-ANx5sdgeUJDJx86oTvwyutgDc00W91UtfgFidnZsHcVFI6v69nLSTTzRoFiir-F5LjE-7y_BC0u7PlJPihLaic0aYxE9CMm09Yjf2Buzyhqj/s1600/Burdened+Prophet+-+by+Kit_keepittrilldotblogspotdotcom.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 500px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRrlbrpGrQQumhC-fcZve0d2kYdkMHVE-ANx5sdgeUJDJx86oTvwyutgDc00W91UtfgFidnZsHcVFI6v69nLSTTzRoFiir-F5LjE-7y_BC0u7PlJPihLaic0aYxE9CMm09Yjf2Buzyhqj/s400/Burdened+Prophet+-+by+Kit_keepittrilldotblogspotdotcom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483119849738545058" border="0" /></a><center><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >"<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/51189769@N06/4702464497/in/pool-rebrandbp">BP: Burdened Prophet</a>"<br />by Kit</span><br /></center><br /><br />Click on for a larger view. Go ahead. I'm so proud of it. It's similar to someone elses, but I added a few things they didn't, i.e. the danger eyes, the doomsday clock, and oil-soaked bird. It's a modification of the famous art piece, <span style="font-style: italic;">Scream</span>.<br /><br />I always wondered why the original artist painted the dark water and fiery sky the way he did. Perhaps in his worse nightmares, he had a glimpse into the future, like a prophet. Many of us who have read in detail on the science end and can see what's coming feel like that character.<br /><br />I scream inside with questions like why are those who also know but benefit from the profits of Big Oil <span style="font-style: italic;">behaving</span> differently? <span style="font-weight: bold;">Not their wealth nor their power will shield them</span> from toxic air we'll breathe and the toxic rain that falls on us when this thing worsens and <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/earths-terrorists-are-oil-executives.html">hits</a> the ocean conveyor belt. Hell, this is the most obvious deal breaker of our times?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Enough of us have been raising hell that the President will speak to the nation later at 8 PM EST about the Gulf Oil Catastrophe.</span> Hopefully tomorrow he'll kick some BP azz when he meets with them. The escrow account idea is a good start, but I hope for <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-reich/why-the-united-states-sti_b_610469.html">receivership,</a> because the amount discussed now will not cover the estimated $1 Trillion dollars in damages.<br /><br />Below are other entries I found compelling for different reasons. You can see them all on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/rebrandbp/">Flickr</a>, and join the contest <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/gulf-oil-spill/bp-logo">here</a>, if for no other reason than to keep sending BP and Congress a message.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmwB3Jo9QnuKH6d7Z506wGW91uZ1mDbEjNpLWoANfystlQkFQjqX2H5icbH_D-_EppUO0j_AsNNiRUAqZaRmOd0QhPFjVjB0qC0NtjGLZDpMaXadeAChmQZqYaOHq8Zg8vafnySLw8i8S/s1600/BP+-+I+Want+My+Life+Back.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmwB3Jo9QnuKH6d7Z506wGW91uZ1mDbEjNpLWoANfystlQkFQjqX2H5icbH_D-_EppUO0j_AsNNiRUAqZaRmOd0QhPFjVjB0qC0NtjGLZDpMaXadeAChmQZqYaOHq8Zg8vafnySLw8i8S/s400/BP+-+I+Want+My+Life+Back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482989789271050962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6OyROyX4PycMQRqeLhPwDFxvTqcRY6t_Y2pJF53mJb6SRWHBa5lMMQkhga3Tmwc073-yyoTAwc78mr8yzOpyuQJoryU6hwY1RieFN4cXWPFtSUIxixboEaKpnjdf3uhAgUq6LF1IxP3ux/s1600/BP+-+21+DinosaursDrivingWeExtinct.jpg"><img style="display: block; 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margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 351px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVoXlhP0d_ZM9ok_mgwzOQv3bVNG2TlfWLCT9loSBHcnd69DO4WBi4qSMm9qGeKPYsKPaCEXSS0NcgI0ntAbjUNfcvlJMPT5p4sH9SQWrRihkbszSteZLjbn5M9tvzk1bVZMp69iHLh0RS/s400/BPmocklogo13.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483126486919936066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4LjkIz_wqh6Gq4yR04ajgeFulSPWosNR3Xo4Q91cABGgW-RDugBeGY_pUz_Y6AI7BwIALOoLmec9y0Fwsezc3C8Rto-e3IyQbr4hH2nu1YU7bOAj2Db3nqBkDwmI2ghbFDUvAAM8Z3PR/s1600/BPmocklogo16A.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 359px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4LjkIz_wqh6Gq4yR04ajgeFulSPWosNR3Xo4Q91cABGgW-RDugBeGY_pUz_Y6AI7BwIALOoLmec9y0Fwsezc3C8Rto-e3IyQbr4hH2nu1YU7bOAj2Db3nqBkDwmI2ghbFDUvAAM8Z3PR/s400/BPmocklogo16A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483139034999608626" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwTfk8mL0a19gf2tEc-7IznaFq7GcVjn8OUdSblx7-ljNI_y-BN0wvYG9qSRxeng3MMIejS43uZqoYjAyzFIDYQ-iihplXJkc3X0-2HvLdxXL5tf1AEP5seTcOsjFYbNrZ0RXBGGhAxWT/s1600/BPmocklogo5A.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 381px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwTfk8mL0a19gf2tEc-7IznaFq7GcVjn8OUdSblx7-ljNI_y-BN0wvYG9qSRxeng3MMIejS43uZqoYjAyzFIDYQ-iihplXJkc3X0-2HvLdxXL5tf1AEP5seTcOsjFYbNrZ0RXBGGhAxWT/s400/BPmocklogo5A.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483010390438783378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rW9vOO1hyphenhyphen16FGhqA4qopsZ5xInO-2iI2nZzj2CM3SokXkVBS1wmSfDYn4lWmDwnVfWEDjTGI10_migIq30xNaoCHZYYtekesLsfLmPZ1zII2UXP8eHU2mfx5JDvNCuNsobCduKTbUP5C/s1600/BP+-+SOS.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_rW9vOO1hyphenhyphen16FGhqA4qopsZ5xInO-2iI2nZzj2CM3SokXkVBS1wmSfDYn4lWmDwnVfWEDjTGI10_migIq30xNaoCHZYYtekesLsfLmPZ1zII2UXP8eHU2mfx5JDvNCuNsobCduKTbUP5C/s400/BP+-+SOS.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482991698298889490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-72822136764413052302010-06-13T00:01:00.031-04:002010-06-13T09:13:38.856-04:00Pitbulls: The Four & Two Legged Kind<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I haven't written anything personal in awhile, but what happened late this afternoon made me cry.<br /><br />My 7 pound poodle was attacked by a pit bull.<br /><br />The story begins this past Thursday evening. Xavier plopped down $40 before me.<br /><br />"This is for you, Ma."<br /><br />"For what?", I asked, "and where you'd get it?"<br /><br />"I'm babysitting for my friend's dog for the weekend. It's an eight month old puppy. He's in the back now."<br /><br />Since our live-in landlord is away for the weekend, it sounded okay, until he said, "It's a pit."<br /><br />"Oh no," I replied. "Oh hell no. Take it back. Now."<br /><br />"I can't," Xavier explained. "The guy's already gone on vacation. It has a big cage."<br /><br />"Then keep him in it..."<br /><br />"He's really nice, and just a puppy..."<br /><br />A puppy my azz, I thought. At eight months old, he's a teenager and almost grown.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">**********************</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Memories flashed back to when my brother dumped a six month old part-pit puppy on us years ago. He'd gotten it for a dollar at a yard sale. The only reason I gave it a chance then was because Xavier was doing the <span style="font-style: italic;">please please please can we keep him</span> thang, and the dog was purportedly part retriever. Retrievers are nice. Maybe he'd have that temperament.<br /><br />At 7 months, I got Radar neutered. This surgery generally reduces aggression when performed at a young age.<br /><br />A month later, I sat in our backyard on a late summer day and watched the kids play. Radar was on a 50 foot tie. Casey, my daughter, was wearing only a diaper. She was 2-1/2 years old. Xavier was 9.<br /><br />It all happened so fast.<br /><br />Casey was laughing and ran past Radar, and he suddenly gave chase. That dog looked like he was running after a rabbit. She was fast, but he was gaining ground on her rapidly. He was almost on her before I was barely out of my chair and over to her.<br /><br />Then he lunged for her. I could see his teeth as he was a fraction away from grabbing her by the diaper.<br /><br />At that precise moment, he snapped his jaws barely nipping her diaper, but he'd run the length of his tie, and he flew up the air and fell to the ground with a thud. It is exactly the kind of scene you'd see in a cartoon.<br /><br />The kids were dying laughing. It was so funny, that I was laughing too, while at the same time, thinking, <span style="font-style: italic;">this shit is serious</span>.<br /><br />I told Xavier this and for Casey to stay away from Radar.<br /><br />"He didn't hurt her, Mommy," Xavier said.<br /><br />"By the grace of God, he didn't," I replied. "He gave into his baser instinct. She's small and vulnerable, like a little animal. He gave chase with the full intention of hurting her. What they say about pits is true, they cannot be trusted. Looks like that goes for part-pits, too."<br /><br />A few days later, Xavier was tearful as a guy bought and took his dog away. I told him and his girlfriend what had happened. They lived somewhere out in the boonies and had no children, and thought it was funny, but that they could train him.<br /><br />Lotsa luck, and to this day, I wonder if I should have him put down.<br /><br />A few years later, a father brought his ten year old daughter to me for therapy. He owned a pit that never gave him a problem. He was in the dining room while the child was playing quietly in the living room.<br /><br />I guess the dog didn't like not having any attention, or maybe it had a break with reality, and viciously attacked her. The dad grabbed a hammer and had to beat the dog to death upside the head to force it to release her.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7JgqUERYnhjbJ6j9cfv9aM9i2Kz0Tl7EkcqJwHQ7OevDhwHNiGNIdbzKjVK78efvJ8I9oPuE1RXs_xAcsWPRvlotNSCX3atA07SBUcvNBbuSEflzaUkTIRQOmitVyTtSMEbgPVmif8v4/s1600/Pitbull+attack+of+child.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX7JgqUERYnhjbJ6j9cfv9aM9i2Kz0Tl7EkcqJwHQ7OevDhwHNiGNIdbzKjVK78efvJ8I9oPuE1RXs_xAcsWPRvlotNSCX3atA07SBUcvNBbuSEflzaUkTIRQOmitVyTtSMEbgPVmif8v4/s320/Pitbull+attack+of+child.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482081225433243586" border="0" /></a><center style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">She looked a lot like this one</span></center><br /><br />The kid's face was scarred, but it was her arm that was really messed up. She was traumatized months later, which is how they came to me.<br /><br />I observed the child. She was very still.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" >***********************</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Fast forward to the present, and there I sat, watching my son's mouth move.<br /><br />"Since you can't send him back today," I said, "here are the rules. Keep that dog in your room with door closed, or in his cage on the patio, and he better be gone Monday."<br /><br />That was hard. I hate pits, but how you gonna get rid of somebody elses dog? And I damn sure wasn't gonna put it in <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> car. Years ago, I read about a young woman in her 20s. She loved her pit and took it with her everywhere. One day for no reason, it attacked her while she was driving. She said it "must have gotten upset by something it saw out the window. He's fine now."<br /><br />Sounded to me like it had a brief psychotic episode.<br /><br />Anyway, Xavier agreed. I walked to the kitchen back door that leads to the patio, and peeped through the window. There sat <span style="font-style: italic;">it</span>.<br /><br />Yep, I thought, that's a pit alright.<br /><br />"His name is Carlito."<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDvsGRTupwP962DS3aEVnnKmps2BdQlg1lJJBJ68fc7hB1b7XWqcV-HWdAJB3m3KOIQbwly_ggqkrhQZ1NeSDSQyBMJejDhNlAMjvzwYeRD0oa_5XmQuazGP1P7orAY3878tzoVi8duP-/s1600/Pitbull+2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDvsGRTupwP962DS3aEVnnKmps2BdQlg1lJJBJ68fc7hB1b7XWqcV-HWdAJB3m3KOIQbwly_ggqkrhQZ1NeSDSQyBMJejDhNlAMjvzwYeRD0oa_5XmQuazGP1P7orAY3878tzoVi8duP-/s320/Pitbull+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482069166953575922" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:78%;">This one looks like he could be Carlito's daddy</span></center><br /><br />"Eff him and you too for bringing him here," I growled. "Just keep him away from us and especially our dog. If Jani smells Carlito has been walking around the house, he'll start marking territory. Don't need him peeing on the carpet."<br /><br />"Okay," he said, smiling.<br /><br />Idiot.<br /><br />Maybe me too, 'cause Xavier ain't never been good at keep his word. Give him an inch and he'll take a mile.<br /><br />The next day I got up the nerve to go out and watch him and Carlito. Indeed, the dog has puppy behaviors. Playful. Friendly. Annoying only in that he jumps on you, but most dogs do until trained. I still didn't trust him.<br /><br />Then comes today, or I should say Saturday, since it's just after midnight now.<br /><br />"I'll be back in 20 or so minutes," I hollered at Xavier and his girlfriend. "Keep that dog out of the house while I'm gone."<br /><br />I dropped my daughter off at a <span style="font-style: italic;">quinceanera</span> party. That's a "Sweet 15" celebration for Latino girls. She looked stunning. I drove back with my little sidekick poodle, Jani, sitting next to me in the car.<br /><br />He <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> attacks me when I drive.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHSe7jZBRUeBJuosfaWpU2RsqUbN5XTZDLycoF6wknXi7bkLwfkhoutBt0WyO-L3jsC-vp6DbHcOEYGmKg8Lg-Zdw0shHZ1Ll1jYoOmgCgQA2gv6W5vDXJl2J029J2l0k6nXrrpSC81TK/s1600/Jani.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHSe7jZBRUeBJuosfaWpU2RsqUbN5XTZDLycoF6wknXi7bkLwfkhoutBt0WyO-L3jsC-vp6DbHcOEYGmKg8Lg-Zdw0shHZ1Ll1jYoOmgCgQA2gv6W5vDXJl2J029J2l0k6nXrrpSC81TK/s320/Jani.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482064354540918402" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is Jani</span></center><br /><br />I strolled up the path to the front door, opened it, and we walked in.<br /><br />Within seconds, the demon dog from hell was on Jani. I was horrified. He had Jani's entire front leg in his mouth.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50BSTIeqzZ7qBw_KbZv9z-UHV2GBOAQcsL5QcodS138B7usz94Z6AG8x0RfLYR3Uf_lpBNOEbqNWB9xwlIiF8WGiV02xiDPH5satVOgj3WJ4Jk_dkarnx5hAFx8u7uwFN03z3PFTYeFyu/s1600/Pitbull.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 338px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi50BSTIeqzZ7qBw_KbZv9z-UHV2GBOAQcsL5QcodS138B7usz94Z6AG8x0RfLYR3Uf_lpBNOEbqNWB9xwlIiF8WGiV02xiDPH5satVOgj3WJ4Jk_dkarnx5hAFx8u7uwFN03z3PFTYeFyu/s400/Pitbull.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482073087503522530" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">This is what it felt like, minus the chain<br />and with my poodle's leg in his mouth.<br /></span></center><br /><br /><br />I screamed and tried to pull Jani from him.<br /><br />My son, who had only been a few feet away, was now simultaneously prying Carlito's jaws open.<br /><br />Got him!<br /><br />I ran back outside for safety, slamming the door behind me, and was cussing up a storm.<br /><br />I then examined my poodle. His shoulder was bleeding from a puncture wound which had split the skin. I hoped it wasn't a crushing injury to his shoulder bone, and was crying as I consoled him. He acted like he was in shock, and was very, very still.<br /><br />Still...<br /><br />Still...