No way for kids to start life..

I refer not only to the kids who watched, saw what happened in front of the them yesterday at the Sandy Hook school, Newtown Connecticut, but to ALL kids everywhere who suffer because the people who have control over their lives are too stupid, too selfish, too greedy to care.

I am sorry but I can’t imagine what it must be like to hear rapid gunfire approaching. I simply can’t imagine what it must be like to be lead through where dead school friends are laid out on the floor.

I can’t imagine these scenarios because I never had to face them. Where I grew up, there was no right to bear arms. In the UK, there is no civilian right to carry a handgun, concealed or open. Since Hungerford, a civilian is not allowed to own a working handgun or an assault rifle.

There is no place in a civilised society for people to carry guns.

I can’t imagine what it is like to go hungry, to be ill or infirm without the hope of medical care, to have no parents to protect me and teach me how to survive.

It would be bad enough to have to go through any of the above at my age, but to put a small child through any of the above is mindless, selfish, stupid BEYOND belief.

What I can tell you is that I am glad that I lived in a gun free society, or as gun free as a society can be. I am glad that I never had to grow up fearing everything that moved.

Happy Bloody New Year..

.. to all of the selfish, greedy, thoughtless bastards who contributed to the global economic crash..

.. to all of the dictators who cling onto power by decimating their own people..

.. to all terrorists who hide behind religion, women, children and the elderly while they fire rounds indiscriminately at anybody they do not like.. 

.. to all politicians who knowingly lie through their teeth when they make promises to the people in order to get elected..

You have all done a great job thus far, and I don't doubt that none of you see fit to change your sleazy ways for 2009 and beyond..

Keep up the good work and we can maybe save a forest somewhere by not bothering to print diaries and calendars for 2010.. 

Remains of missing toddler, Caylee Anthony, identified..

Discovered in an area that was supposed to have been searched already, what is left of the toddler could have been found as early as August. Cause of death would have been easier to establish at that point. As it stands, cause of death can't be determined. This little girl is a victim of incompetence in life and after death. She has been failed by all upon whom she would have relied for a decent life.

Maybe it is better this way for her that she is free of the craziness.

Casey. the mother, has not spoken one true word about her daughter's disappearance since the story originally broke. Her capacity to fabricate is enormous. This can't be anything new, and the parents of this woman must have known that she NEVER ever tells the truth.

Cindy, the grandmother, has openly admitted to misleading the authorities. She and her husband now want immunity from prosecution before they will tell a straight story. George does as he is told, it is said.

What chance would this little girl have had of anything approaching a normal life? Any innocence she had prior to death would have been replaced by less than favourable qualities shown by her immediate family of late.

The local police chief is saying that there were thousands of 'leads', so it would be easy enough to 'lose' the three leads which would have lead to finding the body months ago. The police, professional searchers, mediums, all kinds of people had been looking for Caylee, but the three reports of a suspicious bag within a half mile of her home were obviously not properly followed up. Too busy; we looked there already; didn't want to get our feet wet; there was a snake there.

It is very sad that a little child's life has to end the way this one did, but people knew that not all was well, and the statements of morons who have appeared on TV interviews justifying dysfunctional behaviour is absolutely sickening.

Let's all live in La-La land and pretend that all around us is 'tangerine trees and marmalade skies'.

Nobody wants to take responsibility anymore. Caylee Anthony is not the first to die like this, and she will not be the last, and we have learned NOTHING.

Sit quietly for a minute, close your eyes, and pray in advance for the next child to be let down by society, because there is a child there in the wings with thousands standing in line behind.

Phantom Hope..

It is said that the world is warming up. As it does, animals like the Polar Bear will disappear because their habitat will no longer exist. It is difficult to imagine a world without the North and South polar icecap. One can't help but feel that something cataclysmic would happen along the path to total meltdown, something really BIG. If you think about it, the rising ocean levels swamping what are now coastal low lying areas is bad enough.

