DESPOTISM

E COLI CONSERVATIVES HIT HOME

I'm no stranger to the unique aspects of living in Texas. This story threw even jaded old me into a tailspin.

I planned to stay with my mom for a few days this weekend. I love to drive through Texas. You never know what will happen next. I was especially excited to drive through the tropical depression named Erin, although it turned out to be mild compared to the adventure I expected. I was confident that Erin would be the adventure of this trip. Wrong.

Don't get me wrong. It's always memorable when you have to shield yourself behind a metal column from the high velocity rain bullets while pumping diesel in the few places that offer it. This story isn't about fuel insecurity, or the global warming powered wind velocity, or the amount of flooding rain received, or the 7 deaths blamed on Erin. This story is about the water itself inside of Erin.

I get into town just after noon to warnings not to BRUSH MY TEETH with city water. Bathing is even a risk I'm told. The water here is contaminated with e coli. Restaurants and residents are told to boil the water because the water isn't safe to drink. Water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

South Texas, because of Republican oversight, can no longer wag tongue at any importing country for their environmental practices. The Gulf of Mexico appears putrid and squalid as if the whole shoreline is drowning in e coli sewage. And that’s exactly what it is, e-coli sewage. So look into this if you plan on visiting and bathing in any of our beaches. Under heavy weather conditions, the water is carried far inland. Check this and this out.

Rain here should now be labeled a biohazard. The dumping of waste and toxic chemicals into our waterways and coastal regions has reached Chinese proportions. To make matters worse, the danger is not even reported in a timely manner needlessly risking the health of the citizens here.

I remember as a boy, when Government kinda worked. A hurricane would blow through and the day afterwards city crews would be hard at work making us all feel warm and secure. Today, any gust of wind carrying noxious water is all it could take to wipe out your family. Heck of a job George.

Be advised: I see reasons to belive the entire warm gulf stream is in this peril clear out to Scottland.

Watch Dean come into the gulf on the GOES Visible Gulf Java Applet Loop

Actual Dean Movie here

If you live along the coast you may find this mobile web link helpful: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/index.wml

Finally, be advised that NOAA is seeking comments as to the value of high frequency alert notices in the Pacific. If you have a boat you may want to know about this planned cut back.

UPDATE: Kathleen Hartnett White, chairman of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, has announced that she would depart when her term expires Aug. 31.

Latest Image:

Storm Track:

NOTE:This post will update automatically as Dean approaches landfall

THE JOY OF GIVING IS EGO STROKING

Christmas update at the Guardian.  In today's technology section PS3's being traded for Wiis at the bottom there is a comment from CharlieHorse that reads:

There is something peculiar going on... little kids cheered W11 and booed PS3 when Santa presented both systems at an event today in Burbank,CA.

Just further proof that more is just more and not necessarily better.  So far, the most obvious reaction of appreciation from any gift I've given has been the cheap $25 gas cards I gave my friends who are in college.  Those were also the easiest to buy.

The most fun to was definitely the basket of canned food for the shelter that was collected.  The grocery store trip was ok but the people that would just bring cans by really made the holiday a social event for me.  That present is also the most useful in the way it is being gifted.  I'm giving it to my daughter for her to give it in her name.  She spent Christmas Eve at her Grandmothers so I don't know what her reaction is yet.

The least pleasant part of this holiday so far for me was time spent at jewelry counters.  I was only buying cubic zirconium earrings that my daughter asked for.  Diamonds are not worth the money as she sees it, but it was at the Macy's.  And the real sucky part is I had to go to several counters before somebody would tell me where to buy the things. 

Me at a mall is like watching a goldfish in tap water slowly cooking under the chlorine toxicity.   The final counter I arrived at was hosted by two middle aged women who spoke Urdu.  I was able to transcend the experience only because one lady from India spoke of her friend standing next to her who is Pakistani.   They laughed like young school girls at the wars between their two countries over religious intolerance.  It was a real Macy's experience.

WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?

Do you rant against the Corporatists? Do you feel like the masses are loosing their jobs through Globalization? Do you feel Democracies are supporting Despots to keep their wealthy happy while our own middle class collapses and poverty accelerates around the world? Do you worry about Global Warming? Maybe you feel enslaved to life sustaining drugs?

Visit the web site here.

Do you wonder what can be done? Can Gangster Capitalist greed implode through humanitarian desires? Are there any answers to the worlds massive problems? Is there any hope we can cling to? How can I get involved? Can we all succeed and profit too? How can we fight corporate greed?

Are there any simple answers?