<br /><br />It's what I had seen in my client, and also, what I do when I'm hit by unexpected attack or pain from life. Often it's because I don't know <span style="font-style: italic;">what</span> to do. I become very still. This made me cry more.<br /><br />Xavier came outside, his own face full of pain and more so after he saw the blood. It wasn't dripping, it oozed slowly, very slowly. It was clear that Jani could use two or three stitches.<br /><br />"I'm so sorry Mom," he said, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. "I didn't know you'd be back this soon."<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I spoke almost in a whisper as I looked into his eyes. Maybe the lesson he didn't grasp at age nine would sink in now.</span><br /><br />"You <span style="font-style: italic;">cannot</span> trust a pit..."<br /><br />"But he was so friendly, I thought he'd be okay..."<br /><br />"Their reputation proceeds them," I said. "They are <span style="font-style: italic;">unpredictable and impulsive.</span> You cannot trust them, because they cannot overcome their baser instinct to attack whatever or whoever they think they can overpower and destroy."<br /><br />"I'm so sorry," he said repeatedly.<br /><br />Unlike his usual fake apologies, he meant this one.<br /><br />Without being asked, Xavier went back in the house and got what we needed to flush out Jani's wound and apply a little hydrogen peroxide around the edges.<br /><br />I gave my doggie a little left over amoxycillan, like it says on the Internet if you can't get to a vet, to fight any infections. That's the best I can do for him now, because I don't have money to pay a vet for stitches. I just barely made the rent and other bills this month. This has been the new normal for me since the economy went to hell.<br /><br />When Xavier was done, I said of this pit he's babysitting and others, "They're unlike normal dogs. There is something about pitts where they depart in temperament from other canines, just as some people do."<br /><br />He was listening hard, not just the Xavier of now, but the boy he was who didn't understand when I sold his pit 12 years ago.<br /><br />"You're a normal person, Xavier," I continued. "When you go out on your own, get a normal dog, one that will be a true friend whom you can trust to not attack you, your friends, family, neighbors, or others. Can't trust no pit, not the four-legged kind or the two-legged ones in jeans."<br /><br />He nodded his head. He knows what I'm talking about - a few of his friends over the years.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I see metaphors in unexpected places.</span><br /><br />I think of the $40 my son used to win me over in keeping this pit for the weekend, like the 40 pieces of silver Judas accepted to betray Christ.<br /><br />No, to the morons, I'm not comparing my dog to Jesus, just the concept of betrayal. I wonder if Judas felt he had a choice. I didn't feel like I had one since the owner of this pit teenage puppy had left for the weekend, so intellectually I think I'm not being fair to myself, but emotionally I feel like I wasn't fair to the safety of this family and my dog.<br /><br />Jani is resting now, and I know that if he ends up with a permanent limp, I'll forever wish I had said, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Tough shit, get that pit out of here and where you put him is your problem."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I also think of this entire, real life situation and compare it to many people I've known who trusted someone, only to be suddenly and viciously treated by them, and this includes a few of my own "friends".</span><br /><br />I saw their tendencies to be pits too late, although in hindsight, I can say I ignored their underlying, serious character flaws when these came to light, along with the warning signs - because they were as playful as puppies.<br /><br />Pit puppies.<br /><br />Once bitten, twice shy, very still, and no going back.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com95tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-22420148661481076622010-06-12T06:01:00.017-04:002010-06-12T17:51:14.603-04:00Kick 'Em In The Head<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br />Don't think you won't be affected, directly or indirectly.<br /><br />It will harm us economically, like we ain't already got enough problems, and will affect even what we eat.<br /><br />It will harm our President politically.<br /><br />What am talking about? Not quite the same thing I've been posting on the past three weeks, because today is a special day, which I'll tell you more about in a minute.<br /><br />BP and Big Oil are trying hard to run the show and are doing a good job of <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6496749n&tag=api">running</a> the Coast Guard. As this cartoon shows, Barack is worn out, bent over, and powerless (no hands) to do more. And finally, he’s bleeding, just like Mother Earth. As she may be destroyed from this <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/planet-is-having-stroke.html"><i>stroke</i></a> she’s having, politically, he may too.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwxujZzf2f6xOaGMRfFMMIYiPj602pAsw0KDRx3sp6O9iUCmmddluILXlEgvw64JydjrZrvWgyqEjGQFGyllNPk2eEHcfDeHWpMZLEdhBdwSEJHKm6DUH_yuX9mFj-PALwWxa1KrgeFlF/s1600/OILbama+-AndreCarillo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 272px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwxujZzf2f6xOaGMRfFMMIYiPj602pAsw0KDRx3sp6O9iUCmmddluILXlEgvw64JydjrZrvWgyqEjGQFGyllNPk2eEHcfDeHWpMZLEdhBdwSEJHKm6DUH_yuX9mFj-PALwWxa1KrgeFlF/s400/OILbama+-AndreCarillo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481816895388393346" border="0" /></a><center style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:78%;">Oilbama. Illustration by Andre Carilho, NY Mag</span></center><br /><br />Tragic, ain't it?<br /><br />Well it doesn't have to end this way. He can start by taking off BP's pipes and shoving them up their azzes. They ain't the only source of oil or energy in the world, so don't believe BP's hype. Nobody, but nobody, is indispensable or beyond the law when the law is determined enough.<br /><br />That editorial cartoon is from New York magazine. The author of that piece, titled <a href="http://nymag.com/news/politics/powergrid/66478/"><i>Oilbama</i></a>, says:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">"...the flip side of every danger lies an opportunity - and the BP spill is no exception. As much as pulling the country back from the economic brink or passing health-care reform, the catastrophe in the gulf offers Obama a chance to rise to the occasion, and in the process not only validate his conception of progressive, activist, and competent governance but reclaim the visionary mantle that inspired so many during his campaign."</span><br /><br />Yep.<br /><br />This shit is beyond bad. If it gets worse, possibly your health will be affected if you live too close to the disaster. It now covers several states.<br /><br />Let's start with toxic oil dispersant called Corexit. It's so toxic that the question is, <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7145370.ece">what will be left after the oil spill?</a> The answer in today's Times Online may give you nightmares.<br /><br />This dispersant also causes reproductive problems in <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/reproductive-health-concerns-aftermath-gulf-oil-disaster60211">people</a>.<br /><br />"Pregnant woman and children should not be anywhere near this," said Riki Ott, a marine biologist who has worked extensively to study and raise awareness about the impact of oil spills on both the environment and on people.<br /><br />This has already occurred in <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-genovali/law-and-disorder-a-killer_b_601540.html">ocean life</a>. One pod of mammal-eating whales affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill have not reproduced since then.<br /><br />And, according to this dire report by Russian scientists to their President, the combination of oil and dispersants in the Gulf will cause <a href="http://www.disinfo.com/2010/06/russian-scientists-toxic-rain-from-oil-spill-will-ravage-america/">toxic rains that could destroy up to half of North America</a> (I'm guessing by poisoning our agriculture and plants).<br /><br />There is much evidence that BP is <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/riki-ott/from-the-ground-bp-censor_b_608724.html">censoring the media and destroying evidence</a>. Word yesterday you can't even fly a small plane over the affected areas.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i><b>"Think globally, protest locally."</b></i></span></div><br /><br /><b>Today is Worldwide BP Protest Day.</b> The links are <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/6/10/874832/-Worldwide-protest-BP-day-is-June-12heres-a-list-of-protests-on-that-day,-and-other-days">here</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=122189197821968">here</a> to attend one. Specific locations for all cities are incomplete at this hour.<br /><br /><b>If you can't go to one, writing a brief post is another form of protest of their crippling and killing the Gulf, negligence and deceit.</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/">Boston.com/bigpicture</a> has up to date, gut-wrenching photos of the catastrophe which covers several states now, which you can post on your blog.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa2kSSJczio7xeFtvb1f7Zi1PAMr5qoxRBDJJBypfEYIl-CANVYZTu78pSs8hDymuHtIyLLPJFTo4fmp3gjBryz9TiUI53SQ1IEgWqLibnrlqFht7SSB-qo2N0tCGpy4Yo2tFOiI06aT6/s1600/BP+worldwideprotestday+6-12-2010.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCa2kSSJczio7xeFtvb1f7Zi1PAMr5qoxRBDJJBypfEYIl-CANVYZTu78pSs8hDymuHtIyLLPJFTo4fmp3gjBryz9TiUI53SQ1IEgWqLibnrlqFht7SSB-qo2N0tCGpy4Yo2tFOiI06aT6/s400/BP+worldwideprotestday+6-12-2010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481790251824772658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There aren't many unifying tragedies that cut across politics, class, race, and religion, but this is <i>it</i>. So protest if possible, and write, write, write, if that's your thing. Our collective voices count.<br /><br /><b>Be part of it. It may give Barack the just the push he needs to kick those got damned greedy sons of bitches in the head.</b><br /><br /><br /><i>~ Kit</i><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-61735749739686026742010-06-09T19:00:00.001-04:002010-06-09T19:11:11.184-04:00Barack As Our Symbolic Father: A Dilemma For Progressive & Black America<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I've been thinking about how hard it is to love somebody, and for someone else to criticize that person even when it's well-deserved. It feels like someone talking trash about your mama or your daddy, <span style="font-style: italic;">and it hurts like hell when what's said is true</span>.<br /><br />After a brotha all but flipped out the other day over my criticism of one of Barack's decisions, I think this is where he, and probably much of Black America, is now with Barack.<br /><br />Stuck.<br /><br />Stuck on love when the actions and decisions of the object of your love is doing the wrong things or trying too hard to please others at your expense.<br /><br />What complicates our collective ability to legitimately criticize bad decisions our President makes is that there's a hoard of haters who want to do him in, only because of the color of his skin. We want to complain, and we don't, and some of us get angry when others do.<br /><br />This just could leave him and the media with the false impression that everything is peachy with us, when it isn't. It's no different than what is seen in dysfunctional family dynamics.<br /><br />It's also complex for progressive whites who expected him to live up to his campaign promises, and when he breaks them, some don't want to appear racist by criticizing him. They bite their tongue or defend his actions like a child would of their parent's misbehavior.<br /><br />My view, which some of you will disagree with, is that we <span style="font-style: italic;">must</span> use our voices <span style="font-weight: bold;">to help guide him</span>, so he won't over-compromise with the real bigots, or worse, the people and planet unfriendly mega-corporations.<br /><br />The latter tries every day to use him - and I mean <span style="font-style: italic;">use</span> - to further transform this country into <span style="font-style: italic;">one big plantation</span> where every-friggin'-body is a serf or a slave. Through public relations ads to funding faux news type outlets, and buying lobbists and politicians, they pit the races and religions against one another to keep us all upset and blind to how they're robbing us blind.<br /><br />We lost many freedoms during the deplorable Bush-Cheney years, and thanks to Wall Street and the banksters, many of us are debt slaves. For the first time in American history, children have far less chance of getting the opportunities, education, and living as well as we have.<br /><br /><br />In my mind's eye, I see Barack as a David who was <i>appointed by destiny</i>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoS3XuTHEX_j-ZxJBy48Fmvec60sYn7VtrMtVAjgsSLtzk0ekCDqT58w-RXzBaYkYnLN7ZIa2sLvGneZXEgnVBen_bwYDVHdwhh3kzVleqpZeWy0wxbU00cScAJG9nfaSSv4iF8kCCDnu/s1600/Obama-11-2008.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoS3XuTHEX_j-ZxJBy48Fmvec60sYn7VtrMtVAjgsSLtzk0ekCDqT58w-RXzBaYkYnLN7ZIa2sLvGneZXEgnVBen_bwYDVHdwhh3kzVleqpZeWy0wxbU00cScAJG9nfaSSv4iF8kCCDnu/s320/Obama-11-2008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480907456901091170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />His job is to fight in a round by round match with Goliath - symbolic for the corporatocracy, and the clueless mobs who hate for free.<br /><br />When Barack compromises or gives in to this monster, he loses a round, and by default, so do we. Too many rounds lost in this death match for real democracy will be defeat for <span style="font-style: italic;">We The People</span>.<br /><br />If Barack Obama is the symbolic father to us, then we are his children, and the children shall lead the way...<br /><br />That is <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> job, as I see it, and why I write what I write.<br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-87231255230270081422010-06-08T00:01:00.015-04:002010-06-08T21:19:27.549-04:00To Barack & America: What Would Be Different If Venezuela's Citgo Was Killing The Gulf Instead Of BP?<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Responsibility </span><br /><br />In my lifetime alone, <a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html">America has taken responsibility</a> for sending troops into other dozens of countries, originally to "fight for democracy", and in this past decade, to "fight against terrorism". Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Irag, Afghanistan are the big ones. There are many more other countries where we had and continue to have "<a href="http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Blum/US_Interventions_WBlumZ.html">interventions</a>". This is the short list; for a longer one, read the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations">Timeline of US Military Operations</a>.