You may think that you are sitting pretty if you live on high ground, but you would soon lose that smug grin. Where do you think all of the people in coastal cities like Montreal, New York and London England are going to be displaced?

Who, exactly is going to pay for the removal of infrastructure away from the areas which will be hit hard? How and when will it be moved?

As the oceans rise, so does the level of water in estuaries, and what is attached to all estuaries? Yes, you guessed right. The small river not too far away from you is also going to rise. Today's fields, farms, golf courses, business parks and domestic housing areas are going to be lakes.

Wild animals, their habitat fast receding, will come into conflict with the escaping hordes from the large coastal cities, whose only interests will be getting someplace to live, be it on a high ground farmers field, or vast tracts of previously forested land, all of the trees about to be cut down to allow for space and building materials.

Fishing fleets will have nowhere to bring back catches unless they fix wheels to the fish processing plants and centres, so no more Sole Meuniere at your favourite restaurant, or cod and chips out of the paper while watching the waves gently roll up the beach.

Meanwhile, up on the high ground, you can't go out in the sun for longer than fifteen minutes unless you smother yourself in sunblock with a rating of '2000', which is probably just as well because there are marauding bands of displaced city dwellers looking to take what you have got, and I don't just mean the sunblock. Better to lock yourself in at night and maybe daytime too.

Living on what is left of the surface will be no cakewalk. Ecosystems contained under glass shields are still very much in the trial stages. Billions of dollars are being poured into space research, but space is a long way from here, and from pictures sent back of our sister planet Mars, unless we are in the market for red rocks and dust, there is not much hope coming out of the research at all.

In the meantime, billions of dollars are being spent on the war to decide whose god will ultimately save us. Salvation is in our own hands, yet we do not seem to have the mind set to realize it

I woke up this morning, still holding what I see a the glimmer of hope that life will improve, but as days pass, the glimmer is like the expectation of watching a forest burn in the belief that, when the flames are extinguished, it will immediately transform into the lush green that it was just before fire took a hold.

Out Of The Blue? I Think Not..

Kick up enough sand, and a sandstorm will follow. Kick up enough snow, and a snowstorm will follow. Kick up enough water, and a rainstorm will follow.

Do you see a pattern emerging here?

That's right. Kick up enough of anything, and a storm will surely follow..

Good Morning, Good Morning..

Americans still have some time to wait before they can dump their leader. Fortunately, the incumbent guy can't re-apply. However, they will need to pick the next President with care if they ever want respect from the world community again.

Open the box with care. There are no FREE gifts.

Benazir Bhutto 1953 - 2007..

Charismatic, educated, and the first woman to hold high office in an Islamic country, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan had huge popular support on her return to Pakistan. She put herself among her public, knowing only too well that she would be a target.

Embroiled in a financial scandal during her last term as Prime Minister, and with a none too clean record of Human Rights during that term, she was nevertheless an upholder of democracy in Pakistan, and seen as a stabilizing influence by leaders in the 'West'.

And Still There Are Some Who Maintain That Spelling Is Not Important..

Deer Sir,
I waunt to apply for the secritary job what I saw in the paper. I can Type real quik wit one finggar and do sum a counting.
I think I am good on the phone and no I am a pepole person,  Pepole really seam to respond to me well.
I´m lookin for a Jobb as a secritary but it musent be to complicaited.
I no my spelling is not to good but find that I Offen can get a job thru my persinalety.  My salerery is open so we can discus wat you want to pay me and wat you think that I am werth,
I can start imeditely.  Thank you in advanse fore yore anser. .
hopifuly Yore best aplicant so farr.
Sinseerly,
Peggy May Starlings
PS : Because my resimay is a bit short - below is a pickture of me taken at my last jobb.

It Has Been Done Before..

First flown in 1929, the British airship R101 crashed in bad weather over France on the morning of October 5th 1930, killing 54 people. At the time, it was the largest aircraft in the world at 777 feet. Its sister ship, R100, was decommissioned a year later.

