3 year old shoots and kills 1 year old

Yesterday 1 bullet to the chest, no details available, 3 miles from where I live.  Story in second (state & local) section, the top front page story was about a billionaire's woes.   On the editorial page, a very nasty letter to editor strutted threats to liberals who want to "take our freedoms" through oppressive gun laws, which we have none of here, in fact a week old law says you can buy a full blown machine gun, open carry, drunken stand your ground, etc.  Thus we enter our Bagdad phase.

Supreme Court gives EPA and Obama another victory

Other than Scalia and Thomas, the Kochs, 14 red states and power companies, everyone else won today.  People with lung or heart conditions won, kids and fishermen and birds too.  With only Scalia and Thomas whining in a nasty diatribe that the majority had taken away our freedoms with this law, the world won a hugh victory.   The only freedom lost was the freedom of corporations to shoot the sky over your downwind neighbors full of heavy metals and poisons.

The fight was EPA's right to control interstate pollution.  The coal fired power plant or refinery smoke made in one state pollutes the next state and they can't stop it, only the federal government could.    The decision says the EPA should continue forcing industry towards an end to it.

This is one more accelerant for transition to clean renewable energy like wind and solar, and to the great relief of downwind states.

Here are the states who pissed away their taxpayer money in a fight for the right to pollute.
The 14 states that sued the EPA along with numerous power companies over the rules in 2012 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) are responsible for over half of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide air pollution in the country.

Letter from Lt. Gen. Arlen Jameson

Dear Operation Free supporter:

Last week, at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, I toured the miltiary's largest solar installation. The 16.4 mega-watt system generates enough power to meet 35% of the base's total energy demand, providing greater flexibility and base energy security to support the overall mission.

As a former Lt. General of the Air Force, I am incredibly proud of what's happening at Davis Monthan. It's a remarkable achievement, and a clear example of the Pentagon's commitment to securing America with clean energy. 

And it doesn't stop there: across every service branch, the military is pursuing a strong renewable energy goal of deploying 3 gigawatts of clean power - enough to power 750,000 homes - by 2025. And with more projects like at Davis Monthan, the military is on track to meet that goal. 

This is a huge win for America's energy security. Share this graphic. 

V/r,

Lt. General Arlen "Dirk" Jameson
USAF, Ret. 

operationfree.net

awake ye scurvy dogs, I'll be tell'n ye more now

Tonight I attend and speak at a Legislative Forum.  State house Reps and Senators of both parties will hold a short round table then answer questions.  I will thank those who supported wind energy against the Kochs attacks the last 3 years and scold those who took money and voted for Koch's rather than 91% of Kansans who want more clean wind and solar energy.  And I will tell them about the vets working in renewable energy, employed at a 22% higher rate than in other sectors.    Today here are new threats from ALEC and Kochs that the GOP controlled state will still run the 3 times defeated bill through as an amendment to some unrelated bill, in the upcoming final session, so the fight is never won, we just lurch from one win against endless money and hired lobbyist to the next.

91%, that is so amazing, I don't know if you can get 91% to agree cancer is bad.

Get involved, be the change you want.

Brain Salad Surgery delayed.

I thought I would finish a week or two ago, but I returned to work more on the hair.  Next week I add eyebrows, smooth a bit around the hair line and cut the top of the head off, scoop out most the clay, then put her back together, smooth out the damage and leave it for the kiln operator, he will decide when to cook her, I might get her back in 2 weeks.

Who is for more smoke, more cancer, and taxing sunshine?

142,000 US workers are building and installing solar systems.  Coal uses 90,000 workers.  Not many people know these numbers.  

Military veterans suffer a high unemployment level, one bright point is they make up 10% of solar workers.  Solar employees 22% more vets than the average US business.

Next time you hear someone go off on the "war on coal", correct them.  It is a war against smoke, cancer, hotter summers, and a war for new and safer jobs.


Think about it, which one causes the most black lung, sensational deadly accidents, has taken government subsidies for generations, makes smoke, pollutes fishing and hunting areas, and which one do you have to set at the railroad crossing for when you could be somewhere else?

