Crumbling Bridges & Broken Promises

When the rest of the world, no longer regards the current US president as the Leader of the Free World, it subsumes any efforts to get anything of a political agenda enacted. Of course, filling the political obstacle course with self-created rotting infrastructure and unethical people potholes is not a recommended strategy either.

Let's recap some lowlights from under the bridges: Attorney General, then in role of White House Counsel, rushes to hospital bedside of sedated AG Ashcroft to gain already denied authoization to continue to wiretap illegally when acting AG Comey refused. Then Alberto Gonzales, now USA's Chief Law Enforcement Officer (pick one - or two) lies/cannot recall/forgot/didn't know/a minion did it before Congress multiple times, now seeks his powers expanded to handle the nation's wiretapping. Congress is considering perjury charges after FBI director rebuttal of AG's testimony. President Bush is pushing hard for expanded wiretapping powers. Vice President Cheney's chief of staff and President Bush's Special Assistant perjures himself and lies during investigation of outing covert spy, then president commutes Libby the Liar's sentence because punishing him was too harsh. President Clinton was merely impeached for said "infraction".

Then a bridge collapsed. What a metaphor. Did the bridge that Clinton built to go into the 21st century collapse? Did candidate Bush's professed ability to unite suffer a catastrophic failure or was always just a solo span bridge of his own entitled opportunity? Did the president acknowledge that he failed to read his presidential daily briefing of August 6, 2001 that said Bin Laden determined to attack because he was on vacation again at his beloved (once a pig farm) ranch in Crawford, Texas?

Did the USA's infrastructure of roads, bridges, and water receive scant US government attention because American billions were spent foolishly in Iraq with so little to show for so much spilled blood and treasure? Did the bridge to economic security pull up after all of the rich people got to their side of the bank - because Bush ensured his billionaire base received tax breaks in a time of war? Was the solid bridge of trust in any US president irrevocably vaporized for Americans because New Orleans, Louisiana was the scene of administrative and government incompetence by a Bush appointee who's experience for managing natural disasters was at an Arabian horse farm. Your doing a heckuva job, Bushie!

After repeatedly saying science was wrong about Global Warming, insert no signing of Kyoto protocol, Bush is convening a get together in September to discuss an issue he long denied, but now says he wants to set up a solution after Kyoto expires. Ugh. The United Nations is trying move faster on getting a treaty agreement on emissions, while the Bush administration plays beat the clock on the end of his presidency. A symbolic leadership effort by the White House on an issue critical to Earth's future while also demanding expanded ability under FISA to give his deficient Attorney general expanded wiretapping powers. Vice President Cheney remains unrepentant on trumping up a 9/11 connection for war with Iraq while loudly banging to do something about Iran. Houston, we have a credibility issue...

Former Bush insiders dish the dirt in a variety of books telling the sad tales of truth. Paul O'Neil is a partcipant in the book The Price of Loyalty by R. Suskind telling numbing details from the beginning. A spectacular book being made into a film, Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke is a must read. Republicans are rushing for the exits and penning their own mea culpas.

August 2, 1939 A Historic Day

Two events on that specific date make it possible for you to read this. Neither, in my mind, is more important than the other.

Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, catapulting America into action warding off stockpiling of uranium by enemies of the state. Uranium was and is critical to the making of a nuclear device, especially a bomb. Albert Einstein, at the behest of other scientists and scholars made it clear that uranium was the active ingredient to set off a chain reaction. They were using the fabled formula E=mc2.

Einstein writing that letter is credited with pushing the USA to work speedily via the Manhattan Project to beat the Germans and others working on an Atom Bomb in secret. Einstein came to regret that letter, not because of America's actions, but because it set off the arms race of the nuclear age. He was a committed pacifist, suspected by his adopted country; America, and wanted no parts on working on weapons of mass destruction.

The second event that happened that day was the birth of my mom. It is her birthday. I wish her much love, peace and happiness in the years ahead. She works hard, gives of herself and makes life better for others in all the great ways she knows how. I am glad she is my Mom. I love her very much and thank her for all of her sacrifices and things she has done in a life well lived. Happiest of Birthdays, Beloved Mom!

There are no books about my Mom, but there should be. To me, both are fascinating people. Mom's hair is white, but under control. Einstein, ever the gracious definition of a totally warped space time continuum bad hair day.

There are books on Albert on the wide range of his life and his interests. Einstein is captured in a lively biography dedicated to his years in Berlin by Thomas Levenson entitled, Einstein in Berlin. Denis Brian offers a lifetime review with Einstein: A Life.

Climate Change & Global Warming

Intense forest fires in Siberia that range mile after mile, (or kilometer after kilometer), increase the effects of Global Warming contributing to Earth's Climate Change; creating droughts and destroying ecosystems. The indefensible non Kyoto-signing US leads in carbon emissions, creating more global warming. Asia has brown clouds casting a fetid pall over the Earth as the clouds roam about all of our skies. Underdeveloped countries trying to catch up or get their slice of the economic pie, throw their share of pollution into the atmosphere. No one is blameless and everyone suffers from the effects of Climate Change caused by Global Warming.

The UN is trying to synthesize a plan of action everyone can agree upon. That is a Herculean task. Action devolves into an international version of one of the committees on committees needs 13 forms of approval to discuss the following items before they can make a pre-agenda. Each nation, continent or kingdom is trying to come up with plans. Bureaucracy, blame and protectionism are powerful gatekeepers from getting to the hard work of making appreciable differences fast enough to make necessary changes before the devastation caused by Global Warming can be off set by our collective affirmative actions.

The question is who is the global leader that will make a difference, now.

BP Approved to Dump Mercury in Lake Michigan

Mercury in fish is a terrible thing for the fish and for the unwary hungry eater. Government approval to allow a British oil corporation to continue to pollute one of the world's largest fresh water lakes is a tragically flawed and a morosely ironic environmental debacle. To allow one state, Indiana, to make a decision(override objections) that affects adjoining states on Lake Michigan and Canada is the height of hypocrisy for those dedicated to restoring Lake Michigan's environment and preserving its ecosystem.

Clean drinking water comes from the Lake Michigan for the residents of Chicago. The EPA, known for life-threatening falsehoods about air quality at 9/11's Ground Zero, issued a date of 2012 before British Petroleum (BP), the corporation, must meet federal standards. Gee, thanks. Water is becoming more vital and the USA has one of the world's largest supplies of fresh water, if preserved and protected from exploitation.

My childhood was spent growing up right on the shores of Lake Michigan, which makes it personal. Already suffering from a drought, low water levels, pollution and species of fish not indigenous to the area, BP is adding mercury and other harmful pollutants. The corporate lackeys claim the amounts would dissipate in the water. Congress has their phones ringing off the hook about this absurd decision by the state of Indiana - that has its own issue with an absurd number of imperiled water sources due to pollution, and they should receive more, a lot more. Michigan in protecting its own bottled water industry received a waiver from the Great Lakes Water Compact signed by eight governors of surrounding states.


To learn more about the Great Lakes and the escalating water wars, read the incredible book outlining what and why this is happening with the inability to craft solutions that do not economically cripple their own areas - but it will hurt someone else's. The book is aptly titled, The Great Lake Water Wars by Peter Annin.