Great Breaking News Out Of North Dakota Today--For Now

Yes, great news:

Army Corps of Engineers Denies Dakota Access Pipeline Route

Mind you, it's temporary. It's great news but it's temporary:

The Army Corps of Engineers has told the Oceti tribe that it will halt work on the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline in order to conduct an environmental impact study, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe announced.

We're just a bit over a month away from having a new president installed in the White House, of course, first.  Second, there's the fact that, actually, the president-elect has a financial interest in seeing the pipeline go forward.

Trump Owns Stake In Hotly Disputed 

$3.8 Billion Oil Pipeline

So, no surprise.

Trump stands with Big Oil, backs the Dakota Access pipeline

So sure, it's a win for today. It's good news. I just don't think it's permanent. I expect this pipeline will go forward.

Who Created That Mess In the Middle East, Anyway?

It wouldn't be us, would it?

The Social Media Sell Job on the Keystone XL Pipeline has begun

With Republicans taking over Congress this week, it became clear the social media "sell job" has gotten under way. I was just pulling up a video to watch on YouTube---ironically, with Noam Chomsky and Chris Hedges---when this disgusting bit of advertising just came up:



Naturally "Comments are disabled for this video."  Of course. 

In the ad, they claim they're building it "to bring energy security to the United States."

Wow.

That is one gigantic lie.

Here's the YouTube video more should see:



And this one:



No to the KXL. No on the Keystone XL pipeline.

Missourians Against the Keystone XL Pipeline

Contact your representatives in Congress. Tell them no on the Keystone XL pipeline.


Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory

Eat your heart out, Northwest Missouri

Maybe even "Eat your heart out, America"

How Americans like their politics

Americans seem to like our politics rather Captain Kirk-like--all emotional and "go get 'em!", clearly.

Between Fox "News" and now all the mainstream media outlets--CBS, NBC and ABC. If there are yelling and interrupting sessions and exclamation points and rude outbursts.

Sure, more of us could watch PBS and get good, intelligent, calm, two-sided information but, no, we want our screaming sessions.  We want to be entertained.

And we know it.

I am reminded of this nearly daily, if/when I am ever exposed to today's media.

Then I read things like the following, from The New York Times or nearly any news program on PBS, especially and including the Nightly News and/or Charlie Rose.

So with all the emotional hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth at and by Fox, it's always nice when I run across something far more logical, analytical, calm and logical--Spock-like---as here:

A Balancing Act on Iraq

President Obama has, so far, struck the right note on Iraq, where Sunni extremist militants are seizing territory and threatening the existence of the state. He has been cautious — emphasizing the need for political reform in Iraq and reaching out to other countries that could have an impact on its fate.

Trouble is, we don't want hard facts, really. We want conclusions. We also want articles and columns that already support our pre-supposed conclusions, sans supportable, actual data.

If Americans really wanted to learn about Iraq, Iran, Syria and the Middle East, as we should, they should watch this film clip, in full, totally undistracted.

Former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell - Businessweek

Most Americans won't watch it, but they should.

Quote of the day -- on science and common sense

Why Transcanada's Keystone XL pipeline shouldn't go through America

Quote of the day---on America's wars

One talented, brilliant man.

One more reason the world can no longer afford the luxury that is war

"In this increasingly interdependent world, we have few pure “enemies” anymore: Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Al Qaeda, the Taliban. But we have many “frenemies,” or half friends/half foes. While the Pentagon worries about a war with China, the Commerce Department is trying to get China to buy more Boeing planes and every American university worth its salt is opening a campus in Beijing; meanwhile, the Chinese are investing in American companies left and right. President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela is the biggest thorn in America’s side in Latin America and a vital source of our imported oil. The U.S. and Russia are on opposing sides in Syria, but the U.S. supported Russia joining the World Trade Organization and American businesses are lobbying Congress to lift cold war trade restrictions on Russia so they can take advantage of its more open market."

--Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/05/opinion/its-mitts-world.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120905

Water, oil, food--will humankind cooperate together or fight to the death?

I saw this headline last evening and it rather concerns me:

Global Fight for Natural Resources 'Has Only Just Begun,' say Experts

From the article:

"Better economic incentives, rather than ethical considerations and appeals to human morality, are needed to encourage investment in a more sustainable economy, according to Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen.

Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen told the conference that governments would need to step in, to ensure resources were best distributed.

Speaking at the Re|source 2012 Conference in Oxford, Sen said that so-called 'free markets' could not be counted on to meet all fundamental human needs nor could the private sector be trusted to efficiently allocate the world's natural resources.

“The way to make the financial sector respond is not through moral exhortation, but by increasing incentives,” said Sen. 'The market will respond to price increases,' but world governments are required to intervene and address 'inequality and iniquity' that the market inherently generates."

The way our Capitalism is set up and the way the Republican Party, the Libertarians and far too many Right Wingers and Americans in general see the world and the world economy at present, they wouldn't get this.

Far too many of us wouldn't understand, at least at present, that whether you're talking about water or oil or corn or virtually any other commodity, once there are shortages, the item in concern can't be left to "free markets" alone unless we are willing to literally let people go without and that can, in fact, mean going without food.

Morally, we just can't let it end up being "every man--person--for themselves." We can't.

Besides being immoral, it would inevitably mean the deaths of at least thousands of us, if not millions, nation- and world-wide.

Surely we owe our fellow human beings more than that.

Rather naturally, it reminded me of this quote from the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr:

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

And the thing is, we'll have to agree to that cooperation across all nations, worldwide.

This will not be easy, ladies and gentlemen.

Link to original article: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/07/12-5

Kansas "boomtown" in the news

It seems Kansas' own Harper County is on the internets today, going from CNN Money to Yahoo! News:

In Kansas boomtown, trailers renting for $2,000 a month



From the article:

"In the oil boomtowns of southern Kansas, enterprising residents are turning into real estate moguls, renting out everything from double-wide trailers to rooms in an old bank for as much as $2,000 a month.

Workers flocking to the area seeking high-paying jobs in nearby oil fields and windfarms have created a housing shortage in these small farming towns, causing the rents to skyrocket."

Who knew?

What's especially interesting to me about the video clip, above, is that they do point out some positive but also some negative aspects of the boom.

Anyway, if you're needing work, maybe you know now where to point the car, eh?

Have a great weekend, y'all.

Links: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/kansas-boomtown-trailers-renting-2-105500380.html; http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2012/05/30/n-kansas-harper-oil-boomtown.cnnmoney/

On this Memorial Day

Let's face it, if we really "respected our troops", we wouldn't have sent them in harm's way, first in Iraq, for the chosen, arbitrary, unnecessary, ignorant-to-the-point-of-stupid and illegal war that was and then into Afghanistan, where those people didn't want us, either.

We have George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to thank--rather, to hold responsible--for both.

They are war criminals, by their own words. We should hold them accountable, charge them and put them on trial.

We won't. We never will.

But we should.

On the proliferation of inexpensive wine

First, there was, rather famously, "two-buck Chuck", introduced by Trader Joes.

And thank goodness for that.

They started the trend, I think we can say, clearly. That is, a fairly good, everyday table wine.

Of course, for the longest time, we couldn't get it here since we had no such store. Fortunately for us, that's changed with them having come to Ward Parkway Center.

Then, naturally, Walmart had to get in the mix so they introduced their own private label wine for nearly the same price. (It's actually about 20 cents less per bottle, as it should be. The quality, if you can call it that--"quality"--at this price level), is just not quite as good.

Now, I just learned last evening that local grocery store Hy-Vee has their own private label wine for $3 a bottle.

From what I understand, there is actually a glut of oil on the world markets.

I don't know. I can't check that out.

