not cool at all.

one oil rig platform has done this. Somehow the words, "We never thought this could happen" are not comforting. 5,000 barrels a day. Bravo.
Someone please step up and tell me how a hundred wind turbines can do the same amount of damage?



Bueller?


Bueller?

drill here drill now

Obama - this what you envision for the East Coast too?

How the hell can there be calm seas and no one can cap this thing? Did they not have a plan for this? Where is the oil company who owns the polluting rig? If that oil was gushing into people's back yards and homes they'd sort it pretty quick. Guess the homes of millions of animals just don't have enough monetary value to give a shit.

Better Days

there was a time when I would sit here, put on some good music, drink a bit of good wine and try to write something of significance with a bit of poetry and style. These days I hammer out hours as days evaporate closing in on my deadline of this Wednesday. The pressure has gone past what I would consider healthy. I've internalized much more than I should and it's beginning to take its toll. I realize I'm in a world of hurt and there is no way out but through the birthing process known as creativity. No artist is truly sane and sure as shit they aren't happy. But I like being happy so why can't I do both? Because it's not easy being creative when you have to do it on schedule, when the things that typically fuel your creative fire are long gone from the schedule and when sleep becomes the poor substitute for that fuel.

I realize that lately I only post negativity and bitch and moan about things out of my control - a clear sign that I have very little control in my own life right now - or at least that is how it feels. Remember Indiana Jones when he was running in front of the big round boulder - that's me but I don't look nearly as cool doing it.

This next week is going to be sheer hell for me as it was the moment I opened my eyes this morning. I is there waiting the second I get up and it goes with me to bed. It is tearing me apart and what was 'jason' has spilled out all around me from the torn seams. I'm sick of asking for more from everyone around me. It's always easier to ask a lot of yourself because for me, I'm very focused on the end result, the goal in mind and task at hand. But to ask of others - it's really getting old. I've asked so much from those working with me on the movie. From strangers from whom I need favors. I've asked over 24 people to help me bag Lance Armstrong and many tried but nothing panned out. It's all well and good to say, "I'm tenacious, I won't fail..." but when success hinges on more than what you can do yourself it simply isn't easy. No one likes an asshole and it's really hard to not become one these days.

I guess this is a bit of an open apology to those whom I have asked for too much, who have given what they can, and for a lack of creativity in my words these last many months. It's all going into the movie. I just hope its worth the pain. I really look forward to better days, when this suffering is over - then reacquainting myself with

myself.

Drilled here, now what?

Oil rig burns, collapses and early reports were that no oil was leaking.

Ahem.

Oil rig is for sucking oil out of ground. Rig explodes, probably no chance for safety valves to be pulled. Rig disintegrates in spectacular show of flames. Does it really take a rocket scientist to realize what is under the water is gonna leak? A lot?

High Seas? Can't contain it? Bummer. Now we have thousands of gallons spilling into the ocean, per day. Let me guess, is this Clean Coal's new brother? Clean Oil? If we don't see it leaking does that mean it isn't?

Guess not.
Drive less. Ride more. Evolve past Oil AND Coal. 'Nuff said.

Math

I was never good at it. Still suck at math. But even I can figure out that if we increase the MPG of each car sold in this country, we can much more quickly reduce our dependence on foreign oil than building new oil platforms off the East Coast, sucking more oil up, refining it and bringing that to the public.

And I can't wait to hear the beach-front home owning republicans (and turncoat Dems like Obama) change their tune from "Drill Here Drill Now" to "Get that leaking, sinking oil platform away from my McMansion!!!!"

And that's just how it goes. Outa sight, outa mind. Penny wise, pound foolish. And it comes back around to simple math once again.

Sounds like Good News to Me

Here is my perspective on the housing situation as reported on in this link.

I'm all for it. I hope the housing industry doesn't have more than 1% growth for the rest of eternity.

Why?
When there is "rampant" building it tends to be done without much consideration for how that building will effect the land. The majority of the industry is more concerned with bottom line profit than quality of life for all things where they build. Get it done quick and move on to the next job. Quick, quick, quick!!! We HAVE to make MORE MORE MORE. I personally despise the typical American model of development - paving countryside while letting our inner cities rot.

When there is "rampant" building inspectors tend to 'look the other way' at who is slinging the nails. I worked in the industry enough to know the cheapest labor is coming from points South of Texas so you end up with Miguel either sending his earnings South or bringing his wife and 10 kids North (usually the latter). He needs cheap housing, they all need health care and then they all expect to have jobs and education. The system is further strained. A status symbol to the construction minded is a huge TRUCK (see that the Ford F250 is rated one of the worst vehicles you can buy? Google it.) Now we need ATMs with Spanish options. Wonderful. I don't goto Ecuador and expect a job nor an ATM in English. So now Miguel is in debt with a POS truck, kids he uses as dependents against taxes, working for less than the guys playing by the rules and the lot of them aren't educated enough to care about the land Miguel's fast-growing employer is tearing up either. Speaking of the upper end, if they bitch about less than 10% increase in home building per year what is a good year? Do we need 20% increases in an industry to be considered healthy? Where does that leave us in 50 years? Up to our eyes in cheap McMansions that most dwellers can't even afford? Great future. Should we hope the weapons manufacturing industry grows 20% a year? How about Gun sales or alcohol sales? Is that really what we want in this country?

SO what's my point? LESS IS BETTER. When will people realize that building smarter, not just MORE is the way to go? Buildings can be recycled too. The only way our country will see a higher standard of living for more of the people who live here is to HAVE LESS PEOPLE HERE. Fish only grow to the size of their tank - why can't us humans take notes???????? Because we're all SOOOOO important and self-absorbed? Please.


When will people learn that LESS PEOPLE will equate to LESS PROBLEMS in -

oh


EVERY DIRECTION ... ? (crime, health care, education, traffic, land loss, pollution, global climate change, et cetera ad infinitum)

Ehhh, enough bitching. It's tough to go against 2,000 years of folks reading, "Spread over the lands and conquer them" I just wish folks would see they have & its time to take care of what is left.

So this is "Clean Coal" at its finest

Massey Energy told employees that if they miss work to attend the funerals they would be fired, workers said. A Massey worker, who did not give his name because he is afraid of losing his job, said that his coworkers were outraged that they were not given time off to mourn their friends and brothers.

Anger among workers is growing as reports pile in of the mass of safety violations at the mine, combined with government inaction. Many violations came at the same time that Massey was in implementing a sharp increase in production. Production figures for the mine show that the company had nearly doubled output-per-miner in the fourth quarter of 2009 compared with the third quarter. (See, “Miners doomed by collusion between regulators and coal companies”).

If you really need to read more, click here.
Not too many people dying from wind energy. Something to think about.

Hand Break

ok, don't really have time for this but I had to share. Talk about being one with your bike...


Story (and more gruesome photos) HERE.

Bicycling Magazine - May Issue

check it:

Bait and Switch

bought and sold (out)

Bernie