The lift gas was Hydrogen, lighter than air but a little volatile to say the least.

The hangar where these two airships were built still stands at Cardington, England.

Did aviators learn from this disaster? No, they did not. The Hindenburg, 808 feet in length and only shorter than the SS Titanic by 78 feet, was started in 1931, but due to financial problems was halted and not resumed until 1935. May 3rd1937 saw the Hindenburg burst into flames, 36 people losing their lives. It too was filled with Hydrogen, but only because Germany was not allowed Helium by the United States, the only source at the time. It remains today the largest aircraft to ever fly.

It was at this point where it appeared to dawn on the world at large that maybe airships were not the way to travel. Aviators did learn this time, but the dream stayed alive.

No piece on airships would be complete without mention of the Goodyear Blimp. There have actually been 300 made since the very first in 1911. The current fleet are roughly 192 feet long, and are used as advertising and photography platforms. They are Helium filled and there has only been one crash, I think.

So, have airships finally found their vocation? Is the dream of a large luxurious airship gone forever? No, it hasn't.

The picture below is an artist impression of the next generation 'lighter than air' aircraft. The general idea is that it will enable 250 people to drift around in consummate luxury, much like R101 and Hindenburg attempted to do years ago. The questions are these. Even though the airship will be Helium filled, would you really want to drift around in an airship larger than most International airport buildings? Would you feel safe watching this thing pass over your house? This is Thunderbird 2 on steroids, a floating 'Canary Wharf'...

A Non-lethal Weapon?

Sixteen deaths in Canada, and one hundred and fifty deaths in the US alone, would suggest that the Taser is anything but non-lethal as claimed. Rules applying to the use of handguns do not apply to the Taser, other than there being some restrictions on how and where they can be carried. Most US states permit the sale of these weapons to the general public.

These weapons have the stopping power of a .357 Magnum. They fire two barbs which remain connected to the weapon by wires. The essence is that the weapon delivers a fifty thousand volt charge over a five second period via the wires and barbs.

The general public have a choice of the gun style as shown in the picture above, or a version which looks more like a flashlight, and in a choice of colors to match ones favorite outfit.


Make no mistake. Despite the claims of the manufacturer, these weapons can kill or be a major factor in the ensuing death of anybody unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end.

In The News..

More garlic?

A guy in Germany is serving a life sentence for practising cannibalism. He claims to be normal, and that he ate a willing candidate found on the Internet. The idea first came into his head after his mother read the story of 'Hansel and Gretel' to him. Well, chum, I remember the story too as will many others, but note how we have not gotten the urge to eat anybody.

It may placate you to know that human flesh is tough, bitter and tastes like pork according to this nut. There is a chance that he could be released after fifteen years as he is claimed not to be mad, but more disturbed. Make a note of today, and fifteen years hence carry a label with you at all times with the words 'Suitable for animal feed only', which you should pin on yourself very quickly in the event that you are approached by a lunatic wielding a knife, fork and spoon.

Alligator Alley

A guy in Florida has been sentenced to death for one failed attempted murder and one success. He befriended a woman and her young child through a church reach out organisation, but lost his cool after being asked to leave the woman's house. He left the house but took the woman and child. Having choked the woman to the point where she was unconscious, leaving her in a field to die, he then took the child to some water alongside Alligator Alley, and dropped her into it. The child was killed by an alligator.

The State will earmark this dude for death by lethal injection, but I think that the mother of the child should decide his fate. I know what I would pick for him, and I would ensure that they crushed more than his skull and remove one arm.

WMD? Do we have any?

Sir, yes Sir. We think that it may have been flown across the country, if the note from the other base is to be believed. Oh believe it for sure. A strategic bomber of the US Air Force flew across the country carrying six nuclear weapons of mass destruction and nobody was aware until the cleaners were sweeping out the airplane?

This is 'Homeland Security'? Guys, you are a greater danger to yourselves and the rest of us than ever the Iranian Black Guard will be.