But I do know there is a glut of pretty good, inexpensive wine in the retail markets.

And for that, I'm grateful.

Very grateful.

Have a great weekend, y'all. And drink responsibly, if at all.

What corporations and our government representatives are doing: pretty cozy

I was looking over some blogs I keep an eye on and ran across a situation in Alaska right now that epitomizes what our government representatives and corporations are doing to and with us here in the US so frequently. It is from The Mudflats blog: It seems the Conoco-Philips Oil Company is supporting the Alaskan Governor Sean Parnell's campaign to give oil companies yet more tax breaks. The cozy little situation works like this: the oil company gives the good Governor "campaign contributions" and supports a $40/plate luncheon for him while the Guv' pushes for these tax breaks for them. Pretty sweet, eh? Meanwhile, the losers? The Alaskans themselves who have to somehow make up for the lost tax revenue. That wouldn't be so bad except it comes from their schools and roads and bridges and sewers and such and so would have to likely be made up out of their own pockets. Alaska, if this flies, it sucks to be you. For that matter, with this political system, it sucks to be us. Link: http://www.themudflats.net/2012/03/27/dont-bend-over-alaska-soon-to-be-viral-video/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheMudflats+%28The+Mudflats%29

On the Keystone XL pipeline, eminent domain and a foreign corporation

Red'Arc Farm in Direct, Texas Photo courtesy of Julia Trigg Crawford

A farmer, a Texan, an American doesn't want to sell her land to a foreign, Canadian corporation for an oil pipeline. The corporation says if she, and lots of others, in several states, don't sell to them, they will take it by eminent domain. Not only is that not right, but their governments--their State and Federal governments should support her. This is reprehensible. It is unconscionable. "Small government," indeed. Not one government legislator in this entire nation should allow this. I would think it would fly directly in the face of anything and everything the Republican political party and all its adherents stand for. From what I understand, the Tea Party and environmentalists in Texas are on the same side of this issue, fortunately. As famously said in a movie, paraphrased, this should not stand. Link to original story: http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/02/texas-farmer-takes-transcanada

Senator Blunt says President Obama is "out of touch" on energy?

Senator Roy Blunt has an article in the Star today saying just that, that President Obama is "out of touch" on energy in the country. He's at least blatantly wrong, if not also full of chutzpah. To the Senator, then, I suggest these four articles, that I also put on the Star's comments section, as well as the Senator's Facebook page: 1) Keystone XL pipeline will not reduce gasoline prices: http://thegazette.com/2011/10/26/keystone-xl-pipeline-will-not-reduce-gasoline-prices/. 2) Would Approval of Keystoone XL Pipeline Lower Gas Prices? http://www.examiner.com/economic-policy-in-national/would-approval-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-lower-gas-prices. 3) This from yesterday: Keystone XL: White House Backs Portion Of Pipeline That Ships U.S. Oil Overseas http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/white-house-keystone-pipeline-ships-oil-out-of-us_n_1304509.html. 4) Eminent Domain Fight Has a Canadian Twist http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/18/us/transcanada-in-eminent-domain-fight-over-pipeline.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all. In this story, it shows how Americans are losing their own property, via Eminent Domain, so this very Canadian company can take their land for this, their pipeline. People in the states of Nebraska, South Dakota and Texas, to name a few. It's shameful. Then, finally, add to this that the very Republican Governor of Texas is also strongly against this pipeline. So don't tell us who's "out of touch", Senator Blunt, please. You clearly seem to have an agenda with your position and it doesn't look to be for the American people or, heaven knows, your constituents. If you really want to get lower gas prices for us, sir, put back on the control of energy speculation that used to be in our laws prior to 2000. THAT would help. In this way, companies and people couldn't artificially increase the cost of fuel just so they could make yet more profits for a small group, on the backs of the rest of us Americans. It hurts the finances of homes and businesses alike. Link to original story: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/28/3457514/as-i-see-it-on-energy-obama-is.html

And why do we give tax credits, subsidies and deductions to "Big Oil"?