<br /><br />The United States also plays the good guy over and over, which is one of the things I love about it. They've used the military to help other countries who experience natural disasters. The most recent big one was the January 12, 2010 <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8631408.stm">earthquake in Haiti</a>. By February, we had 22,000 troops there to help.<br /><br />We help everybody else. We have <a href="http://www.usaid.gov/locations/">USAID</a>, a huge branch of our government which spends billions each year to help dozens of countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Middle East. That's only one branch and doesn't cover all the help we do. Sure, some of it is about power, expansion and dominance, but not all of it.<br /><br />We aren't responsible for the well-being of so many other places, including the Haitians in their hour of darkness.<br /><br />But we are, or should be, of taking care of ourselves now. So why didn't Obama send in our military in the first two weeks of this catastrophe to keep the oil from reaching the shores of the Gulf Coastline?<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Receivership </span><br /><br />Barack can't part the sea for BP to repair the oil gusher, but a second thing he can do is place every involved, monstrously negligent corporation in receivership.<br /><br />Doing so "gives the government authority to take over BP’s operations in the Gulf of Mexico until the gusher is stopped," <a href="http://robertreich.org/post/650145579/why-obama-should-put-bp-under-temporary-receivership">wrote</a> Robert Reich, a policy professor who served under two former administration.<br /><br />His idea didn't go far enough. I believe that a permanent takeover is the only way America has a chance of being fully compensated - at least in dollars - for the destruction in progress caused at least in part by Dick Cheney's push for deregulation:<br /><br />"After Cheney and Bush were elected they sought input from oil company executives and made many changes to ensure big government would not get in the way of the opportunity for enhancing profits for the oil industry. Wholesale changes were made to de fang the Minerals Management Service, the entity designed to regulate the drilling industry." (<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bill-donius/how-will-the-oil-spill-po_b_603461.html">link</a>)<br /><br />The media has pretty much ignored the idea of receivership, and if Barack thought about it, he's keeping it to himself.<br /><br />I contend that the idea strikes fear in the money-shaped hearts on Wall Street, and the politicians whom they bankroll and buy via campaign cash and donations.<br /><br />Instead, he keeps the responsibility in their hands, including allowing BP, Halliburton, and Transocean to <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601072&sid=axzQrYdHXzb4">keep evidence</a> that will be used in a criminal investigation of them. While this is common practice in large corporate investigations, under the circumstances, it's a joke.<br /><br />Once BP would be placed in receivership, in addition to sending in the military to help with clean up, our government would be able to try additional options, such as:<br /><br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">A 1998 invention of a 'Absorbente NOW", by a company in Columbia, South America. It captures all oil, is 100% organic vegetable. This one science competitions in Europe. It was approved by the EPA but is held up by "red tape" by the Coast Guard. <a href="http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid35214809001?bctid=83772543001">This</a> news video clip is impressive. </span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Hay as an absorbent. If the US has a lot of anything, it's hay. And it's ready and cheap. See <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5SxX2EntEo">this</a> video.</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-our-hair-can-save-world.html">Hairbooms</a> work as well and fall into this category. Lots of these have been collected but have been ignored as a solution. See video in that post I wrote two weeks ago.</span><br /></li><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Putting deep sea film expert <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/7798639/BP-scrapes-the-barrel-for-oil-spill-ideas-as-cap-plan-falters.html">James Cameron</a>. He disputes what BP says about there not being a way for man to go as deep as where the site of the leak is.<br /><br />"I know really, really, really smart people that work typically at depths much greater than what that well is at," Cameron <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100603/en_nm/us_oil_spill_cameron">said</a>. He has helped develop deep-sea submersible equipment and other underwater ocean technology for the making of documentaries..."</span></li><br /><br /><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Other countries have technologies that might cap the well, and at last count, nearly a thousand Americans have sent in ideas to the White House.<br /><br />Meanwhile, this is being handled like BP is the only one who can do it. One plausible reason from someone on Chris Matthews' show tonight suggested that <i>BP doesn't want to shut it down, because they'll profit if they can fix it and then continue drilling.</i></span></li></ul><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Public Relations Fuckery</b><br /><br />Barack Obama is getting better with his image in how he's dealing with this crisis. He's "concerned", and "having sharp words", and even "looking angry".<br /><br />While I'm sure Barack is concerned, worried, and angry, I'll be more convinced if I see him take it to the next level of military intervention and receivership, because right now, none of these <span style="font-style: italic;">expressions</span> amount to a hill of beans. They tell a story of someone who can't do anything about it, <span style="font-style: italic;">or won't</span>.<br /><br />It doesn't help his "image" either, that only two and half weeks after the 4/20 oil spill began, he broke a major campaign promise and <a href="http://environment.about.com/b/2010/05/10/obama-administration-approves-27-offshore-drilling-projects-after-gulf-oil-spill.htm">approved twenty-seven offshore drilling projects</a>.<br /><br />To his credit - and the public for being deeply alarmed - he <a href="http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/president_barack_obama_suspend.html">announced</a> on May 27th that "he is committing his administration to tougher regulation of the industry and a six-month suspension of exploratory drilling at 33 deepwater wells in the Gulf of Mexico."<br /><br />While this was a start, it's like the best horse in the race getting out of the gate too late to have a good shot at winning. The gate in this race is controlled by Big Oil.<br /><br />Last week, Tony Hayden, BP's Exec in charge of this catastrophe until he turned it over to a pretty, golden-haired boy with an American accent, likewise improved in "looking sorry", before he ran back to Britain "to get his life back".<br /><br />It's an attempt to sooth us with <span style="font-style: italic;">images</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">concerned voices</span> to restrain our anger while BP's overworked engineers try to stop the leak, while they really try to do business as usual with minimal government interference.<br /><br />Superman don't play that game. Neither would a U.S. President who doesn't take any shit from anyone. What kryptonite do they have over him, really?<br /><br /><br /><b>Power Unused Is Power Wasted</b><br /><br />In short, the Obama Administration and the head of the Coast Guard are giving us <i>updates</i> on how BP is trying to stop the leak - and they are - while not taking full responsibility and power over things that can and should be done. You know, like the way the US takes "responsibility" for problems away from the homeland.<br /><br />If President Obama is really pissed off and cares, he needs to show this by his <span style="font-style: italic;">actions</span>.<br /><br />He's in command, but not in total command of his own power, which unused, is wasted.<br /><br />He'll either put this company and others involved in receivership, or nationalize it. That means that BP, and all of their assets, belong to us. If they resist, we got military muscle and can quash them in a heartbeat. Hell, the police and courts do it all the time. If you have enough drugs in your house or car, the government can permanently seize your property. This shit ain't no different except in the minds of rich, gray or balding farts who get richer from the stock market and want to hang onto the status quo even if means the planet will die.<br /><br />And no, receivership this won't change BP's work on trying to solve the problem. It will be the same company - with a different master.<br /><br />Before you jump and say, no, we can't do this, BP is not an American company, I say <span style="font-style: italic;">Yes We Can</span>. And now I'll prove it to you.<br /><br /><br /><b>What if this disaster had been caused by Citgo?</b><br /><br />Citgo is owned by Venezuela. You know... <i>them</i>. Yes, that oil-rich South American democracy run by Hugo Chavez whom George W. Bush and the Right in particular loves to hate and wanted so badly to undermine, if not destroy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKALa65v18wlwRG0eAnPPHhpV_XDHgXyzyvNNQLSmZ7rhE17Q7zHMH1rRhK-VesTndq4XrENu1rMJhfxp3BUMEz_QB4kRG85WeigFHDyP7saDETB-oscBSaT5DZsDdAV4l5mk-n_lT6B2a/s1600/hugo_chavez_parade.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 304px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKALa65v18wlwRG0eAnPPHhpV_XDHgXyzyvNNQLSmZ7rhE17Q7zHMH1rRhK-VesTndq4XrENu1rMJhfxp3BUMEz_QB4kRG85WeigFHDyP7saDETB-oscBSaT5DZsDdAV4l5mk-n_lT6B2a/s320/hugo_chavez_parade.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480233172990826034" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My oh my, but how different things would be if the Gulf Oil Spill had been caused by Citgo. Right off the bat, we can multiply the existing outrage.<br /><br />There would be no BP executive with a cute British accent, or a blond haired American spokesperson to sooth the public, or even a political puppet for the corporatocracy to justify how it's been handled so far.<br /><br />Nope, if it were Citgo, the media and a good portion of the public would be far more aggressive and screaming for their heads, hating on even more Latinos here, and calling the Gulf Oil Spill an act of terrorism. They and a bunch of our politicians would be fully ready to use this catastrophe, to not only take over the company, but to invade their country.<br /><br />Ya think Barack wouldn't go along with that? Think again.<br /><br />Given his track record to date, I think President <span style="font-style: italic;">Let's Be Bipartisan & All Get Along</span> would buckle under the pressure from Big Oil, Big Defense, the GOP, and the Far Right faster than he did on healthcare reform, FISA, and that bill that says the government can kill Americans on US soil <span style="font-style: italic;">suspected</span> of terrorist activities.<br /><br />Lao Tsu, a Chinese philosopher around the time of Confucius, said<span style="font-style: italic;">, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Never let someone be your priority when you are their option</span>."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3mX379svUQuGLS_J_xqjmBEXl-K3qNMedeva5wDUtFcm34teCxKSGZs9E88kj7Io6vQFgUyMbpP72lAi5kQ2TjDYLE_ygz_7OA_4z7VtR3RFhtGYRr1UtOVIau2vhly456jbzNpHxuaJ/s1600/Obama+-+Pondering+Deepwater+Disaster.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE3mX379svUQuGLS_J_xqjmBEXl-K3qNMedeva5wDUtFcm34teCxKSGZs9E88kj7Io6vQFgUyMbpP72lAi5kQ2TjDYLE_ygz_7OA_4z7VtR3RFhtGYRr1UtOVIau2vhly456jbzNpHxuaJ/s400/Obama+-+Pondering+Deepwater+Disaster.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480434678292749986" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I wish someone would remind Barack of this, because that's my assessment of his relationship with Big Oil and some of the other Big Bastards running the show. No long term good can come of this, for him or us.<br /><br />I want to see Barack down and ready for taking over BP in a receivership, and sending the military to the Gulf like he did in the Haiti earthquake. Isn't our disaster needs as worthy as theirs? Why is BP's negligence any different than Citgo's would have been in the same situation?<br /><br />We we need to see Barack take full charge, regardless of the politics involved or who did it,<span style="font-style: italic;"> because it's the right thing to do under the circumstances</span>.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-11707533462749014792010-06-04T00:30:00.041-04:002010-06-05T22:27:29.875-04:00How The Gulf Could Turn Into A Fireball<span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />There is </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">zero</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> room for errors in solving the Gulf Oil Catastrophe. By the end of the grim post, you'll understand how the Gulf could turn into a fireball.</span><br /><br />A few hours ago I finally wept, because this really is a <i>"Disaster of Biblical Proportions"</i>, as one black blogger aptly defined it two weeks ago.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SsCtXkMnHV3K8ImPVK648nU6YQgHXTBt9s2o8wnJA4yXCOYerFxewWLhtH3lYKgUj8ban9hfh1EvsWf-2IPaObC2Pekp9_dG2sFtXGOdZ9JDL1bsN4sclnxgrMuWlcqT3UcOsko6TJZ/s1600/Oil5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SsCtXkMnHV3K8ImPVK648nU6YQgHXTBt9s2o8wnJA4yXCOYerFxewWLhtH3lYKgUj8ban9hfh1EvsWf-2IPaObC2Pekp9_dG2sFtXGOdZ9JDL1bsN4sclnxgrMuWlcqT3UcOsko6TJZ/s400/Oil5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478756007305486226" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/1673/1/?redirectURL=http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-05-27/gulf-oil-spill-most-shocking-video-and-pictures/?cid=hp:mainpromo1?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR2"><span style="font-size:85%;">Right Click To See Slide Show</span></a></center><br /><br />In mid-May, I stumbled on this article, <span style="font-style: italic;">"<a href="http://oilprice.com/Environment/Oil-Spills/The-Cover-up-BP-s-Crude-Politics-and-the-Looming-Environmental-Mega-Disaster.html">The Cover Up: BP's Crude Politics & The Looming Environmental Mega-Disaster</a></span>", written by investigative journalist Wayne Madison.<br /><br />I have mixed feelings about Madison as a person, and am cautious about assigning credibility to everything he writes, but he has a decent enough track record to consider. He wrote:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"They [his sources at FEMA and Army Corps of Engineers] add that if the ocean oil geyser is not stopped within 90 days, there will be irreversible damage to the marine eco-systems of the Gulf of Mexico, north Atlantic Ocean, and beyond."</span><br /><br />True. I figured that out on my own, which I <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/earths-terrorists-are-oil-executives.html">wrote</a> about on May 19th. Here's my quick summary.