Monday, the Oklahoma governor (the state with the biggest energy rate increase in the nation, 20% in the last couple of years) signed a bill taxing homeowners who have solar systems.  Lets review; the sun that falls for free on your house is yours, pretty sure of that, you invest in your own system to turn your sunshine into your energy.  Now the state gives the government regulated monopoly the mandate to charge you for hedging against higher rates.  WTF?  This is the Koch's ALEC and Americans for Prosperity's doing, no secret, they take credit already for it.  What next, tax anyone who invests in efficient appliances and LED bulbs as they too will buy less energy from the monopoly.  This is an issue of freedom, freedom of choice, and where are the Republicans, blow jobbing big business.

Ever wonder how the recycle plant works?

Why was'nt Occupy Wallstreet met with the same Fox support as the Utah guns and cattle guys?

Did you know there are a couple dozen guys in the US making over 1 million US Dollars an hour?  There are 9 guys who each make more than 334,000 school teachers, there are a dozen or so making more than you (if you are median income) than you can in about 38 years at median income.  And,,,,,,,,they don't pay hardly any tax.   Check it out
http://billmoyers.com/2014/04/21/studies-of-bloated-ceo-pay-miss-the-fattest-cats-in-america/

and

http://billmoyers.com/video/#71448

Oklahoma starts with a zero, check this out.

Zero klahoma.  Yesterday the lady gov of OK signed in a new communist style central committee control law, it prohibits cities or countries from raising minimum wages.
Also, Monday the legislature showed up with a bill that did not go through committee or scheduling procedure, and voted without debate, and passed it, a bill to hammer home owners who invest in their own wind or solar generation system.  So much for the frontier spirit, this was a victory for the government regulated monopolies (utilities) and for coal and gas and Kochs who paid for it, yes paid for it.
If you live in OK, or just want to fight the Kochs and ALEC, call the gov office and say you want her to veto bill SB 1456.  Her number is 405-521-2342, or find her facebook, dump a message there.

$170,000, GMO labeling illegal in the US, this too will hit the fan.

Koch's have a congressman in Kansas, Mike Pompeo, receipent of more money from them than any other elected official in the house or senate.  Now, Pompeo has taken $170k in the last year or so from grocery firms, food manufacturers, ag businesses, and Monsanto to make it illegal to claim or label products as GMO free.  The name of his bill, "The Save and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2014".  Whats the goal, trash state GMO laws, keep manufacturers from selling GMO free products.  Pompeo says the current state laws allowing labels of "no GMO" or advertisements of same are confusing consumers, he just wants to help consumers, not producers, just us.  He claims GMO are safe, and by vague suggestions, conventional foods may not be as safe.

In a twist, or blunder, he claims one reason GMO is safer, not as many pesticides are used on GMO.  Well, well, my roots run through a lot of farms, and I see the chemical bills.  GMO corn for example may use a little less of one spray or another, but, they are engineered to be immune from herbicides such as Roundup, thus they are washed in these chemicals, and since weeds are so damn tenacious, the more Roundup we slather on them, the more survive it each year, leading to an arms race of chemicals on the farm.  Overall, I doubt we use fewer chemicals, less of one maybe, more of another.  The whole lets be safer by not using pesticides is kind of an admission by deniers that what we eat is washed in carcinogen's and gender bender chemicals, I mean didn't he just step in it here?

Some already call Pompeo's bill the DARK Act.  "Deny Americans the Right to Know", if passed this bill makes what we eat a secret, even Kashi cereal could be prosecuted for letting us know the corn flakes are GMO free.  At the farmers market a "hey buddy this sweet corn is GMO free", could land a gardener in jail.

http://www.credomobilize.com/petitions/tell-congress-don-t-prohibit-gmo-labeling

If you're confused by labels that say  "GMO free", maybe you are to fucking stupid to be shopping in the first place.  

GMO in its self doesn't worry me much, I mean what I eat of it.  But organic is the only safe from chemical food.  But GMO does something else.  It ties farmers to a very expensive seed, to be repurchased each year.  The patent prohibits farmers from saving these seeds, up until now, that was the only way the world saved seed, farmers kept some for next year, free seed, spread over the whole world, the safest widest preservation method, now that is being prohibited, the way humanity survived has been outlawed.  This too will hit the fan.

1,000 times more important than you think.

An independent study in Pennsylvania found methane levels up to 1,000 times higher than the EPA estimated recently.  The measurements were taken at about 3,400 ft. above ground level over a broad area of gas production.  Where levels were highest crews on the ground found pipelines and wells responsible. 

Methane is up to 20 times more destructive than CO2 in accelerating global warming.  Methane lasts about a century in the atmosphere, trapping much higher rates of reflected heat than CO2.  

