Heralding in a new era of food safety, President Obama has formed a
Food Safety Working Group to "upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century".
The appointments of former NYC health chief, Margaret Hamburg as new FDA commissioner and Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore’s health commissioner, as deputy were praised by the American Health Association. The [hopeful] approval from Congress of $1 billion in funds to regenerate a formerly impotent FDA and the Agriculture Department’s new rules banning all sick or disabled cattle for consumption, is another example of President Obama’s forward thinking in an effort to undo past wrongs.
“There are certain things only a government can do”, Obama said. “And one of those things is ensuring that the foods we eat, and the medicines we take, are safe and do not cause us harm.”
If some of the more paranoid, aluminum-foil-hat crowd fear this is yet another example of Big Brotherism, then all I can say is: We’ve been too long without this Brother.
March 16, 2009
"Old" Pressure Treated CCA Lumber Isn't Safe Either
Many people are under the misconception that using "old" (an ambiguous age determination) CCA (Chromium Copper Arsenic) pressure treated lumber in a building project that would (a) come in contact with children and pets; or (b) come in contact with edibles, as in construction of a vegetable-garden bed enclosure; or (c) a compost pile is acceptable because they think the arsenic has either leached out of the lumber after a point or by placing it a pre-determined distance from edibles, the arsenic won't affect growing vegetables.
Wrong.
There are numerous sources of information out there on the Internet for people to research if exposing their families and themselves to inordinate measures of inorganic arsenic is important to them. Inorganic arsenic is synthesized as opposed to naturally-occurring organic arsenic found in water, soils, etc. This information sheet about CCA lumber also includes the EPA's "acceptable" limits of arsenic exposure. ( I usually take those EPA recommendations and halve them.)
Sadly, too many people are either too lazy or find it confusingly mind-boggling to type a few words in a dialog box on a search engine, like Google, and hit "Search". I fully admit I was more than a bit befuddled by this thing with the blinking cursor but I soon realized one didn't have to become a computer nerd to type and hit a key. I digress.
"Old" pressure treated lumber is perhaps as deadly or at least unfriendly as "new" pressure treated lumber. Thankfully, as of a few years ago, there is no longer any "new" pressure treated or CCA lumber being produced because the EPA in it's infinite wisdom(?) finally outlawed it, recognizing its arsenic-leaching potential as hazardous to health. Studies (again, look them up) have found that once the lumber begins to break down, the pressurizing which encapsulated the arsenic becomes compromised, thus releasing all that was soaked into the lumber....into the soil and more easily onto unsuspecting little hands and paws.
An excellent paper on this is from Dr. Linda Chalker Scott of Washington University, which you can read here.
When dealing with these "old" timbers people are also of the mindset that if they dispose of them (please, please do not burn these carcinogenic creations) that they will wind up in a landfill and spread their poisons there. This is quite true. Therein lies the conundrum of what to do with the stuff. Having been in that same place and faced the same predicament, I found other uses for them which were as out of harm's way as possible and certainly no where near my vegetable garden. One can be creative. After all, that's one of the finer points of being an organic gardener: working out safer methods to otherwise hazardous problems.
Wrong.
There are numerous sources of information out there on the Internet for people to research if exposing their families and themselves to inordinate measures of inorganic arsenic is important to them. Inorganic arsenic is synthesized as opposed to naturally-occurring organic arsenic found in water, soils, etc. This information sheet about CCA lumber also includes the EPA's "acceptable" limits of arsenic exposure. ( I usually take those EPA recommendations and halve them.)
Sadly, too many people are either too lazy or find it confusingly mind-boggling to type a few words in a dialog box on a search engine, like Google, and hit "Search". I fully admit I was more than a bit befuddled by this thing with the blinking cursor but I soon realized one didn't have to become a computer nerd to type and hit a key. I digress.
"Old" pressure treated lumber is perhaps as deadly or at least unfriendly as "new" pressure treated lumber. Thankfully, as of a few years ago, there is no longer any "new" pressure treated or CCA lumber being produced because the EPA in it's infinite wisdom(?) finally outlawed it, recognizing its arsenic-leaching potential as hazardous to health. Studies (again, look them up) have found that once the lumber begins to break down, the pressurizing which encapsulated the arsenic becomes compromised, thus releasing all that was soaked into the lumber....into the soil and more easily onto unsuspecting little hands and paws.
An excellent paper on this is from Dr. Linda Chalker Scott of Washington University, which you can read here.
When dealing with these "old" timbers people are also of the mindset that if they dispose of them (please, please do not burn these carcinogenic creations) that they will wind up in a landfill and spread their poisons there. This is quite true. Therein lies the conundrum of what to do with the stuff. Having been in that same place and faced the same predicament, I found other uses for them which were as out of harm's way as possible and certainly no where near my vegetable garden. One can be creative. After all, that's one of the finer points of being an organic gardener: working out safer methods to otherwise hazardous problems.