<br /><br />Oceans have highways and freeways to transport water around the world in what's called the Thermohaline Circulation.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizqBfKkIwyO_mOQar2R4PpcncSK1-XOipQHAIIf5fpsvMNl4E-GnIoe0zgGMrC3RwPTtmySiT0x1gZJJne3hXY4GrY12RkFcCjAf3yfpf6mCvB3sLg2iqbh1rFwvXdynEESyb0lCUrW9C/s1600/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizqBfKkIwyO_mOQar2R4PpcncSK1-XOipQHAIIf5fpsvMNl4E-GnIoe0zgGMrC3RwPTtmySiT0x1gZJJne3hXY4GrY12RkFcCjAf3yfpf6mCvB3sLg2iqbh1rFwvXdynEESyb0lCUrW9C/s400/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478770794129288706" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Think of the Gulf Loop as a highway that leads to a freeway called the Ocean Conveyor Belt. This "belt" moves warm and cold waters around in a way that stabilizes temperature and climate. When the "saltiness" or salinity of the ocean waters become disrupted, the great conveyor belt is affected.<br /><br />As I see it, the density of the oil and the ph balance of the toxic oil dispersants can't help but affect this.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs69Vi8nT8g5GZg3sS9-qAn0hyphenhyphenvTYds9l-NdwEW8Zk3IHUuojJp5bekvN1RQwf1LpfL3sWrbA7oKcV8iExQBotT2KDwdO36dk3MzW_id_fgqqpMxd4eVG1IuFcsZHVCpawNByNn-OVUWXY/s1600/OilDispersant-Corexit.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs69Vi8nT8g5GZg3sS9-qAn0hyphenhyphenvTYds9l-NdwEW8Zk3IHUuojJp5bekvN1RQwf1LpfL3sWrbA7oKcV8iExQBotT2KDwdO36dk3MzW_id_fgqqpMxd4eVG1IuFcsZHVCpawNByNn-OVUWXY/s400/OilDispersant-Corexit.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478780556839303634" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" ><center>This oil dispersant is <a href="http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/In-Gulf-Spill-BP-Using-Dispersants-Banned-in-UK">banned</a> in the UK due to it's toxicity.<br />The EPA and Obama <a href="http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/05/22/bp-we-wont-go-changing-to-try-and-please-the-epa/">told</a> BP stop using it,<br />but they treated it like a suggestion.</center></span><br /><br />Madison also reported:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"At best, some Corps of Engineers experts say it could take two years to cement the chasm on the floor of the Gulf."</span><br /><br />Two long, oily years. Imagine the damage after the oil and BP's toxic oil dispersants hit the ocean major artery. We think of the demise death of seabirds, fish, and dolphins, but there hasn't much talk yet about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoplankton">phytoplankton</a>, which makes much of the oxygen for the earth, or algae, krill, and plankton which are at the bottom of the food chain.<br /><br />This brings me to the #1 thing that caught my eye. Madison wrote:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"There is other satellite imagery being withheld by the Obama Administration that shows </span><b style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">what lies under the gaping chasm spewing oil at an ever-alarming rate is a cavern estimated to be around the size of Mount Everest</b><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">This information has been given an almost national security-level classification to keep it from the public."</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This ties into what </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">nola.com, the kick azz news paper for New Orleans, LA said.</span> To date, <a href="http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/gas_surge_shut_well_just_weeks.html">this</a> May 10th article of theirs is one I have returned to repeatedly, and urge you to read in it's entirety.<br /><br /><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Deposits of oil are not in underground caverns; they ooze in the pores of a sponge-like layer of rock, along with natural gas in both gaseous and the crystallized hydrate forms.</span></b><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"But the hydrates also exist throughout the drilled rock formations, and like the oil below, they exert upward pressure when a drilling operation opens a path to the surface."<br /><br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:arial;">********************</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I awakened from a dream early Sunday morning that nearly all of the Gulf of Mexico was on fire. The image in my mind was a map of that region. Hopefully it won't come true, but immediately, I had an idea of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">how</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> this could occur.</span><br /><br />If there is an underwater cavern beneath the ocean floor and site of the oil leak like Madison said, and it contains a substantial amount of methane gas, combined with the oil on top, at some point there could be a spontaneous methane explosion, or a man-made one which I'll discuss in a moment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This plausibly could kill tens of millions of people in states and countries around the Gulf of Mexico based on a theory grounded in reality. It occurred on a much smaller scale in 1986 in Lake Nyos, in Cameroon.</span> The methane gas explosion created a ground level carbon dioxide cloud that killed many nearby villagers. See it at about 2:20 on the video below.<br /><br />It's also theorized this happened on a larger scale during the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Permian Period</span>, which wiped out 95% of life and the dinosaurs. A meteor may have struck an ocean, or an earthquake in the ocean unsettled the ocean floor, <span style="font-weight: bold;">igniting the methane gases below</span>. That too, is illustrated in the beginning of this History Channel video:<br /><br /><center><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KbnM1QpuwWI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KbnM1QpuwWI&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></center><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">This information ties in with the idea of </span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.salon.com/technology/how_the_world_works/2010/06/01/oil_spill_nuclear_option/index.html">nuking the oil well leak</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">. It would be the biggest gamble ever taken in the known history of mankind.</span><br /><br />Keith Olberman discussed this idea that's floating around in some circles. His guest on 6/03/2010, Dr. Michio Kaku, a physicist professor and author, made a lot of damn sense (along with having the ability to entertain) in discussing the consequences. See him at 2:00 minutes in the video. This was guy was <span style="font-style: italic;">great</span>. What he said about hurricane season and radioactive tarballs on your roof was both sobering and funny. I wonder if BP and those involved will listen to the voice of sanity:<br /><br /><center><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KP8ObhJuY3I&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KP8ObhJuY3I&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></center><br /><br />While this technique worked in Russia under certain circumstances, the location of <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> catastrophe, the amount of the oil spilled, and the presence of gas below the sea surface will ensure the end of a chapter in American life, and perhaps life itself, if nuking the site of the leak triggers a methane gas explosion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Plausibly, a methane gas explosion in the Gulf could happen in the absence of the nuclear solution. I wonder if one more oil well fire OR lightning hits during a hurricane may be all that's needed to bring new meaning to the word, FUBAR.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw6rQhRxDZfUywBZmdUN0S1GpvJ4JeW9YomYbfmY4L54PT8peyz92jY3gHZdJM27-ap6vVfVYzWH0NREqX48E2BtXkzbqJ3w2LAS2CZOmtp1jr_QaR_Uh8ChMhNkqjXh-vTvrKDDIrIHz/s1600/lightning4NOAA.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw6rQhRxDZfUywBZmdUN0S1GpvJ4JeW9YomYbfmY4L54PT8peyz92jY3gHZdJM27-ap6vVfVYzWH0NREqX48E2BtXkzbqJ3w2LAS2CZOmtp1jr_QaR_Uh8ChMhNkqjXh-vTvrKDDIrIHz/s400/lightning4NOAA.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478991945745688658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Damn but I'd like the see a bunch of people involved in the negligence of this disaster - and the politicians who continue to enable them - confined to an oil-soaked island in the Gulf as a life sentence.<br /><br />Otherwise, I dream and pray for a miracle... one like the parting of the waters... this time so the folly of the profiteers can be corrected, and the rest of humanity and the planet given a second chance.<br /><br />If ignored, then what's done, is done, and we just might become the new dinosaurs.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-2149654878282409142010-06-02T01:40:00.029-04:002010-06-02T09:41:46.638-04:00Freedom's Cancer In The Supreme Court And The Murder Of Miranda<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Insidiously and with the stealth of a slow moving cancer, the five conservatives on the Supreme Court <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/01/AR2010060101378.html?hpid=topnews">yesterday</a> infected another freedom: our Miranda rights.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A suspect now can't shut up cops interrogating him or her unless he knows enough to tell them that he:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) wants to remain silent, and</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) wants the presence of an attorney when questioned.</span><br /><br />Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion and was joined in the 5-4 decision by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.<br /><br />Our new Justice Sonia Sotomayor, said our rights of protection from police abuse "turns Miranda upside down." She was joined in her dissent by John Paul Stevens, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitsmOY7wMn0RHq1r0zDoodZ0zTUsimRh_Nr-27XHr57t_NnNIPHVTrGl-2gayJ4Lo7zdoctQKxx6AwZ-Hxl1C3sQxSjrYq5st2sLC7fewpZdd8K9L0kQxS9J5r2S1AXtbzeq-ZfZDwhyphenhyphen1/s1600/Sonia_Sotomayor.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjitsmOY7wMn0RHq1r0zDoodZ0zTUsimRh_Nr-27XHr57t_NnNIPHVTrGl-2gayJ4Lo7zdoctQKxx6AwZ-Hxl1C3sQxSjrYq5st2sLC7fewpZdd8K9L0kQxS9J5r2S1AXtbzeq-ZfZDwhyphenhyphen1/s320/Sonia_Sotomayor.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478025800862994226" border="0" /></a><center style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Justice Sonia Sotomayor,<br />good medicine for what ails US.</span></center><br /><br />I'm thinking that both career criminals and white collar thugs with high paid attorneys won't have a problem with this "modification" to Miranda.<br /><br />It's the underclass, working class, people of color, people who don't understand English well, and the average citizen in the right place at the wrong time - like driving while black - who concern me.<br /><br />Add in the political dissenters, because when SHTF from converging problems by this fall from the growing economic depression, war expansion, and the Gulf Oil Gusher taking us down further, and I think <s>couch potatoes</s> Americans will finally be desperate enough to protest en masse.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong - I'm all for locking up serious criminals, but it is so incredibly easy to get in trouble with the law even when you haven't done anything or done much, especially the young between 14 and 25 years old. Readers, you know of lots of cases, so spit out your examples if you wish.<br /><br />But really, what's up with the sickness in the Highest Court of the Land?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Only a few months ago, the </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Fatal Five</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> gave Constitutional rights of "</span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood_debate">personhood</a><span style="font-weight: bold;">" to </span><i style="font-weight: bold;">multinational corporations</i><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span><br /><br />This shit is crazy. Those are entities rich beyond our wildest dreams and they never friggin' die. They can bankroll and buy political candidates with unlimited money, whom they're sure will work in their interests.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What I wonder now is will the nominee, Elena Kagan, if appointed, be part of the cure for what ails us, or speed up the disease to freedom? After reading this, you'll see it's practically a rhetorical question.</span><br /><br />Highlight from the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-weisselberg/elena-kagan-and-the-death_b_596447.html">Huffington Post</a>: <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"On June 1, the U.S. Supreme Court finally dealt Miranda a death blow. Elena Kagan, Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, was complicit in Miranda's demise. </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><br /><br />"So what was Kagan's role? As Solicitor General, she filed a brief for the US as a friend of the Court.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"> The US was not a party in the case since [the defendent] had been convicted in state court, and it was the State of Michigan that challenged the lower court's ruling. Kagan did not have to enter the fray and take a position, but she decided to do so...</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">"Superficially, if Kagan had already replaced Stevens on the Court, the outcome [on Miranda] would not have changed. At most, the decision would have been 6-3 and not 5-4. But Kagan's arguments... show no understanding of modern police interrogation tactics or that suspects -- who are in a position of powerlessness during an interrogation -- may have difficulty asserting their rights or using precise language to do so."</span><br /><br />Barack was a Chicago civil rights attorney before he turned into a politician. He did the right thing for <i>We The People</i> when he selected Sotomayor. However, he'll be undoing this good if Kagan goes through. The Supreme Court will then be stacked 6 to 3: six conservatives to three liberals.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Our President, of all people, knows better. Here is Mr. Change himself, with the golden opportunity to stack the court with a 4-5 ratio, but this five being those who will keep us safe from harm by multinationals and bad laws, and he fucks it up.</span><br /><br />As a former die-hard Obama lover, I've concluded this was not a "misstep". It's become a pattern of his pandering to immoral and immortal vampiric "corporate personhoods" - ones that are screwing us every minute of every day, from sea to shining sea with the oil-drenched Gulf in between and Alaska getting raped to the north, and profiteering from endless wars.<br /><br />I hope he reconsiders Kagan after <i>Miranda's murder. </i>I ain't holding my breath, though, and I sit here wondering what other death blows to our freedoms and the planet will occur in the upcoming months and years.