Downrange

Never live close by a farm where they breed pigs and chickens. Never live at the end of a busy airstrip. It is way too noisy. Obvious choices of places not to live for sure, but you can add one more place to the list. A farm in Qatar had a patriot drop in from a US military base recently. Nope, not a flag waving soldier or a Qatar patriot. We are talking a Patriot missile, and Qatar is on the side of the US.

The powers at the US base are looking into it, and to make it easier for them, I have some advice. Ask which of the soldiers on the base pressed the button. It may speed up the process somewhat.

A New Writer?

Condoleeza Rice must have a new scriptwriter, because she has actually spoken of a great new idea to solve the Middle East Crisis. The idea is that we give the Palestinians a State all of their own. Yo, Condie, they already did have a place of their own, but Palestine was taken from them and called something else. The Palestinians have been making this point for years, and only now do you and the US Administration catch on?

Of course, the idea is good until one looks at a map of the area. The State of Israel is bordered by Syria, Jordan and Egypt's Sinai Desert. These countries will no more give up part of their territory than Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma would!!

There are still way more days of this administration left to run than there should be.

Broken Borders.. Broken Promises..

Making The Environment Look Better..

Are you ready?

1. Pick a narrow road passing through a pretty English village.
2. Sit in conference for weeks, months, years even.
3. Present the findings and plans to local residents.
4. Take steps to ensure that as few as possible learn about them.
5. Pass the plans regardless of any opposition.
6. Secure funding, and organise the work detail.
7. Tell the Public Works Department to start.

'Give way to oncoming vehicles'

A Job Well Done

Coal is in the news..

.. but for all of the wrong reasons. Coal mining, in fact any kind of mining, has always been a dangerous occupation, and we owe a great deal to the people who are prepared to do it.

Coal fuelled the Industrial Revolution, and is still the primary fuel used in the generation of electricity. A small coal fired power station can generate far more power than any other type. It is the most efficient fuel, and there is a huge stock of coal around. The problem is getting to it and then extracting it.

Coal is formed by the laying down of forests, fallen trees gradually covered over and compressed. By the very nature of where trees grow and the fact that they need a substantial layer of topsoil, the levels at which coal is found tend not to be too secure. Coal seams are trapped between what was once a relatively loose surface, and the extraction of coal renders the surrounding material back to its loose state quite easily.

Accidents are all too common in mines around the world, the fate of the six miners and nine rescuers in Utah and the one hundred and seventy two presently trapped in a Chinese mine adding to a long list of brave souls who risk their lives daily such that our lives are more bearable.

Below is a link to the mining history of just one small corner, but it will give you an insight into the lives of miners. Please take the time to look through the site, read the poems and stories of the miners from South Wales (Britain), whose lives reflect the life of miners worldwide.

http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/

Global Warming..

For those of us who have read about the Ice Age, global warming should come as no surprise. Where once there were glacier 'fingers' extending across most parts of the Northern Hemisphere, there are now cities, farms, industrial parks etc. The ice has undoubtedly receded over time. So what is the big deal regarding global warming now? Surely it is just a natural cycle running its course? To the North of me, large pieces of glacier are breaking off, but they always have, hence no glacier for a good few thousand years where I now live.

Weather patterns do seem to be different to when I was a child, and there also appears to be more seismic and volcanic activity now. Can this also be put down to global warming in as much as more heat at the surface raises the temperature at lower levels?

I live in an area where it is said that the ozone layer above is depleted. Is this why the black parts of my vehicle are looking decidedly 'bleached' to a grayish color? If the Sun's rays are doing this, what is the effect on other things? I do believe that our world is warming up, and that we and many other species will be, and in some cases already are adversely affected. What to do next?

Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, we have been on a path that seems to have speeded up the process of global warming. We are victims of our own success. It will not be easy to give up the spoils. Even the livestock herders of Mongolia put out the solar panels first thing in the morning so that they can watch TV. Theirs is the clean end. The company transmitting TV can't rely totally on solar panels for its power.