"Faux-Organic" Or "The Art Of Greenwashing"
As more and more greedy entrepreneurs slither into the organic market, it was inevitable the word "organic" would come to be synonymous with "100% USDA Organic-Approved". In order to legally attest to that claim, a product must bear the little green and white circular logo symbolizing its certification by OMRI (Organic Materials Review Board) using the standards set by the NOS (National Organic Standards/Substances).Organic Labeling
Consumers are historically duped by misleading claims and customized marketing (*see: enhanced-to-downright-phoney*) to target specific consumer desires. But now, it's entered the organic market. No longer a niche consumer group, the word "organic" or "natural" on a product can mean big bucks for any manufacturer who can spell the words. Nowadays a well-intentioned consumer must not only read a label's nutritional information but must be alert to products claiming to be "100% Organic" or "Natural"...and learn to interpret those claims. Not all that glitters "organic" is organic gold.
An excellent aid for consumers to research food labels and products they currently have at home is Greener Choices Eco Labels
Originally, the USDA National Organic Program required that all substances used in organic production meet National Organic Program standards. The USDA has since narrowed the definition of "substance " to "ingredient used in organic production". Basically, what this means is that: if a substance used in processing should leave or cause to leave organically-unapproved or even questionably toxic residues - and that residue is not actually an initial, intentional ingredient in the final product - that potentially toxic residue does not have to have USDA approval. In other words, it gets a pass. Albeit a pass through the back door of regulations, but a pass nonetheless which is "passed" on to that unsuspecting, unknowing, well-intentioned consumer. It's not all that dissimilar to the obfuscation of "free-range chicken" definitions which allows that as long as a chicken has access to a 4x4 outdoor enclosure for 10 minutes a day, it’s considered “free range”. You could cram 500 chickens into a 4X4 enclosure, open a window and make that claim and still get that "free-range pass".
Is it any wonder, then, why so many small & large family organic, sustainable farms have regretfully abandoned the USDA’s organic certification because of the whoring of true organic criteria and More diluted standards.
"Natural" doesn't mean it's good for you. Many "natural" elements or plant-derived products can be quite toxic. Cyanide is natural, but I wouldn't want it in my morning coffee. This is yet another misuse and abuse by greedy greenwashers of a common term meant to dupe an unsuspecting public.
"Organic" simply means "derived from living matter". Yet it has become a commonly accepted colloquialism to mean: "grown without chemicals or synthetics"..as in 100% Organic Approved. This wolf is very well concealed in greenwashed-sheep's clothing thanks to that common consumer misconception and the deceitful profiteers who promulgate it. Add to that alleged "organic" magazines and venues which promote products like Scotts Miracle Gro Organic Choice as a true organic alternative. Neophite organic gardeners often look to these sources for guidance and that guidance can - at least - be quite questionable. People should never stop asking questions. If they do, that's how lemmings are born and we become a nation of "sheeple" (*sheeple: People who flock and herd together and blindly follow a dominant leader* ). Sure maybe Scotts MG OG may be an improvement over regular ole Miracle Glop (which isn't saying much). However, for as long as I can remember, organic advocates and leaders have held companies such as Scotts and Monsanto in the lowest possible regard and consistently decried their synthetic/chemical agendas. So it would seem that their support and advocacy should be better spent toward other up-and-coming companies with less nefarious pasts and true organic ideals. But...as with so much in this world, it's ultimately all about the money. And big companies like Scotts brings in big advertising bucks. End of story.
Consumers are historically duped by misleading claims and customized marketing (*see: enhanced-to-downright-phoney*) to target specific consumer desires. But now, it's entered the organic market. No longer a niche consumer group, the word "organic" or "natural" on a product can mean big bucks for any manufacturer who can spell the words. Nowadays a well-intentioned consumer must not only read a label's nutritional information but must be alert to products claiming to be "100% Organic" or "Natural"...and learn to interpret those claims. Not all that glitters "organic" is organic gold.
An excellent aid for consumers to research food labels and products they currently have at home is Greener Choices Eco Labels
Originally, the USDA National Organic Program required that all substances used in organic production meet National Organic Program standards. The USDA has since narrowed the definition of "substance " to "ingredient used in organic production". Basically, what this means is that: if a substance used in processing should leave or cause to leave organically-unapproved or even questionably toxic residues - and that residue is not actually an initial, intentional ingredient in the final product - that potentially toxic residue does not have to have USDA approval. In other words, it gets a pass. Albeit a pass through the back door of regulations, but a pass nonetheless which is "passed" on to that unsuspecting, unknowing, well-intentioned consumer. It's not all that dissimilar to the obfuscation of "free-range chicken" definitions which allows that as long as a chicken has access to a 4x4 outdoor enclosure for 10 minutes a day, it’s considered “free range”. You could cram 500 chickens into a 4X4 enclosure, open a window and make that claim and still get that "free-range pass".
Is it any wonder, then, why so many small & large family organic, sustainable farms have regretfully abandoned the USDA’s organic certification because of the whoring of true organic criteria and More diluted standards.