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-32384698087509137182010-05-31T04:36:00.018-04:002010-06-05T22:32:37.384-04:00A Memorial For Yesterday's Children<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />It is just before dawn, and I can hear the first sounds of a few birds outside.<br /><br />I am thinking of the yesterdays before 4/20, when a cataclysmic and preventable disaster struck the Gulf of Mexico. I am praying there will be tomorrows for God's other children in the oceans and skies - and us, for we are connected.<br /><br />Sit back and enjoy the music and spectacular beauty in this post.<a name='more'></a> I don't know how it will affect you, but I feel so small, yet so close to God every time I watch it, and my broken heart "hears" Marvin Gaye's song differently. This is my treat. Feast on it, wipe your eyes, and then blog, write or fight while there might be time left...<br /><br />Below, click on my music player, <span style="font-style: italic;"><u>then mute the video</u></span>, (because I couldn't attach the song I want to it.)<br /><br /><br /><center><br /><img style="visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyNzUyODkzNTk3OTQmcHQ9MTI3NTI4OTM2NTc2NCZwPTY5NDMwMSZkPSZnPTEmbz*xODFjMWFjYmU3ODE*OTdjYThj/MjUyN2Q1MzkxM2U2NyZvZj*w.gif" border="0" width="0" height="0" /><div style="text-align: center; margin-left: auto; visibility: visible; margin-right: auto; width: 450px;"> <object width="435" height="240"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="never"> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"> <param name="flashvars" value="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart_shuffle.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=240&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D78119282%26t%3D1275289365&wid=os"> <embed style="width: 435px; visibility: visible; height: 240px;" allowscriptaccess="never" src="http://www.playlistproject.net/mc/mp3player_new.swf" flashvars="config=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indimusic.us%2Fext%2Fpc%2Fconfig_regular_noautostart_shuffle.xml&mywidth=435&myheight=240&playlist_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.playlistproject.net%2Fpl.php%3Fplaylist%3D78119282%26t%3D1275289365&wid=os" name="mp3player" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" border="0" width="435" height="240"></embed><br /></object></div><a href="http://www.playlist.com/playlist/19998536203"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:78%;" ><i>Marvin Gaye's song, Yesterday<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be sure to cut the sound on the videos while watching.</span></i></span></a><br /><br /><object width="525" height="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/l8AtRMsWaMQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/l8AtRMsWaMQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="525" height="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><br /><object width="525" height="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8fpFGnsq3w&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/S8fpFGnsq3w&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="525" height="425"></embed></object><br /></center><br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-38294979451204009482010-05-30T00:03:00.014-04:002010-05-30T23:34:57.222-04:00Al Gore's Voice & Barack's Sword<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hYxS073xiAWg47Lc9oQNAhccSz0yPW01orHmKqwoEyf06_W1WSCxCbm97QjKBa70PtHJYNRK6b-upETqtdc8IOCiLWIXAEyUEztkZa5jwF13EhS5wCdvEwRCKncmOcGIomrYUJnbh5Is/s1600/inconvenient-truth-al-gore.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hYxS073xiAWg47Lc9oQNAhccSz0yPW01orHmKqwoEyf06_W1WSCxCbm97QjKBa70PtHJYNRK6b-upETqtdc8IOCiLWIXAEyUEztkZa5jwF13EhS5wCdvEwRCKncmOcGIomrYUJnbh5Is/s400/inconvenient-truth-al-gore.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476880550071197378" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Al Gore, looking at a map of ocean currents</span></center><br /><br />Help me, please. I spent years wondering where in the world is Carmen San Diego, and I'm having a here-we-go again moment with Al Gore's voice and Barack's sword. More about our Prez in a few moments.<br /><br />Al is more famous among literate adults, having being Bill Clinton's VP, and running for President against George W. Bush, only to be cheated out of that election. Afterwards, he wowed the world with his book and documentary on global warming titled, <span style="font-style: italic;">An Inconvenient Truth</span>.<br /><br />So lately, I'm dealing with what may turn out to be an inconvenient truth of Al Gore's near-absence on the Gulf Oil Spill since that began on April 20, 2010.<br /><br />Al Gore uses <a href="http://twitter.com/algore">Twitter</a>. On April 7th, he tweeted, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Another great post from Maggie Fox:</span> http://bit.ly/dzp1qh #climate." This linked to his <a href="http://blog.algore.com/2010/04/">blog</a>, were Gore did a copy 'n paste job of the commentator and partner he endorsed, Maggie Fox.<br /><br />She wrote: "Expanded oil drilling will simply continue our reliance on dirty fossil fuels, while doing little to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. The President must now deliver a comprehensive plan for curbing carbon pollution so we can invest in the clean energy technologies we will need in the 21st century..."<br /><br />Blah blah blah.<br /><br />Dryly written stuff by well-paid white academia that bores the shit out of the general population, and is ignored by the media because it doesn't serve the desires of their avaricious, corporate masters.<br /><br />The next day, The Hill ran an article titled, <i><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/91201-oil-drilling-prompt-al-gores-first-split-with-president-obama">Oil Drilling Prompts Al Gore's First Public Split On Climate With President Obama</a></i>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The gist of that was, "The statement (Al's tweet, for God's sake) is significant because it marks Gore’s first break with Obama on his signature policy issue..."</span><br /><br />Something is not right, and those <span style="font-style: italic;">WTF</span> moments continued to roll through my soul.<br /><br />I perused through his blog, "Al's Journal". For someone who writes so much about oil and carbon emissions, and climate change, if you go to "Edit" then "Find" on your Firefox browser, not one friggin' time did he pen the words "Gulf" or "spill" from the day of the disaster through the end of that month.<br /><br />"Well," I thought, "maybe he got his bearings in May."<br /><br />Again, I searched his May page. On the 7th, he did another brief journal entry, <i>No Fooling Mother Nature</i>, and said, "Tom Friedman publishes another great column in The New York Times..." with a link to TF's article of the same title.<br /><br />On May 8, he directed his blog readers to an article he did for The New Republic article, <i>"<a href="http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/the-crisis-comes-ashore">The Crisis Comes Ashore</a>"</i>. It was so short I could have made a cup a coffee in the amount of time he must have spent writing it.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finally</span>,</span> something found, from google searching - not his blog.<br /><br />On May 17, Al Gore spoke at the Panetta Institute in a lecture, <i>Saving A Planet That Sustains Us</i>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Gore said of BP: </span><i style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />"I respect a lot of the folks at BP... but ladies and gentlemen, I know a <span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">cover up</span> when I see one."</i><br /><br /><br /><center><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="cs_player" width="425" height="330"><param name="movie" value="http://eplayer.clipsyndicate.com/cs_api/get_swf/3/&wpid=0&page_count=5&windows=1&show_title=0&va_id=1463818&auto_start=0&auto_next=0"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://eplayer.clipsyndicate.com/cs_api/get_swf/3/&wpid=0&page_count=5&windows=1&show_title=0&va_id=1463818&auto_start=0&auto_next=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="330"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/play/1463818/al_gore_speaks_at_panetta_lecture?wpid=2057">direct video link</a><br />Also, here's a YouTube <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeNEdLn5siw">link</a> w/o the commercial<br />but embedding is disabled.</span></center><br /><br />Whoa!<br /><br />I leaned into my chair, waiting... and waiting... in vain. He ain't said nothing beyond that, at least in the video, his site, or any thing that I could find on the World Wide Web.<br /><br />As he left Panetta, a mob of 75 to 100 global warming deniers waited for him and chanted outside. This is typical; they're the small, nuisance crowds. A a few hundred years ago they were the ignorant loudmouths who hated science and believed that the earth was flat, or were paid to lie to support of those in charge.<br /><br />What is also amazing about that moment caught on film is how it's gotten about zero publicity. The news station who ran the clip has it so that the video can't be embedded. The stories about his lecture at Panetta focus on the protesters afterwards, and either didn't know about or sanitized his suspicion of cover up.<br /><br />I particularly found it odd that Gore, a Nobel Prize winner on climate change, made no mention in his own journal of his lecture at the Panetta Institute, or more detailed thoughts of BP, and has otherwise been publicly silent about our planet having a stroke.<br /><br />Surely Al Gore knows what I <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/05/earths-terrorists-are-oil-executives.html">painfully figured out</a> all by myself and posted about on 5/19: that the oil and toxic dispersants will find their way from the Gulf Loop to the ocean's freeway known as the Ocean Conveyor Belt. It will wreak barely imaginable havoc on Mother Earth. Short of <span style="font-style: italic;">Divine Intervention</span>, we are fucked.<br /><br />I ain't even wrote in super specific details how fucked I think we are, it's too painful. Maybe that's been Gore's problem too.<br /><br />Al Gore is the man who won the 2000 Presidential election by popular vote (50,999,897 to Bush's 50,456,002), but lost through what many consider theft by two states and particularly Florida.<br /><br />How different the world might be now... probably no wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and perhaps stronger regulations put in place which if implemented because that was Al Gore's thang. This would have prevented off shore drilling - and this catastrophe going on now in the Gulf of Mexico.<br /><br />I wonder if Al Gore looses sleep over not fighting harder for what he won, but was stolen from him - and us - in November 2000.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIPMSCt8y3jhMizaon5_USBNQ2yoaft4sTlkKTTWzfG-uoepMq4bzA2v6qy664ThhUnsta-Oq1gWgjnI4P0W505BDEee7dasMJLgdnuiL2UOpfY6ZfoVDDEUh4HUBiboD9fAEfsfe7N65/s1600/insom.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIPMSCt8y3jhMizaon5_USBNQ2yoaft4sTlkKTTWzfG-uoepMq4bzA2v6qy664ThhUnsta-Oq1gWgjnI4P0W505BDEee7dasMJLgdnuiL2UOpfY6ZfoVDDEUh4HUBiboD9fAEfsfe7N65/s320/insom.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476918246775945794" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Perhaps it's a different lesson he learned the hard way of who is really in charge of this nation.<br /><br />I no longer believe it's democracy or even our current President. Under his directive and the EPA, they were <a href="http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/bp_is_sticking_with_its_disper.html">blown off by by BP</a> when told not to use the toxic oil dispersant, Corexit which is banned in the UK. Can you imagine? These bitches treated the order as though this were a suggestion.<br /><br />I hope Al Gore finds the courage to join the conversation he's been ducking, and do so with passion, like Rep. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/28/charlie-melancon-breaks-d_n_593018.html">Charlie Melancon</a>, who cried during a hearing last week, and James Carville and Bobby Jindall with CNN's Anderson Cooper at the sites of the oil disaster in Louisiana.<br /><br />The world desperately needs more well-known and credible voices like Al's <span style="font-style: italic;">to raise fucking hell. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />This goes for Barack too. Realistically, and after spending a huge amount of time this month studying the major and minor players in this deadly game, his role is a delicate as the Gulf of Mexico itself, and may not last as long no matter what he does. </span><br /><br />In terms a child can understand, this could be a mega-battle of good vs. evil, if only <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span> will pick up their weapons, and be willing to die for the cause.<br /><br />Thus, in the end, for the political careers, safety, and lives of those public figures we look up to, it may come down to how they want what's left of history to remember them.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XL9YXvYbk5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XL9YXvYbk5Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Rep. Melancon breaks down and cries<br />at a subcommittee hearing over disaster</span><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IqooHn6IXp4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IqooHn6IXp4&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Anderson Cooper interviews Bobby Jindal this week.<br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);">They note (at 3:18) they are under surveillance by air. BP's goons?</span></span><br /><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/AvB16wPSJQA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/AvB16wPSJQA&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><center><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Anderson Cooper interviews a very emotional<br />and impassioned James Carville this week.</span><br /></center><br /><br /><br /><br /></center></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-2296038744346926082010-05-27T00:15:00.012-04:002010-05-27T11:42:07.223-04:00Troops At The Border: Are They There To Keep Them Out Or Us In?<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Barack Obama ordered 1200 National Guardsmen at the US-Mexican border. John McCain wants 6,000. Other GOP members want more.<br /><br /><span>Considering that our problems are so great and that the world is like a lit fuse getting shorter by the week, what will happen if WW3 is triggered?<br /><br />No, not from a sealed border, but from other events. North Korea and South Korea are a time bomb. Barack and Hillary are pushing a reluctant China to put North Korea in check.<br /><br />Hell, we owe a fortune to China. Why would they get in the middle of a new Korean war to fight on behalf of our interests?<br /><br />To save the dollar? Possibly, but I think not, because we're flat azz broke, and unlike them, produce little in the way of tangible goods to earn money. We are a nation of consumers and spendthrifts.<br /><br />For oil deals with Iran and Iraq? Maybe, since they have invested billions in Iran's energy programs. However, if they can nudge us out of the way, they'd save a bundle, and geographically, they're closer to the oil fields.