Thursday, August 15, 2013

SAR #13227



People don't like to be shown the consequences of their actions.

Anubis: The Military leadership of the 'non-coup' that overthrew the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Morsi has declared a month-long state of emergency during which it will attempt to persuade the followers of the Muslim Brotherhood to either "listen to reason" or listen to gunfire - which has killed between 421 (government count) and 2,000 or more (the Brotherhood's number). Oh goodie, another uncivil war. 
 
Chapter 47: Fukishima operator Tepco, which has a history of incompetence, bungling and then lying about its incompetence and bungling, now plans to remove 400 tons of highly irradiated spent fule rods from the site and move them to a safer (sic) location. That's equivalent to 14,000 times the amount of radiation released at Hiroshima. It is an unprecedented action and, if things go wrong, could release vast amounts of radiation. And so far, damed little has gone according to plan at Fukishama. 
 
Go Stand In The Corner: BP is suing the US government for banning it from federal contracts in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Just because it caused the worst oil-related disaster in history doesn't mean it should be punished. 
 
On Average: One of the marks of the housing bubble was the decline of affordability of housing for average buyers. At one point in 2006, only about 40% of homes sold were 'affordable' by standard guidelines. Only 69.3% of homes sold in the April/June quarter were 'affordable', a significant drop from the first quarter's 78%, and an indication that the air is getting a bit rare now that the average home's price is $202,000 – still a bargain, realtors say.

And On The Eighth Day: Two things the Republicans would like you to know about global warming: God did it, and it's been over for 16 years. Say Amen. 
 
Public Enemy Number One: Today you are supposed to be worried about the slow economy, global warming, terrorism, NSA eavesdropping, population pressures, GMO foods and so on. But by 2024 the largest problems facing you will be pollution and water shortages. But not to panic, the tragedy can be averted if we invest $60 trillion over the next ten years. That's 10% of the entire world's GDP over that period and it's not going to happen. So put 'em on the list.

Warm-Up Question: Will the US pro try to protect pro-democracy activist in Bahrain? Does Bahrain have oil?

Picture This: Perhaps you'll grasp the size of the challenge presented by global climate change if you were told that the earth is gaining heat from the CO2 we keep dumping into the atmosphere at a rate equal to four Hiroshima bombs... every second. So what are we doing about it? Well, in the US, utilities are making very largel investments to keep the largest coal burning power plants running for decades, spewing millions and millions of tons of CO2 every years. Okay, now you know. Go back to sleep.

Immunity/Impunity: CACI International, which had a contract with the Department of Defense to torture inmates at Abu Ghraib prevailed in a lawsuit brought by four survivors, on the grounds that they were acting for the King and could not be sued under terms of their contract with the military in Iraq. They did not deny the alleged torture, just that they couldn't be sued for doing what they were paid to do. The court agreed. It's what passes for justice. 
 
A Sense Of Scale: In NYC it can cost $35,000 a year to send your child to school pre-kindergarden day care. A bargain, when Harvard costs $38,891 a year. If you are not one of the 1%, you can get a loan that is interest-only (at 6%) until the kid graduates from kindergarten. 
 
Hider Education: Purdue University, a state run public institution now under the thumb of former Governor Mitch Daniels, is known for its engineering, agriculture, business and censorship programs, especially in the field of banning books. In recognition of his leadership by example, in urging the banning of Howard Zinn's classic A People's History of the United States, an informal book-burning will be held in fornt of the president's residence at Purdue, as part of the Republican drive for appropriate education in the land of the somewhat free and the home of the cowed. 
 
Be Careful What You Wish For: An Arizona man insisted that his wife learn to use a shotgun, even though she repeatedly said she did not want to. He insisted she pick it up. She did, it went off, he's dead. Happy, but dead.

Porn O'Graph: Four More Years?

The Parting Shot:

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