"Big Oil" is literally the most profitable industry in the world. Why don't we stop this as soon as possible? In the first place, they are "most profitable" of any companies in the nation and world. Second, we need the tax revenues and third, if we really do use the "free market" Capitalist system, we shouldn't be giving them these anyway and finally, it could and would help wean us off this ugly fossil fuel that has us both polluting and, possibly worst, tied to the most unstable nations in the world. It all makes too much sense.

Possilbe war with Iran, like the war with Iraq

Here's hoping they'll listen this time.

$2.87/gal was apparently as good as it gets

Okay, so Christmas, 2011 gas was $2.87 per gallon. At least it was up here in the Northland and on the East side of the city. Now, today, it's back up to $2.99/gallon and is expected to go higher in the new year though it's lower on the international markets today, due to the Saudis saying they'd make up for anything we lose if the Iranians shut down the Strait of Hormuz. Who knows? Stay tuned. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-price-falls-saudis-trump-iran-threat-145636032.html;_ylt=AmHECaU3OViIVGuEdlIh4Rn99XQA;_ylu=X3oDMTRvaHE1dDVkBGNjb2RlA2dtcHRvcDEwMDBwb29sd2lraXVwcmVzdARtaXQDTmV3cyBmb3IgeW91BHBrZwMxZWU5ODJlOC02YmIyLTMwMmUtODA4Ni04ZGMyMzFiMWM5ZGIEcG9zAzIEc2VjA25ld3NfZm9yX3lvdQR2ZXIDMGI0MWIwYjAtMzE5OC0xMWUxLWFiZmYtNGFiOTU4MmM2Yjkw;_ylg=X3oDMTJ0am41dTRtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDM2ExMDUzZWYtNTVlNS0zZDM3LThiZDgtM2E5OTBhZWE0OTBjBHBzdGNhdAN0ZWNoBHB0A3N0b3J5cGFnZQR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

So many really bleak predictions

I have friends I keep in contact with, one way or another, through email or on Facebook (yes, that) and frequently they will make the point that we're on the verge of World War III or some such cataclysm. I tell you, it's frustrating. It's really dark, really bleak. News out today, yet again, seems to point that way for them, too, I must admit, in this form: U.S. Fifth Fleet says won't allow Hormuz disruption And today's warning is our repsonse to this: Iranian Official Threatens Military Drill Sealing Off the Strait of Hormuz The list goes on and on for these people of how we're all being set up for one more war, this one with Iran. Some say it will be WWIII. Others say it will be the end of the world. It is tiresome. And nihilistic. Can we not have hope any more? Can we not hope the right things will be done and that intelligence will prevail? Is that too much to ask? Sure, the world economies have gone to heck and there are major realignments all across the planet but if anyone knows anything about human history, it has happened before. Imagine life in 1917 Russia. Granted, now humankind has nuclear weapons capable of wiping life off the planet but can we not hope that cooler, calmer and more intelligent heads will prevail? I know I do. I refuse to be all "pollyanna" about the world but that doesn't mean I can't have hope. Sue me. Links: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/13/iranian-official-threatens-military-drill-sealing-off-strait-hormuz/; http://news.yahoo.com/iran-navy-chief-says-shutting-off-gulf-very-092339883.html;_ylt=AlX783MEMF0gglA.2MT8vwWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQ1ajE1M2NtBG1pdANTZWN0aW9uTGlzdCBGUCBXb3JsZARwa2cDYjBkYjY3ZmEtZTcwZS0zNWQ1LWE0ZmMtNWE5OTIyYTU1OGRkBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNNZWRpYVNlY3Rpb25MaXN0BHZlcgM1YjZhMmRlMC0zMTc3LTExZTEtOTZjZi1mNGNlYTExYmMwYzI-;_ylg=X3oDMTFvdnRqYzJoBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3