<br /><br />No, they might think hard about playing peace maker with the Koreans since a war with them could go nuclear and tie up their manpower and resources.<br /><br />And speaking of oil, a bad <a href="http://news.discovery.com/earth/oil-slick-hurricane-cyclone.html">hurricane season will spread the oil and dispersants</a> far and wide. This will undoubtedly put a strain on US relations with affected countries whose seafood industry will be damaged.<br /><br />Then there are the Russians. We've been quite busy this century surrounding their country with our 2nd level allies. <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/us-sets-up-missiles-near-russian-border-1981968.html">Patriot missiles arrived in Poland</a> this week and will be pointing at the Ruskies, who also have huge investments with Iran.<br /><br />And last month, Barack said we were "weeks away" from placing sanctions on Iran. I guess he dismissed their leader saying long ago this would be considered an "act of war".<br /><br />In the middle of all this, we're right smack dab in two wars. Number of soldiers: <a href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/for-first-time-more-us-troops-in-afghanistan-than-iraq.html">92,000 in Iraq, 94,000 in Afghanistan</a>. Cost since the wars began: <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-zerkel/1-trillion-for-wars-makes_b_589262.html">$1 Trillion Dollars</a>. Number Americans reported killed as of today: <a href="http://projects.washingtonpost.com/fallen/">5,456</a>. Double or triple this for the number of serious disabilities and suicides by service men and women.<br /><br />There is also now a highly secretive, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/world/25military.html?hp">systematic and long term</a>" cladesdine war program authorized by General Petraeus. Oddly, he did not need the President's approval for this. It includes sending <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64H5SL20100518?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews">drones</a> to bomb Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia at a huge cost of life to civilians there, and any good will toward us.<br /><br />We are in a major "recession". All this looks and feels like the Great Depression II and a prelude to bigger wars to me. The last time this kind of shit happened, WWII was the remedy - and for the Nazis, mass exterminations the solution for Jews, and for the US, internment camps for the Japanese before they nuked Hiroshima and Nagasaki.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">So this brings me to troops at the border</span>. All it would take is for one mushroom cloud over one American city, and within hours folks would running like roaches for the Mexican and Canadian borders.<br /><br />Canadian border spots are already tight as a drum: Bush & Co, the greatest warmongers in recent times, ensured that you need a passport to enter. Not true for Mexico.<br /><br />The official story is troops are being placed there to keep out illegal aliens.<br /><br />What if the real deal by the powers that be is they anticipate a major war on American soil, and they don't want us abandoning our country - particularly men eligible for <span style="font-style: italic;">a new draft?</span><br /><br />So I ask you again, will the troops be guarding the US-Mexican border to keep them out, or to keep us in?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-43641194066331487522010-05-25T22:25:00.003-04:002010-05-26T03:17:13.394-04:00Pesticides Now Strongly Linked To ADHD. Thus, What Can We Expect From The Oil Disperants Used In The Gulf Of Mexico?<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Can't sit still or focus? How about your significant other, BFF, or child? In some of these cases, pesticides in the food, house, yard, and elsewhere might be the culprit.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64G41R20100517">In a recent U.S. study</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">"researchers tracked the pesticides' breakdown products in children's urine and found those with high levels were almost twice as likely to develop ADHD as those with undetectable levels."</span><br /><br />This shouldn't be a surprise since pesticides and many chemicals are toxic to the nervous system. When you add in the <a href="http://keepittrill.blogspot.com/2010/04/being-killed-slowly-by-new-ignorance.html">problems</a> from processed foods, it's like the odds for being healthy and normal is stacked against us.<br /><br />Maybe you've noticed like have that ADHD (Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder) is a miserable condition, both for the person who has it and the ones who have to live with them or work with.<br /><br />They <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> be fun at times since they're so spontaneous, but can also drive you nuts because they're often forgetful, speak and act before thinking, and are more accident prone. Impulsiveness tends to impair judgment.<br /><br />They get bored easily. The temper tantrums of quite a few of these kids are unforgettable, although not all have that problem. Except for the most determined or the brightest, many do not finish school, so their ability to get or keep jobs are diminished.<br /><br />Special education classes, the juvenile system and the jails are filled with kids and adults with ADHD, not necessarily because they're stupid, but because they can't concentrate, and get into all kinds of trouble. In the <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/health/newsid_7446000/7446158.stm">UK</a>, 20% of kids suspended from school have the disorder. A <a href="http://blogs.monografias.com/sistema-limbico-neurociencias/2010/04/21/adhd-crime-and-punishment-the-crime-the-acceptance-of-dsm-etc-the-punishment-listening-to-its-apologetics/">quarter</a> to <a href="http://www.icpa.ca/forums/topic.php?s=&t=130">67%</a> of inmates are thought to have ADHD.<br /><br />Girls and women with ADHD may not be as antsy in general, <a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080314085032.htm">but</a> they're less likely to do well in school or go to college. More of them have eating disorders and serious weight problems. Sounds like a lot of young white women I see and know who were working for slave wages long before the economy crashed. Whether this is the result of a lifelong diet of processed foods, ADHD, both, or not being ambitious is anyone's guess. Black women too, but we also have the deck of discrimination stacked against us.<br /><br />This new info about the link between pesticides and ADHD makes me wonder how the toxic chemicals that are <a href="http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/In-Gulf-Spill-BP-Using-Dispersants-Banned-in-UK">unnecessarily</a> and currently being dumped into the Gulf of Mexico will affect even more unborn and young children.<br /><br />On the other hand, in the long term, maybe it won't even matter. I've been researching oil dispersants day and night. What I have learned is grim, so grim that I haven't been able to pull it together to write more about this cataclysmic event going on, and how the problem is being compounded by the usual suspects.<br /><br />Meanwhile, I consider my ADHD and mood disordered son. I shake my head in sorrow, thinking of the possibility for so many more damaged people like him in the next generation...<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-36889019132198803352010-05-22T16:24:00.016-04:002010-05-23T02:33:21.383-04:00How Our Hair Can Save The World Soaking Up Oil In the Gulf<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Nobody's hair soaks up oil like black folks hair. Wild and woolly, turns out our hair can save the oil-soaked Gulf of Mexico, and if you read my last two posts, maybe the planet.<br /><br />Not just our hair either, but all types of hair, fur, and nylons.<br /><br />This video shows a group called <a href="http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsPhotos.html">MatterOfTrust.org</a> doing what has to be one of the potentially greatest deeds on the planet. They are collecting what we don't want and stuffing it into nets. so it can be used to make "hairbooms". Hairbooms absorb the overwhelming majority of the oil as shown in this fascinating video.<br /><br />Seriously, it's good, <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> it's fun:<br /><br /><center><br /><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7GBgOmDD5ww&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7GBgOmDD5ww&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object><br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.24-7grimeynewscafe.com/"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hat Tip: 24-7 Grimey News Cafe</span></span></a><br /></center><br /><br />These are what hairbooms looks like:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKFpHlt5vGR9S8ZJPZ5BoGMTySyXFkfScq4jFoUpsRfFGJhqThOP_1ELEx1c6nagoWNrk8bhWZxodtyVEUgyfj6XKc3toBtVkb-fMjPOfn6XUC8109r5NJWQgfhtVRFCRjkQbIRmaz8sV/s1600/HairMOT-9.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKFpHlt5vGR9S8ZJPZ5BoGMTySyXFkfScq4jFoUpsRfFGJhqThOP_1ELEx1c6nagoWNrk8bhWZxodtyVEUgyfj6XKc3toBtVkb-fMjPOfn6XUC8109r5NJWQgfhtVRFCRjkQbIRmaz8sV/s400/HairMOT-9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474182882161601826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcyCREoUHDQRAefx2XAEGslYiWqbyvDIWELSDIjcPMDZIOdVFEDIT3OdAVi4Mbkllh4LnMJ4W0dik8NrT5vxA7xYow_E4ZNBMAiaxYGIi5QWllatcG7iJz7OwMnd_QOX8O6lO7ZyzPhGT/s1600/HairMOT-2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPcyCREoUHDQRAefx2XAEGslYiWqbyvDIWELSDIjcPMDZIOdVFEDIT3OdAVi4Mbkllh4LnMJ4W0dik8NrT5vxA7xYow_E4ZNBMAiaxYGIi5QWllatcG7iJz7OwMnd_QOX8O6lO7ZyzPhGT/s320/HairMOT-2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474126776844955186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Here are some of the places they come from:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRJ4uzml9-Kujw7kfpECXui-n6MVg9vflyeTHCso9iOMcCLbf4oyMCGwR7r_KGxTRD2j8yb_2YKIVveiFPtzgkoIYAQXv-Zaeh5Rrt-QcWXS7mH8xv0SWf0YW09VeUCiagVGmO6G_Otsu/s1600/HairMOT-4.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRJ4uzml9-Kujw7kfpECXui-n6MVg9vflyeTHCso9iOMcCLbf4oyMCGwR7r_KGxTRD2j8yb_2YKIVveiFPtzgkoIYAQXv-Zaeh5Rrt-QcWXS7mH8xv0SWf0YW09VeUCiagVGmO6G_Otsu/s400/HairMOT-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474208605385780770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nwpiTZfRioHsxUkbG89Hsj3-H6b5O-l6YhAyt_M4_EYgNbQnvQdHq5TKSddxQkZQAvgvYGK_0XTP-wYemm2Uh8p1DJwPnDUorn4VRwd-vSBCCMxMmflkivkpsfZ8A82qbSES4gV-BNuN/s1600/HairMOT-6.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4nwpiTZfRioHsxUkbG89Hsj3-H6b5O-l6YhAyt_M4_EYgNbQnvQdHq5TKSddxQkZQAvgvYGK_0XTP-wYemm2Uh8p1DJwPnDUorn4VRwd-vSBCCMxMmflkivkpsfZ8A82qbSES4gV-BNuN/s400/HairMOT-6.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474183571992807602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJc8ywBppzT1E_Ch1xElpxOFxr2eCKspAaSa6yjh_0Cvbh_iI2SQ_BxOlXkz0Lz36kLIYTIBLO9rOTtbLcxdShHi8KBH5aWIe75lc09El1OV6z3rA2UuF8plVY3T1I0WO7Mr2ygmynNPF/s1600/HairMOT-5.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJc8ywBppzT1E_Ch1xElpxOFxr2eCKspAaSa6yjh_0Cvbh_iI2SQ_BxOlXkz0Lz36kLIYTIBLO9rOTtbLcxdShHi8KBH5aWIe75lc09El1OV6z3rA2UuF8plVY3T1I0WO7Mr2ygmynNPF/s400/HairMOT-5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474183405761450066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB869cIuHwcpR8O5PqglwRTueR3s5xd2Qu2ey2F6oXnazfX88rexL0W4v7j8Oood2vUSZX7utS60cnfnSmzRvF6ENZpWIJ8e5KfS9QiDLjHxqFEBNkeSD4gHKz_Du8IlBOFAd0GVs7zWIY/s1600/HairMOT-Cartoon.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB869cIuHwcpR8O5PqglwRTueR3s5xd2Qu2ey2F6oXnazfX88rexL0W4v7j8Oood2vUSZX7utS60cnfnSmzRvF6ENZpWIJ8e5KfS9QiDLjHxqFEBNkeSD4gHKz_Du8IlBOFAd0GVs7zWIY/s400/HairMOT-Cartoon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474127948322080674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In their 'About' section, MatterOfTrust.org <i>"was conceived in 1998, by Lisa Craig Gautier and her husband, Patrice Olivier Gautier (Vice President, iTunes Store & iPhones Apps Store Engineering, Apple, Inc.) this nonprofit received 501 (c) 3 public charity status in May of 1999."</i><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuQLgEk2lzO6SFJf1lE93AVCfSi3CJyufRwTMZC3GjvdIvq6uzMGNLpaXQFqtDOMG6Qp3DGDwQG1fft4HjRGGjDhjVOXX_J_MPNxyTknw9TM-HEes2ZD5O4XWV8_anFfpy8kGZCXaohvs/s1600/HairMOT-12.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuQLgEk2lzO6SFJf1lE93AVCfSi3CJyufRwTMZC3GjvdIvq6uzMGNLpaXQFqtDOMG6Qp3DGDwQG1fft4HjRGGjDhjVOXX_J_MPNxyTknw9TM-HEes2ZD5O4XWV8_anFfpy8kGZCXaohvs/s400/HairMOT-12.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474183966092700834" border="0" /></a><center><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:78%;" >That's Lisa Gautier on your far right,<br />in the "Hairy Situation Room</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2q8QKEXk1wpZzIGnzmiNj0v0tfPQrKmjODevevQpnHNZXKHDy7Yl_CMcjMnMQB_jnzGW1_0XJajQmqiIafaWyxxFyBR3tFucKZtAgqsPa4H3hPYN6Vna7PId1qQb-50W_NjhBxYBRY2lY/s1600/HairMOT-7.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2q8QKEXk1wpZzIGnzmiNj0v0tfPQrKmjODevevQpnHNZXKHDy7Yl_CMcjMnMQB_jnzGW1_0XJajQmqiIafaWyxxFyBR3tFucKZtAgqsPa4H3hPYN6Vna7PId1qQb-50W_NjhBxYBRY2lY/s400/HairMOT-7.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474183151977338274" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-size:78%;" >Filmed by a bro from CBS News</span><br /></center><br /><br /><br />Receiving and distribution warehouses are in many areas, so please do not mail your hair or pet fur to their main San Francisco office!<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMh92I3uK1p8BIgjXX_qig000xRmeZGfPvJ2Dr6UzbrV3uskl27X_H_A1WhOCuKtbkgSLQWOcnE94Dm5gb-5xqASAX45Xs1JJz6moX0vhQnPSqXIbRJBTvepaBOxEyuR5M65-q7xS0W_h/s1600/HairMOT-8.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHMh92I3uK1p8BIgjXX_qig000xRmeZGfPvJ2Dr6UzbrV3uskl27X_H_A1WhOCuKtbkgSLQWOcnE94Dm5gb-5xqASAX45Xs1JJz6moX0vhQnPSqXIbRJBTvepaBOxEyuR5M65-q7xS0W_h/s400/HairMOT-8.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474184469360494386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VUwbLm9IeKHEJ8Hy7_9BFhb572SybMkZOidwmjAlED5-JruahVAefZzI4UryIqIuF7rX1CGxwAux97GtX3-LP9hwT8woPZvSmdSO2qAw2L7zGMzzgAYnCRlGMNMagMR_7qLd2WB2CvNR/s1600/HairMOT-3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3VUwbLm9IeKHEJ8Hy7_9BFhb572SybMkZOidwmjAlED5-JruahVAefZzI4UryIqIuF7rX1CGxwAux97GtX3-LP9hwT8woPZvSmdSO2qAw2L7zGMzzgAYnCRlGMNMagMR_7qLd2WB2CvNR/s400/HairMOT-3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474184693268076274" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So folks, tell your barber and beautician collect and mail all that hair they sweep up each day. Offer to help out. Hair doesn't weigh much, so it shouldn't cost much to mail it and is tax deductible since it's a donation to a 501 (c) charity. Their instructions are <a href="http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html">here</a>, but you (individuals, salons, and businesses) will need to sign up <a href="http://www.excessaccess.com/pages/main_signup806.html">here</a> and will be told where to mail it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXYv52iejewHRvgOziRToHWMebQ4Hzgp6q9AeMq0sv8byuiZ6pf94ZCLdblgy2jpjo7JlEJDRkkmxCqwxmjY6-CF1_iY6hvIJ8dvWskVvaeeFcAcptTVdisAEIMWCFhSxXPfLhyhdlmx9/s1600/HairMOT-1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXYv52iejewHRvgOziRToHWMebQ4Hzgp6q9AeMq0sv8byuiZ6pf94ZCLdblgy2jpjo7JlEJDRkkmxCqwxmjY6-CF1_iY6hvIJ8dvWskVvaeeFcAcptTVdisAEIMWCFhSxXPfLhyhdlmx9/s400/HairMOT-1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474193975693085586" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There are visible minority folks in the pictures, and they all look and sound like a wonderful group of people. I'm sure they'd love our help. Sometimes I think that when we don't see any or enough other minorities in volunteer groups, we feel apprehensive about joining out of fear of rejection. This occasionally happens in some places, and it only takes one hater in the group for us to say eff it; been through it myself once.