Fracking companies, drilling rig & pipeline operators, local utilities, none do much to halt leaks.  In the field it is often vented or flared off rather than put into the system.  Driven by greed, but unable to see or care about the monumental volume of waste.  Some claim if they stopped all but 1% of the leaks and vents they would gain hundreds of millions in product volume.

Those who would promote natural gas as a cleaner fuel, 1/2 the carbon of coal, are mistaken, with the 1/2 of carbon you get fewer calories of energy, and every day another century of assured destruction of the climate.  

Today in Kansas a gas company is going to court asking for imminent domain over thousands of acres in 3 counties.  They want to force landowners into signing away their rights to gas for those resisting, and force a price on those willing who want "to much".  What other industry can do this?  Can WallMart go to court and force you to do business with them at their price?  

These are reasons we must exit the fossil fuel economy.  "Operation Free" (click that little shield on the left) are military vets, many of whom know first hand they fought a war in Iraq for oil, who believe national security will be enhanced if we have our own renewable energy sources, stop being the protectors of fuel lines in the middle east, stop global warming which will create more failed states.  If the US, the largest economy, switches to renewables and energy stingy factories, homes, appliances & cars, the whole world will switch, and we starve Russia from 100 million a day in natural gas, about that much in oil too, Iran too, and so on.  

Money in politics drive-by victim

I don't know if we can keep her alive until help arrives.

Phallic symbol on a mountain, and 7 things.

1) In Hawaii, at a mountain top observatory NASA monitors CO2.  Way out in the ocean, high up, clean clear air.  In the 1950's CO2 had already risen to 320, 350 was thought to be the safe limit, that was passed only a few years ago, we hit 400 last year.  In the last month it exceeded 400 a number of times, the most in 800,000 yrs.
2) California agriculture scientist set up a network of hoses in a wheat field weeping CO2 day and night to create a growing season with levels of CO2 as projected within 20 years.  The results: harvested protein levels are 3% lower.  With reduced protein in grains this will impact beer makers, bakers, the meat industry, and the nutrition content available to anyone that needs to eat.  So much for idiots claiming higher CO2 is good for us because plants need it.
3) Obama: A few weeks ago he bucked the Kochs and oil refiners and put in a rule on sulfur content in gas.  The auto industry was with him on this, they really wanted this one, unusual as they often side with oil.  The extreme reduction in sulfur content makes new energy efficient engines possible.  Tiny ports, pulse valves, none of this is possible with todays blend.  This means far less pollution from the fuel and increase in mpg with the next generation engines.
4) Obama: He also put in new mpg goal for large trucks. Oh but new energy efficient engines will cost $5,000 more is the cry.  Duh, and spending 20% fewer hours at fuel stops, and thousands a year less on fuel will make you more money and deliver freight sooner.
5) Obama: Also a new construction equipment fuel efficiency/exhaust standard.  Oh but......you know the cry.  Problem with this is construction and offroad equipment stays in service for decades.  This is fantastic news, but the dirty ones out there and still being sold the next 5 years will continue to pollute for a long long time.  But, clean air is coming, and it will save construction companies money over time.
6) Military Veterans are a little less than 5% of the workforce, but 7% of the workers in renewable energy fields, and almost 10% of solar workers.  More and more soldiers/sailors exit the military with the skills needed in wind and solar.  We will throw away a ready made workforce if we let the GOP stop our transition to clean energy for the fossil fuel industry that owns them.  Push back on those who erect barriers to more wind and solar in your state and city.
7) "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." Gandhi

Soon I will cut the lady's head open, brain salad surgery.

 This thing is getting heavy, thats a lot of clay.  Last night I put hair on her.  Next week I have 3 hours to finish the hair, add pupils and eyebrows and smooth it.  Then I cut cut it off at about the eye brows, straight through, lift off the top, hollow it out to about 1 inch thick and set it back on, blend the line so the cut line is gone, and done.  Then it dries a week or two and into the kiln.  Click on picture for a bigger view.    This was not modeled on anyone or photo, but a practice on various features, and exact proportions.  I think now I can make a recognizable bust from a photo or model.