Wind power helps, but nobody wants the generators in their own backyard. Nuclear power substitutes one problem for another. Solar power is not overly effective in countries like Britain. Fossil fuel burning is of course a huge no-no. The use of cars, trucks, and airplanes is not helping the cause, but our reliance on them is so great.

There are ideas being thrown into the pot. The first is to put brakes on the developing world such that we can still maintain our own standards while appearing to be doing something about the problem. There are plans to put iron in the oceans which will promote algae growth, which in turn will consume Carbon Dioxide. There are designs for strange ships fitted with enormous upward facing tubes and gadgetry that will apparently help. A more arcane plan is to erect a sun shield in space.

Slowing the effects of global warming will be our biggest battle, and we will lose ultimately because our planet has been warming up for the longest time without any intervention from us. All we have done is reduce the time it will take for the warming cycle to run its course. We don't know just how bad it will all get, but one thing is for sure, the creation of mountains, valleys, gorges, lakes and oceans must have been cataclysmic and most definitely not conducive to easy living.

Monster Truck Madness..

.. turned into Monster Truck Mayhem after nine people were injured, two seriously, while watching an event organized by the NAPA auto parts store in Dekalb, Illinois.

These vehicles do shows around the country, drawing in crowds, very often 'all the family', who appear to get a sense of enjoyment out of watching a lumbering, clumsy, over sized four wheel drive 'truck' crush cars and smash through mobile homes/trailers. All exciting stuff, for sure. The picture above and to the right shows an event of the type seen in Dekalb.

The official shows are well organized, and the crowd is protected as well as one can, bearing in mind that these vehicles, huge tires, four wheel drive, engines around 575 cubic inches and fuelled by methanol can more or less climb any barrier or fence.

Many feel that anything to do with motor sports is just an accident waiting to happen, and it has to be said that an event of the type held in Dekalb, Illinois fits the description perfectly. No large arena, no proper protective barriers, and a crowd blissfully unaware of the danger, seeing only the 'excitement'.

Motor sport is dangerous for the drivers, pit crews, event marshalls, and spectators. When attending events, be aware of the dangers. Stand at a distance that you feel is safe, taking into account factors like how fast you could get out of the way of danger if infirm or when you have small children in your care. An 'out of control' vehicle does not recognize barriers, and there is very little that the driver can do about it. There are safety features built into racing vehicles, but they do not always work as well as they might, and rarely do they enable a vehicle to come to an abrupt stop.

In the Dekalb incident, what happened to members of the crowd was bad enough, but it could have been much worse, the vehicle having crashed through a fence, finally coming to rest on railroad tracks.

Next time you and your family go to a motor sport event, enjoy the spectacle, color, noise, but do it from a safe distance and apart from keeping your eyes on the action, keep your eyes on your family too.

Have a great day and may all go well for you.

Sink Holes..

Cavers love them, as do divers when they fill with water. Many occur naturally where Limestone is present, and are caused by underground water erosion. They also occur when we pump too much water from the water table, if there is leakage from man made water supply and sewage pipes, or as a result of deep mining.

They are a threat to homes and cities and also become a threat to water supplies if they fill up with water from rain. We sometimes use them as landfill, so worsening the effects of them filling with rainwater which then seeps into the water table we rely on so much for fresh supplies.
Sink holes vary in size, and can increase in size, a particularly bad trait if they occur in a city. This little beauty recently appeared in Guatemala City. It is said to be some 330 feet deep, twice as deep as the Statue of Liberty is tall. One has to wonder how the City authorities will deal with it. Worse still, will it increase in size? More could appear.

It is said that one hears rumbling before a sink hole creation. I would imagine that it is difficult to tell exactly where a sink hole will appear. One thing is sure, the people of Guatemala City will have to be very careful.

Purdue?