<br /><br />However, this catastrophe is too important to allow any fears get in the way. Blog about it. If nothing else, print this post or the contact info for Matter of Trust, and please pass it along to your barbershop, beauty salon, or dog groomer. Even the military barber, 'cause I'm sure them boyz have enough hair to soak up a lot of oil.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C5BQdyw4zcQjuzYlpCpuXc-oZO5VEk_pF1GT8R_7czE0lmi95C04WgUOjQaUTWhzblbQDJCAgebIkr1Og3SvUqX1rln3hjOjBlVZfScg3xiN5szPB5frrx1EFCYUHJHYNUUtI38_g1kL/s1600/you.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 197px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2C5BQdyw4zcQjuzYlpCpuXc-oZO5VEk_pF1GT8R_7czE0lmi95C04WgUOjQaUTWhzblbQDJCAgebIkr1Og3SvUqX1rln3hjOjBlVZfScg3xiN5szPB5frrx1EFCYUHJHYNUUtI38_g1kL/s320/you.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474196382816680066" border="0" /></a><center style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-size:78%;">Insert your fine or adorable self here<br />as one doing their part to save the world.</span></center><br /><br />Maybe the mainstream <s>propaganda</s> media will get the hint that the hairboom option can no longer be minimized or omitted from their news stories. Call and write your Congressperson about using hairbooms instead of those toxic chemicals BP & their couldn't-give-a-fvck, profiteering cronies are doing.<br /><br /><br />Maybe we can even convince President Barack Obama to donate some of <i>his</i> hair.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeWBXjYr5Oo_EVumTnpzQsg_Qa3wn4dx6QFgRFQArTjnNhs-nOQDH8_EHsj_90PcEfjrYe1N3Iha34PGYuhXAHTRenAV9Ow7lvmrNGkofMcQ9rAbxXZrfixZ2dmKaobZRKekorqhM_7iD/s1600/HairObamaBarbershop.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzeWBXjYr5Oo_EVumTnpzQsg_Qa3wn4dx6QFgRFQArTjnNhs-nOQDH8_EHsj_90PcEfjrYe1N3Iha34PGYuhXAHTRenAV9Ow7lvmrNGkofMcQ9rAbxXZrfixZ2dmKaobZRKekorqhM_7iD/s400/HairObamaBarbershop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474210427040836642" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />I figure that's one way to know where he or any other politician <i>really</i> stands on the safest way to protect the environment, versus using expensive and toxic chemical dispersants that will make certain corporations richer. Man, wouldn't you love to see Rachel Maddow ask that to all those corporate for hire politicians in her interviews? Heh-heh.<br /><br />I'm currently doing some investigative work on a related side to this story. So far what I've discovered is chilling, and I'll share it with you in my next post.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-33190963506425037122010-05-19T02:14:00.022-04:002010-05-20T21:35:37.545-04:00Some Of Mother Earth's Terrorists Are Oil Executives, Who Are Screwing With The Global Ocean Conveyor Belt<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Humanity, or the few in charge who pass for humans, have unwittingly screwed around with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation"><b>Thermohaline Circulation</b></a> of the all the oceans.<br /><br />This is sometimes called the<br /></span><ul><li><span style="font-family:arial;">Ocean Conveyor Belt, </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The Great Ocean Conveyor, or </span></li><li><span style="font-family:arial;">The Global Conveyor Belt. </span></li></ul><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX7Y7PY6UjmUqwveMyDQpVgMI7qhD5kF8vdgTeVhDj0GVJSOx0XBR6M6lEMZcGfEZ9FkwEKzZxZhuYBx-AIybdCvg_pLLWRHq840Bdb_jr458F4e8IE1-E20pfUlGyYa05VTobSVolk8Q/s1600/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX7Y7PY6UjmUqwveMyDQpVgMI7qhD5kF8vdgTeVhDj0GVJSOx0XBR6M6lEMZcGfEZ9FkwEKzZxZhuYBx-AIybdCvg_pLLWRHq840Bdb_jr458F4e8IE1-E20pfUlGyYa05VTobSVolk8Q/s400/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472844563502817826" border="0" /></a><center style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-size:78%;"><a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/ocean-current.htm/printable">Link</a>: How Stuff Works: Ocean Currents</span></center><br /><br />It maintains the world's temperatures, and was a major part of the dynamics in the last <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shutdown_of_thermohaline_circulation">Ice Age</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Ice_Age#Dating_of_the_Little_Ice_Age">Mini Ice Age</a>.<br /><br /><b>When the "saltiness" or salinity of the ocean waters become disrupted, the great conveyor belt is affected. As I see it, the density of the oil and the ph balance of the chemicals can't help but affect this.</b><br /><br />I learned about this belt which dictates our weather and climate nearly ten years ago while reading about global warming and the ice ages. It's the reason the temperature is similar in Washington DC and London, even though the latter is much further to the north.<br /><br />When I learned three weeks ago of this oil "spill", I was upset nearly beyond words, but as it continues, I have the worse sense of dread.<br /><br />I'm no expert, and haven't read a thing yet about how this catastrophe might slow or shut down the ocean conveyor belt, only that it could spread oil and toxins beyond the Gulf of Mexico. However, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to consider the enormous possibility of it slowing down or coming to halt - which would throw many parts of this country and the world into a new mini- or full Ice Age.<br /><br />Hang onto to that thought, and I'll return to it in a moment.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Xr3FaTGKAw_CGAlY81Z4ePY1v4250xvNdFjEENOS5uMh1EeQ1KtkSeLqgkNCHpsehPwWI1k3itNgYcv76CGXQQK5OiFKmNCg58_hWymnlZu-LmB0RMYRgkHU8rwqdw8-PA691DlQ5F-R/s1600/05-10-2010+OilBPTonyHayward.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Xr3FaTGKAw_CGAlY81Z4ePY1v4250xvNdFjEENOS5uMh1EeQ1KtkSeLqgkNCHpsehPwWI1k3itNgYcv76CGXQQK5OiFKmNCg58_hWymnlZu-LmB0RMYRgkHU8rwqdw8-PA691DlQ5F-R/s320/05-10-2010+OilBPTonyHayward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472828651747815138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />This little piggy is the Chief Executive for BP Oil, and his name is Tony Hayward.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You'd think he'd be on the verge of a nervous breakdown and crying over this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHn48Rf1XnNdbsJV3BDsOu0yR8wTnI_c7T5kaFrKTorlSxEOs2sD6VUoMwAnuljNJX_DLZvYNmNyknPVVLnhDBHT1Wz_7tXoDkjTozuml-WTw51Acb74OTxGdBou_FL6QIJJYj0oY6D5E/s1600/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHn48Rf1XnNdbsJV3BDsOu0yR8wTnI_c7T5kaFrKTorlSxEOs2sD6VUoMwAnuljNJX_DLZvYNmNyknPVVLnhDBHT1Wz_7tXoDkjTozuml-WTw51Acb74OTxGdBou_FL6QIJJYj0oY6D5E/s320/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472829140783800178" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not by a longshot. Despite death threats, this pampered-looking man with soft hands <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/18/energy-bp-oil-petro-tony-hayward-slick-performance.html?boxes=businesschannellighttop">says</a> "he's sleeping well these days..."<br /><br />That statement alone is <span style="font-style: italic;">infuriating.</span><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/18/energy-bp-oil-petro-tony-hayward-slick-performance.html?boxes=businesschannellighttop">Forbes</a> interviewer who met with him described him as "looking fresh, almost relaxed in his makeshift corner office at BP's emergency response center in Houston," and said "Hayward insists the company has been "extraordinarily successful."<br /><br />In its response to the spill, "Hayward gropes for an upside," and says, "Deepwater drilling will be transformed by this event. If we can win the hearts and minds of the communities that are impacted, then we have the potential to enhance our reputation rather than have it damaged."<br /><br />Keep dreaming, bitch.<br /><br />September 10, 2001, was America's last day of being oblivious to what terrorism feels like or worrying about the spread of wars in the Middle East.<br /><br />If the Gulf of Mexico inhabitants could express themselves, they'd tell us they feel the same way about April 19th of this year, because the day after, 4/20/10, they have been terrorized and are <b>dying at holocaust levels</b> from a far worse catastrophe.<br /><br />No, the most affected citizens who try to planet with us are not humans - not yet anyway. They are the birds and ocean life who depend on or live in the sea, and there are billions of them, from microscopic plants to dolphins, shellfish, fish, and birds - more than you can name.<br /><br />And what's one of BP's solutions?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.propublica.org/ion/blog/item/In-Gulf-Spill-BP-Using-Dispersants-Banned-in-UK">They are</a> "using two products from a line of dispersants called Corexit, which EPA data appears to show is more toxic and less effective on South Louisiana crude than other available dispersants."<br /><br />These products were banned for oil cleanups in the UK over a decade ago because they are toxic - to humans.<br /><br />Worse, "scientists have discovered giant plumes of dispersed oil in the deep waters of the Gulf, though the EPA has said “there is no information currently available to link the dispersants to those deep-sea plumes. The plumes are now fast approaching the Gulf <span style="font-style: italic;">loop current</span>, which could spread the oil into the Atlantic Ocean."<br /><a href="http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/the-oil-and-the-loop-current/?hp"><br />The next two images</a> show the ocean temperature in the gulf, with an outline of the oil spill overlaid. The dark red bulb directly below the spill is the <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37192352">loop current</a>; above it is the cooler and less distinct cyclone.<br /><br />“It’s highly visible in our imagery,” said Nan Walker, an oceanographer with the Earth Scan Laboratory at Louisiana State University, where a separate analysis of the satellite images is being done. “It’s unmistakable. And oil spills, to my mind, aren’t usually that easy to track.”<br /><br /><b>The following image shows the spill on Monday, May 17, with a long tongue of oil snaking out to sea:</b><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1p64lWgZKMjpCn8ZW1IX4iBjj9ygyHt3HVwDMkJJNdChXACzd1GDqWoo72aBe9oRYw4ljCtNINpnNVrLfNlyT7YOa8W-1j0mWVD1co2gihs2GsWAvxjfmxqU8oAKS2ucGF7_oDY5i51M/s1600/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho1p64lWgZKMjpCn8ZW1IX4iBjj9ygyHt3HVwDMkJJNdChXACzd1GDqWoo72aBe9oRYw4ljCtNINpnNVrLfNlyT7YOa8W-1j0mWVD1co2gihs2GsWAvxjfmxqU8oAKS2ucGF7_oDY5i51M/s400/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472830770657922018" border="0" /></a><br /><center><a href="http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/oil-spill-encounters-loop-current_2010-05-17">link</a></center><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFVRIV3CSyaxvpMZJ7_MedxKlUqwYRfJEcGDoK8nniklKFWLTpjA-EkFchYlOX0wSNe8_y-CsoiJ9kK7W5hDKAOTk6Fna55c2RYWreFklw4kO2Afj7pc24wLAAej_X99y1FhtqImG5BLi/s1600/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 298px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFVRIV3CSyaxvpMZJ7_MedxKlUqwYRfJEcGDoK8nniklKFWLTpjA-EkFchYlOX0wSNe8_y-CsoiJ9kK7W5hDKAOTk6Fna55c2RYWreFklw4kO2Afj7pc24wLAAej_X99y1FhtqImG5BLi/s400/05-18-2010_Oilentersloopcurrent3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472830019932330882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />This next photo is from two weeks ago, May 6-7, showing the "spill" in relation to the <a href="http://www.weather.com/outlook/weather-news/news/articles/oil-spill-encounters-loop-current_2010-05-17">Gulf loop current</a>.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7xVwHOW_V73zcSJFjlJYHAvPlGa9I2d51WD4vrAX-xtMKJytb0DueLJ5itCnYALTjqdxnDF16hHgi1MwAVvSrFB8Lu8z8iRkmH7O1mXYUBT90vOVRj4q8dP3u_pbnFZ-f8_pLu9FfMCh/s1600/05-18-2010_loopcurrent1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI7xVwHOW_V73zcSJFjlJYHAvPlGa9I2d51WD4vrAX-xtMKJytb0DueLJ5itCnYALTjqdxnDF16hHgi1MwAVvSrFB8Lu8z8iRkmH7O1mXYUBT90vOVRj4q8dP3u_pbnFZ-f8_pLu9FfMCh/s400/05-18-2010_loopcurrent1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472830400829852418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Once again, take a good, hard look at the thermohaline circulation in this map below of the Global/Ocean Conveyor Belt:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX7Y7PY6UjmUqwveMyDQpVgMI7qhD5kF8vdgTeVhDj0GVJSOx0XBR6M6lEMZcGfEZ9FkwEKzZxZhuYBx-AIybdCvg_pLLWRHq840Bdb_jr458F4e8IE1-E20pfUlGyYa05VTobSVolk8Q/s1600/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPX7Y7PY6UjmUqwveMyDQpVgMI7qhD5kF8vdgTeVhDj0GVJSOx0XBR6M6lEMZcGfEZ9FkwEKzZxZhuYBx-AIybdCvg_pLLWRHq840Bdb_jr458F4e8IE1-E20pfUlGyYa05VTobSVolk8Q/s400/Thermohaline_Global+Conveyor+Belt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472844563502817826" border="0" /></a><br /><center><span style="font-size:78%;"><i><a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/ocean-current.htm/printable">Link: How Stuff Works: Ocean Currents</a></i></span></center><br /><br />As you see, what happens in the Gulf doesn't stay in the Gulf. It ain't like your weekend in Las Vegas.<br /><br />I am dead certain that the cheap bastards running BP understand this. I don't think they give a shit. They are dumping chemical dispersants in the Gulf, and I understand what they most hope to save - <span>things with a dollar value attached to it</span> - <span style="font-weight: bold;">but they are literally taking an </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">all or nothing</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> gamble with the entire planet.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhb32sm1DeKNU22Ykkg2pwCUlOafV22bomGq3GEmhOWHMfcyaxpJi74ByhJdJUVDYFEqGAoMMXobVdLeVlj6spg0_Zv9uN_VyXoQ326Mx2caG5RN3fi9j51Z8L-BIXajMVxglYBdtSzY8/s1600/DiceChance.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhb32sm1DeKNU22Ykkg2pwCUlOafV22bomGq3GEmhOWHMfcyaxpJi74ByhJdJUVDYFEqGAoMMXobVdLeVlj6spg0_Zv9uN_VyXoQ326Mx2caG5RN3fi9j51Z8L-BIXajMVxglYBdtSzY8/s320/DiceChance.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472878967509239058" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I don't have enough nasty names or labels to call the people who made this disaster possible, or who work for or support them in some way, shape or form, and I'll be surprised if any of them see a day in jail, so the best thing I can say publicly is I hope they get the hottest seats in hell.