Wow

I really have let things slide after a semi-strong start. A lot has changed since I began.

We have a new President that "Won" and wants to let everyone know in spirit of cooperation.

The Democratic Majority are trying to show what spending like a drunken cowboy is really all about.

On a personal level I have moved from the nanny state of New York and found a better standard of living in a "Red State".

Will I start posting again on a regular bases? I would love to say yes but time does not always permit (There is no try, only do and do not"). It's a priority thing and the new job needs to be put up on the list.

The rebuilt plant will produce 100 MW for the utility while reducing the utility’s carbon dioxide emissions by a million tons a year – or 7% of the company’s annual emissions. The captured carbon dioxide will be sequestrated in oil fields, and will also serve to help recover further oil.

State-of-the-art enhanced oil recovery with carbon dioxide, now recognized as a potential way of dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, could add 89 billion barrels to the recoverable oil resources of the United States, the Department of Energy has determined. Current U.S. proved reserves are 21.9 billion barrels.

Why have we no heard about this? We hear about every little piece of so called evidence that man is boiling the world, but actual work gets buried. The answer is that all of the global warming screaming is not really about saving the earth. It never has been that to the true fanatics.

Companies are right now spend a lot of money to prove that the CO2 will mineralize with potassium and magnesium in the sandstone formation. This, if it happens, would be a permanent lock of the CO2.

Mining and the Economy

The financial situation in the US right now is dire and on the edge but it now has less to do with Fanny Mae, Freddie Mac and the rest of the banks than most would believe. Sure that situation sparked everything but now that metal prices have been in a free fall for the last six weeks, this situation is now effecting more than the greed on Wall Street and the pocket book of certain politicians. It is now hitting the invisible spine of capitalism. Nobody likes to look at mining in a positive light, especially when it is currently the fade to bash it for environmental reason. Mining is an easy target because it does dramatically impact the visual environment. But the truth behind all of the attacks is that mining is what makes the modern world possible. Every single modern convenience requires metals, ceramics or petroleum products. The world saving, Hybrid Cars have batteries which are made possible by metals. So when mining goes to a stand still, which it is currently moving toward, the rest of the economy will follow.

Mining companies have stop expanding and if the metal prices continue to fall they will limit production in an attempt to lower inventory. This means lay-offs of some high paid hourly workers. All of this will have a ripple effect through out the economy. Usually this will be the leading edge of a down turn like it was in 1998 and 1999. Even without 911 the economy was heading down. The recovery that followed was the result of several factors but what was never really talked about was the metals market sky-rocketing. Copper alone was a strong indicator as it soared to +$4 a pound. Gold, platinum, silver all enjoyed high prices which sparked a huge boom in mining companies and sites reopening. All of these employed a large work force and because there was (and still is) a limit of qualified workers their wages increased. Underground miners in some cases can earn 6 digit wages between hourly wages, overtime and bonuses.

It is my belief, this current economic downturn will not fully recover until the mining companies regain their footing. So what the metal prices closely and act accordingly.

Congress tells Mexico to polish the brass

Congress is making a bold statement

MEXICO CITY — The United States Congress has scaled back on President Bush’s anti-drug plans for Mexico and put human rights conditions on some of the aid, drawing fire from some Mexicans who accuse American lawmakers of meddling in their country’s internal affairs.

: at the same time as the Mexican Police in a couple of small towns.

Acapulco, Mexico (AP) - A southern Mexican town's 15-member police force has quit for fear of being assassinated in retaliation for a shootout with gunmen, a security official said Thursday.Zirandaro was the second town in less than two weeks to be left without its police force as Mexico's drug cartels wage increasingly bold attacks against security forces. On Monday, the military took over a town near Texas after all 20 of its police officers were either killed, run out of town or quit.

Do we have a right to ask for certain improvements or addressing human rights to people we give money to; most certainly. Not doing so for too many years in the Middle East has got us to where we are now. The big difference is that Mexico for all of its faults and corruption is still a functional democracy. That puts it a huge step up from the tyrants and thugs that seem to predominate the ME.

But at issue is the performance of Mexico’s army and the police, which have been accused by human rights organizations of engaging in abuses as they chase down the country’s drug cartels.

See those who most object about the present plan are those who are most concerned with how the criminals are treated. The criminals that profit off the misery and death of others. The criminals that will kill anyone that gets in their way.

Where is the line drawn between the need to get rid of the scum and protecting their rights as (barely) humans?

University Punishes Those Who Disagrees

In the real world this would be unthinkable but in academia not doing so would be unfathomable.

The University of Toledo has suspended with pay one of its administrators for writing a newspaper op-ed that questions whether homosexuality is a civil rights issue. The school said the administrator was suspended precisely because her views on homosexuality do not comport with those of the university, a state institution.

This teacher is suspended not for expressing her opinion on campus but in local paper (Toledo Free Press) in response to an editorial. This wasn’t a hate speech, it was questioning on whether a choice of lifestyle should receive the same protection as non-choice issues such as race, gender or handicap. It was a person engaging in dialogue or debate.

And another thing, the state currently doesn’t recognize “gay rights” on the same level as race, gender or handicap. Those things are protected under federal laws while “gay rights” are not. Unless of course homosexuality is a physical (genetic) or mental handicap.

Who could see this coming?

Put out a helping hand to a group of thiefs and thugs and what do you get? A stump.

Myanmar's junta impounded two U.N. food aid shipments at Yangon airport on Friday, officials said, triggering more outrage at the military government's refusal to accept a major international relief operation.

When you rule through fear and suppression, the one thing you can never allow your subjects to see is kindness.

The ruling junta can not allow a show of weakness on any level even if it means letting their subjects die. It is about caring for the people. It never was, it all about themselves and what they have or what they can get. If there was a need to show what evil looks like then this would be a perfect, blaring example. This is the stuff that should have people screaming in the streets. In Burma the people who object soon find themselves in a very painful or dead situation.

I have written about Myanmar (Burma) before and I always find a disconnection between the people who claim to be concerned about human rights and those who actual do. There are too many people out there who want to complain and attack safe targets. In America, a person can call the President of the US any sort of name they want and never fear a midnight knock on their door. In certain areas, the wrong political belief, religion, race or dress code will get you drug through the street in the middle of the day just to set an example. Where are the human shields to protect these people, oh yeah they are dead.

Update:
How generous the junta is. They are allowing us to send in ONE plane when we are ready to give much greater aid with out a lot of strings. How is it that the US is the source of all evil?

Johndroe also said that while the U.S. still has limited leeway to help, "One flight is much better than no flights."

"They're going to need our help for a long time," Johndroe said. He spoke in Crawford, Texas, where President Bush's daughter, Jenna, will be wed on Saturday.

Noble Freedom Fighters

If there was any doubt to the character of the terrorist, let this rid you of it.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Two mentally disabled women were strapped with explosives Friday and sent into busy Baghdad markets, where they were blown up by remote control, a top Iraqi government official said.

"By targeting innocent Iraqis, they show their true demonic character," said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman for the Multi-National Division-Baghdad.

This is what the anti-war crowd wants America to ignore. The anti-war crowd wants us to leave millions of people at the mercy of these human monsters. All the atrocities that America and the West in general gets accused of does not even come close to the unadulterated evil. To America, waterboarding of terrorist suspects is questionable while cowardly blowing up innocents is the bread and butter of the noble, freedom fighters/ insurgents.