teachers, KU, guns and wind, up against it part 9

1am Monday morning, the Kansas legislature adjourned, finished screwing teachers, we now have a fired on the spot law no review no appeal, and giving tax deductions for corporations giving money to private schools (as in where the CEO's kids go to school), and taking more money from the University of Kansas, KU, the GOP hate that university and have hammered it for years.
 They spent days crafting a law that ALEC will soon take to your state.  It destroys all city county township gun laws of any and every kind, and it will be against the law for same to lobby for a change in gun laws.  The GOP wants local control when you say "Feds", but will not allow locals any control, kind of like dictators do it.  Now we can carry guns anywhere except the state capital building and (I think) county courhouses, schools have about a year to either allow guns or hire guards and metal detectors.  Also now you can buy a full blown machine gun here, cause we all need one, cause freedom.  You can also stand your ground drunk and not face charges, get drunk, kill your sister, she was grabbing your bottle, maybe she wasn't going to drink it but hit you with it, so bam, fuck'n dead.  Police that confiscate weapons cannot destroy them, they must be auctioned off so other scum bags can recycle them into crime or accidents.  It is said to be the most wide reaching gun law in the nation, and it's headed your way.

OK, my main thing, protecting wind energy, you might remember we defeated the bill the 3rd time 10 days ago, but the GOP said they would bury it in another bill and get it passed this weekend, didn't happen, adjourned till April 30.  They will try it in that week or so they return to finish the session.  The Kochs don't give up easy.

leave tar sands carbon and toxins in the ground where Thor put it, to keep us safe

This is the tar sands north of Edmonton Canada. It started out as forests populated with deer, moose, reindeer, wolf, beaver, wolverine, bear, lynx, rabbit, flying squirrel, martin, weasel, chipmonk, birds, fishing lakes and clear rivers. The forest and meadows are stripped clean, animals killed by hired hunters, the land tortured by machinery so badly the scar is visible from space.  The bitumen (not oil) so toxic refining it takes great amounts of energy and produces the most toxic byproducts of any form of petroleum. Cancer rates of the work crews and people living near and downstream of this atrocity are climbing.  One doctor that publicized this was threatened and chased from the area. Valero, one of the refiners at the south end of the proposed pipe is going to refine it, and ship it out of country.  It will not increase our oil supply or our national security any more than me taking a shit does every day.  We get all the risk, the 1% get the wealth.  The environment there, here and where ever this crap gets sent will all get worse.  The pipe has already been bought, from India, not the USA.  There will be 1500 to 2000 jobs for 6 months to a year, after that the pipe runs remotely, a hundred max may be full time.  Not really a jobs program, more like a ticket to air pollution and eventually a series of spills in the US.

must see this, "years of living dangerously"

Documentary, today (Monday) it is free to watch on line

http://yearsoflivingdangerously.com/where-to-watch/

one hour, not a wasted hour, this is excellent

High Court gives nation to white billionaires, brave Thomas heads into text book fame

Yesterday the right wing court trashed more of the few campaign finance laws.  The "aggregate" limit.  Last time they said give all you want to PACS and lobbyist and action committees and run your own adds if you want.  But there was still an individual limit of $3,400 (?I think that's right) given to a Congressman or Senator, with an aggregate limit of about $34,000 (?I think).  So maybe not exact but it means you could only give to about 10.  But, that wasn't fair to billionaires, or the lowly millionaire who wants to play in the big times.  Nope, not fair at all.
Now, no limit.  You can give that $3,400 or whatever the exact number is, to every race in the nation for senate and congress.  Justice Sotomayor ran the numbers, a person (and corporations are people too) now can weigh in with almost $3.4 million every 2 years.
Who does this benefit?  The Republicans, and a couple thousand old white guys who will spend hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, every 2 years.  This will work, we may be headed for a Mexico type system, one party running the nation for a hundred years.

Clearance Thomas wrote his own opinion, shocking since he hasn't written but a few opinions, ever.  In it he said if he could, he would strike down all campaign spending limits, clearly an invitation.  His concern for the richest among above us will surely be recorded in Texas school books of the future as more courageous than the beaten and killed civil rights workers ever were.  Brave brave Thomas.

Vote with your shopping cart, avoid:

All energy potential

In TeraWatts.  Pay attention here!  The four balloons on the right, natural gas to coal, those are the potential for energy of the TOTAL AMOUNTS KNOWN.  The other balloons, are the potential for ONE YEAR, Every Year. Wind and solar, free fuel, investment up front, then free energy and a little for maintenance.

WTF, are we going to have to give rights for wind and sunlight to the Koch's in order to have clean energy?