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-3836554097546773112010-05-18T11:32:00.018-04:002010-05-18T12:18:04.897-04:00The Planet Is Having A Stroke How Soon Will We Be Crying Tears Of Oil?<span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">When you think of the earth as a living thing, it is having a stroke. With the Gulf Oil Catastrophe, instead of blood leaking into places where it should not be, the fluid is oil.</span><br /><br />How is this any different from that of a person or animal? A stroke incident is serious. Parts of tissue dies, and it is often fatal.<br /><br />I'm guessing that it won't be long before people from Texas to Florida, Cuba, and the eastern coast of Mexico, <span style="font-weight: bold;">will smell the stench of the dead</span>. Just look at a map and the affected areas. Trillions of lives lost, algae and other sea plant life, fish, sea turtles, dolphins, octopuses, and birds.<br /><br />Rotting away in a watery mass grave.<br /><br />One of the strategies has been to add a chemical dispersant to the water. The problem with this is it keeps oxygen out of it. Ocean life needs that to breath. The problem is compounded.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">And then I think of the dynamics of rain.</span><br /><br />Moisture rises from oceans, forms clouds, which make rain. What will the rain be like in those areas a month or three months from now?<br /><br />Will it rain oil?<br /><br />Will people find clumps of tar on their cars and roofs?<br /><br />How will the chemicals and oil residue in the rain affect agriculture? Will Florida oranges begin to smell and taste funny? Is our food production imperiled?<br /><br />What happens to all the inland animals that eat the plants which soak up the rain? Most of us eat animals, and if they're contaminated, how will that affect our health?<br /><br />Our fresh water reservoirs are refreshed by rain. This is the water we drink. How can it <span style="font-style: italic;">no</span>t be affected?<br /><br />Just thinking of hurricane season - which is all about rain and wind - makes me unbearably sad, and nervous for the near and far future. I live in the DC area, but when a hurricane is powerful enough in the south, often a few days later it's windy and rainy up here. I'm no expert, but my intuition screams at me that this can't possibly be good under the circumstances.<br /><br />I think the broadcast news media isn't covering this story as non-stop as they should, not only because of corporate interests, but because it frightens and pains them too on a primitive, fear-of-death level.<br /><br />I have barely been able to read or write this about myself. Most of the times when I've tried in the past three weeks, I felt paralyzed. It's like looking at the sun, you know it's there, but it's too painful to stare at directly. Unlike the sun, however, this is a catastrophe that brings death, not life.<br /><br />Albert Einstein once said, <span style="font-style: italic;">“Problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.”</span><br /><br />If this planetary stroke cannot be stopped soon by the greatest minds in the world, we may all be crying tears of oil later, and maybe sooner than later.<br /><br /><br /><center>*******************<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">Be sure to use the slider under the "Adjust Leak Rate"</span><br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/oil-ticker/" style="" marginheight="5" marginwidth="5" width="310px" frameborder="0" height="300" scrolling="no"></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);font-size:78%;" >You can get the embed code <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2010/05/despite-video-extent-of-oil-spill-remains-unclear.html">here</a>.</span><br /></center><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-4496464106392607702010-05-14T09:42:00.000-04:002010-05-14T09:42:32.266-04:00Guest Post: Let's Talk About That Dating Thang<span style="font-family: arial;"><br />I don't know if y'all forgot I have a fairly new blog, or if it's because I changed the web address and modified the name (call it blog growing pains), but I'm running a fantastic guest post there thru early Sunday afternoon. Click on the link below and show Black Girl In Maine some blogger love by leaving her a comment, okay?<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://letterstoayoungpoc.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: arial; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">Letters To A Young Person Of Color</span></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-73403021780859014662010-05-12T05:48:00.017-04:002010-05-13T02:02:41.463-04:00Ramen Noodles For Brains<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Reason #139 why your adult child should not live at home, or at least why you shouldn't ever buy him a video camera:<br /><br /><br /><center><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a0S4R9cKi0A&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a0S4R9cKi0A&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br />Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher (D), is running for Senate.<br />On this night, he is minding his business and working<br />shortly after midnight in his home. He is shirtless,<br />and surprise-surprise, is being video taped,<br />and then interviewed by his son.<br /></center><br /><br />And the little prick has the nerve to ask at the start of video, "What could my father be doing now?"<br /><br /><br /><br />Reason #1039 why the GOP sucks ass and will never be anybody's "Moral Majority":<br /><br /><center><iframe src="http://videos.mediaite.com/embed/player/?layout=&playlist_cid=&media_type=video&content=79WWK432JFHZXTT5&widget_type_cid=svp" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" allowtransparency="true" width="420" frameborder="0" height="421" scrolling="no"></iframe><br />GOP attack ad,<br />twisting and inventing shit, as usual.</center><br /><br /><br />Those two videos seen together, however, are hilarious. As for Fisher's son, if I had the brute strength of a father and I was his dad, the ER docs would be trying to remove that video camera from his azz.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">And I thought my son was bad... Well, I can't lie, he is.</span><br /><br />I don't know Lil' Fisher, but mine must have been watching the clock for Mother's Day to end. I woke up from either noise or smoke a few minutes after midnight, and the lil' ninja was having a mini-party in the living room, and burned up a pot of Ramen noodles.<br /><br />I can't tell you how much I wanted to yell at him - and he knew it - but the loony landlord was in the basement, and that's one dragon who never needs to be awakened.<br /><br />So I whispered, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Get those mofos outta here now!"</span><br /><br />He's the last ninja who should drink because it doesn't mix well with his mood disorder, and his halfway drunk azz thought it was funny.<br /><br />I didn't.<br /><br />Smoking up the kitchen: strike one.<br />Having company over after 9PM <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> the kind of company he had: strike two.<br />Boozing: strike three.<br /><br />Problem though - how in the heck was I to do a <span style="font-style: italic;">you're out, mah'fucka</span>, when I couldn't?<br /><br />Instead, I whispered, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Ssshh! You'll wake up the landlord!"</span><br /><br />Ever the salesman, he tries to cut a deal, saying, "We'll be real quiet if they can stay."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Oh hell no!"</span>, I whispered furiously.<br /><br />He thought that was funny, too, while I worried about the fire-breathing dragon in the dungeon.<br /><br />I suppose Lil' Fisher and his buddy were cracking up, too, when they <span style="font-style: italic;">ambushed</span> Fisher's poor shirtless father and then uploaded the video to YouTube. Now poor Mr. Fisher has his own fire-breathing dragons on his azz and may lose a shot a good job.<br /><br />Been there, done that.<br /><br />Wish I could end the story there, but that night continued to be surreal. No sooner had I kicked Xavier and his buddies out of the house for the night, we could hear the Fire Department engines screaming. I thought a neighbor had called over the smoke from my place.<br /><br />Next thing ya know, they're rolling down my street and I'm muttering, <span style="font-style: italic;">oh shit, my landlord is gonna go psycho.</span><br /><br />Well, no, I got lucky, but not the house a few doors down.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Their</span> sweetheart of a son was smoking in the car and must have dropped his cigarette... or whatevah. And engine fire my azz; the entire vehicle was flames - the kind of flames that were shooting up as high as the second story to their house.<br /><br />Too bad it was parked in their driveway right next to it.<br /><br />And what was my lil' moron and his homies doing? Standing across the street, laughing, while one of them was video taping the shit on his cell phone camera. Tell me, has being entertained at stupidity and destruction always been national pastime, or is it now simply more obvious due to our technology? And how come it didn't dawn on my son that this could have been <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> friggin' house?<br /><br />I can just picture the back page headlines now: <span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Ramen Noodle Eating Ninja Burns Down House, </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);font-family:arial;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">While Landlord Beats Mother<br />And Stomps Yapping Poodle To Death</span></span><br /></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Moral of the story: Who needs enemies when ya got family?<br /><br />Well, at least my son's shit didn't technically happen until <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> Mother's Day.<br /><br />I reminded myself of this yesterday, after my daughter snitched that she caught him trying to "borrow" my car to drive his girlfriend home. Yes, the girlfriend he helped flunk out of her 12th grade year. I found this out last week by accident when he was talking to her crying azz on the phone.<br /><br />Does he take any responsibility for that either? No.<br /><br />Xavier really got mad when he overheard me saying this on the phone to a relative that soon enough, maybe he'll be part of her family, 'cause I'm still praying for that full time job and enough money to get the hell out of Dodge.<br /><br />He said <span style="font-style: italic;">indignantly</span>, "You cannot put that on me! It was <span style="font-style: italic;">her choice</span> to spend time with me instead of going to classes."<br /><br />This relative, who is also a therapist, could hear his response, and burst out laughing. "That's <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span>," he said.<br /><br />This made me laugh.<br /><br />"What's so funny?", Xavier complained with innocence as fake as his indignity.<br /><br />I relayed the message. Saint Xavier ain't really stupid, and he got that, then got all huffy.<br /><br />Sheesh.<br /><br />Parents, this is the risk of what you get when your oppositional-defiant kid spends entirely too much time in therapy during their childhood. They learn how to say all the right things, which amounts to bullshit. I swear, he'd be dangerous if he had the education and connections to work on Wall Street.<br /><br />By me talking about how he could go live with his girlfriend's family, Xavier suddenly remembered that I have an escape plan. I could tell, 'cause that's when he returned with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Usual Lie, </span>followed by<span style="font-style: italic;"> The Suck Up</span>.<br /><br />"Ma, I did not steal your car."<br /><br />Somehow, I had a flash back of Bill Clinton saying, "I did not have sex with that woman."<br /><br />I had to keep from laughing. I said, "You got caught, nigga, you busted."<br /><br />"Casey's lying!"<br /><br />I looked at him with that <span style="font-style: italic;">I ain't stupid look</span> and said, "Xavier, haven't you learned by now that when you're caught, the correct thing to do is to apologize?"<br /><br />"I didn't do that. She just hates me. She's jealous."<br /><br />"Maybe she hates the idea of you effing up my car and it getting impounded 'cause you ain't got a drivers license and probably had a joint on you."<br /><br />"Well, if you're so sure I did it, why don't you kick me out?"<br /><br />"Leave anytime."<br /><br />"You're just scared I'll break up something or try to commit suicide."<br /><br />"Ain't like you haven't done that before."<br /><br />He leaves, and returns 15 or so minutes later.<br /><br />"I apologize."<br /><br />"It ain't sincere."<br /><br />"I need your help."<br /><br />"Heard this before."<br /><br />"What should I do?"<br /><br />He ain't gonna leave my room until I bite the bait.<br /><br />"You really want to know, Xavier?"<br /><br />He nods, and I know it's a game, but I tell him anyway.<br /><br />"The truth needs few words," I say, "and I have three for you. Follow them consistently and everything else will fall into place."<br /><br />I took a long pause. He waited.<br /><br />"Stop. Being. Selfish."<br /><br />He feigned deep reflection for the rest of the evening. Oh, but he's good. I wonder how my son, and the youth a few houses down who burned up his parent's car, and Fisher's son would get along as roommates?<br /><br />Stranger things have happened, and if it does, I'll send them a case of Ramen Noodles.<br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6325219138869173743.post-39668029870332538452010-05-08T18:10:00.004-04:002010-05-08T21:50:53.553-04:00My Sunlight From Heaven<span style="font-family:arial;"><br />I was feeling pretty sentimental this morning and wrote a post to my late mother for <span style="font-style: italic;">Mother's Day</span>, which is also the same approximate time as her birthday. I replaced it a few minutes ago this evening with this one, feeling maybe it was too mushy and personal for this blog.<br /><br />It's a mixed bag for me, this time of year. I miss my own mother, yet at the same time, enjoy the extra attention from my children.<br /><br />Anyway, on beautiful days like today has been, I think she isn't gone; I see my mother in the rays of the sun, shining down on me.<br /><br />Cheers to those who are our biological or adoptive mothers, who sacrificed and acted toward us in a loving maternal role, and for those no longer here on Earth, leaving us with memories as warm as sunlight from heaven.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2em0Ci9NsMYYVQj_l8ZRuMVFsTvg6F_8yE7QXLgvdgBoNShPU5-U5ceZHqYDLvBVlqIf3XoJknLW2QMpGCXwzgjDzDRWJKNZm4k2pgo5W6XpKfXsgojVR8WwUetTjHTRX9XeDCk3epxpK/s1600/S-W.gif"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2em0Ci9NsMYYVQj_l8ZRuMVFsTvg6F_8yE7QXLgvdgBoNShPU5-U5ceZHqYDLvBVlqIf3XoJknLW2QMpGCXwzgjDzDRWJKNZm4k2pgo5W6XpKfXsgojVR8WwUetTjHTRX9XeDCk3epxpK/s320/S-W.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5469023248398749602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /></span>Kit (Keep It Trill)http://www.blogger.com/profile/03027769872237001801noreply@blogger.com12