Purdue University has recently released a computer generated animation showing the second aircraft involved in the 9/11 Twin Towers incident. It attempts to show the kind of damage that the airplane would have caused as it travelled through the tower. Don't expect anymore than that. Maybe the hope is that we will watch it and convince ourselves that the damage suggested was enough to bring down the towers.

The University took experience from the work done back in 2002 on what happened at the Pentagon, and this is a computer generated image from that time. It leaves more questions than it answers. The initial damage seen at the Pentagon was a 16' diameter hole at ground level, presumably made by the nose of the airplane as it entered the building. The image to the right would put the entry hole further up the building than actual pictures of the day showed. The building did not collapse, as shown in the next picture taken on the day, until almost an hour and a half after the initial impact.

The engines would have left some kind of trail across the lawn, but they did not. The lawn was as pristine after the event as it was before. So why did trucks come in and dump gravel all over the lawn? What was being hidden? One obvious thing missing from any pictures taken on the day is airplane wreckage.

Purdue, what are you trying to tell us? Is the purpose of your computer generated images to re-enforce the 'official' line, are you trying to tell us something else, or just hedging your bets on whatever truth is finally revealed at some point in the future?

In Line With One Of The Most Arcane Theories Yet..

A reminder of the theory.. "The reason we start a war is to fight a war, win a war, thereby causing no more war!"

Apparently, the Bush administration is preparing to ask congress to approve arms sales over the next decade to States in the Gulf. This is an obvious first step. One can't realistically start a war without first appropriating the chattels of war.

The actual 'fighting a war' involves convincing the military and families that there is a just cause. Easy enough, one creates a just cause. Winning a war is a little more difficult and requires us to accept a level of collateral damage. Collateral damage has two forms, the innocent who get in the way, and the families of the 'heroes', those whom have been convinced that a war is justified.

I don't know about you, but I find the last part of the theory to be incomprehensible.

In the case of the 'War on Terror', collateral damage is proving to be something of a brickbat. Under normal circumstances, the 'loss' of some 30,000 troops would be a small price set against keeping the home population in line and on side. Unfortunately, the collateral damage has come to the attention of the home and international crowd because the damage is growing by the day, and with no end in sight.

What better way then, than to arm all of the Gulf States to the teeth and let them do the fighting. It is a tried and trusted method, well maybe not entirely trusted because arms were sold to Saddam Hussein and he didn't use them for the intended purpose. What a bad boy!!

Hopefully, the new lot will be more amenable to sticking by the rules, and we can all sleep safe at night again.

Tell me that there isn't a camera and crew around someplace. C'mon, this is all a joke, isn't it. Somebody is going to put their arm around me and tell me to look at the trash can. Yes, I see the camera now. You had me fooled for sure. NOT..

Little Wonder That He Looks Happy..

A lapdog for ten years, and now they are paying for his kennel? A trust fund set up for him by the US Government?

The thousands of families directly affected by the 'War on Terror' must really like this one. They are having to deal with the loss of a loved one, either through death or because the returning soldier is so physically and/or emotionally destroyed, and Blair gets a pukka post, having deserted his own government.

Thousands of Iraqis have died too, women, children, and all because Laughing Boy (in the picture) and his mates on Capitol Hill decided that they would go after Al Qaeda, the terrorist organisation they claim was responsible for 9/11. Iraqi civilians are dying because Al Qaeda were responsible for 9/11, ALLEGEDLY.

No, I didn't make a typo here. I'll pass it by you again, and you can see how close the spelling is.. Al Qaeda - Iraqi Civilians. See? Hardly any difference.

Blair, Bush and Cheney have yet to prove that Al Qaeda had any involvement in 9/11, lack of proof further backed up by the fact that they went after a completely different target, passing us off with the excuse that it had to be done anyway. These three have committed atrocities against their own countries, people, brave soldiers and against the people of Iraq who truly believed that the West wanted to help them. They gotten suckered in just like everybody else.

It must be heart warming for some that two of the three are still in power and that the third is being protected by them. For the rest of us, it sickens to the stomach.