"Natural" doesn't mean it's good for you. Many "natural" elements or plant-derived products can be quite toxic. Cyanide is natural, but I wouldn't want it in my morning coffee. This is yet another misuse and abuse by greedy greenwashers of a common term meant to dupe an unsuspecting public.
"Organic" simply means "derived from living matter". Yet it has become a commonly accepted colloquialism to mean: "grown without chemicals or synthetics"..as in 100% Organic Approved. This wolf is very well concealed in greenwashed-sheep's clothing thanks to that common consumer misconception and the deceitful profiteers who promulgate it. Add to that alleged "organic" magazines and venues which promote products like Scotts Miracle Gro Organic Choice as a true organic alternative. Neophite organic gardeners often look to these sources for guidance and that guidance can - at least - be quite questionable. People should never stop asking questions. If they do, that's how lemmings are born and we become a nation of "sheeple" (*sheeple: People who flock and herd together and blindly follow a dominant leader* ). Sure maybe Scotts MG OG may be an improvement over regular ole Miracle Glop (which isn't saying much). However, for as long as I can remember, organic advocates and leaders have held companies such as Scotts and Monsanto in the lowest possible regard and consistently decried their synthetic/chemical agendas. So it would seem that their support and advocacy should be better spent toward other up-and-coming companies with less nefarious pasts and true organic ideals. But...as with so much in this world, it's ultimately all about the money. And big companies like Scotts brings in big advertising bucks. End of story.
March 4, 2009
So, Who's That Anti-Christ Again?
So, President Obama is being crucified (no pun intended) as the Anti-Christ, Satan, comparable to Hitler and Obama's younger supporters dubbed "similar to the Hitler youth movement" by the pathetic remnants of the right-wing, ultra conservatives, still hanging on by their crooked, hypocritical little thumbs (which they've obviously had up their asses for eight years while Bush et. al ran the economy in the crapper).
You think they'd have thought up better material after those eight l-o-n-g years.
My sincerest hope (beyond the success of President Obama's efforts to undo the harm done by his predecessor and his predecessor's corrupt lackeys) is that the Neo-Con-Right-Wing-CPACers hoist themselves by their own evil-spirited, sore-loosing petards. Besides, isn't a successful emergence from this economic debacle via President Obama's efforts a success for the entire nation? Or is that too much of a "Duh"! for the naysaying, bitching and moaning Republicans to wrap their heads around? And if they're going to poke holes, then what have they got to fill them up? ****sounds of crickets chirping****
Fortunately, however, they're going about shooting themselves in their own feet in the best way possible. They're still retaining Fox News (?) as their media cheerleaders and the cherry on the cake is they've elevated Rush Limbaugh, a drug-addicted, former disc jockey, as the Republican Party's standard bearer. Limbaugh: The modern-day Morton Downey, Jr. and Joe Pyne. Remember them?
To his credit, RNC's Chairman, Michael Steele (aka: the Republican's token Obama-wannabe) initially decried Limbaugh's pontifications and history of slurs and dismissed Limbaugh's 'alleged' elevated Republican Party status identifying him [Rush] as a mere "entertainer". But he soon recanted after Russssssssshhh ripped Steele a new one on his radio show the following day. No doubt accompanied by self-flagellation and much genuflecting at the chubby knees of Mr. Limbaugh, the now-humbled and reamed out Mr. Steele's fell on the Republican Party public relations' sword, begging forgiveness of The Big Cigar-Mouthed Lout for (as he said): 'misspeaking'.
Performing the ever-popular political cop-out ploy-tap dance, Mr. Fetchett...er....Steele mewled: "I mis-spoke. That wasn't what I really meant to say". Which is ass-covering-p.r. code for: "I guess I didn't realize the nationwide clout this asshole has. So I'd better lean over (as Rush has suggested to so many Democrats) and pucker". Hypocrite? Yes. Pathetic? Oh, yeah. I wonder what Mr. Hughley thinks of this man he claimed to have great respect for after that initial interview? Hey, D.L., I believe the term you might be looking for is: Uncle Tom.
See the initial Michael Steele/D.L. Hughley interview and Steele's mea culpa: HERE
The elevation and status afforded this "entertainer"(that's debatable) hack as a spokesperson for a large, influential cadre of our citizenry is about as ludicrous as Joe The Plumber running for V.P on a Sarah Palin ticket in 2012.
Oh My God! The Horror!
You think they'd have thought up better material after those eight l-o-n-g years.
My sincerest hope (beyond the success of President Obama's efforts to undo the harm done by his predecessor and his predecessor's corrupt lackeys) is that the Neo-Con-Right-Wing-CPACers hoist themselves by their own evil-spirited, sore-loosing petards. Besides, isn't a successful emergence from this economic debacle via President Obama's efforts a success for the entire nation? Or is that too much of a "Duh"! for the naysaying, bitching and moaning Republicans to wrap their heads around? And if they're going to poke holes, then what have they got to fill them up? ****sounds of crickets chirping****
Fortunately, however, they're going about shooting themselves in their own feet in the best way possible. They're still retaining Fox News (?) as their media cheerleaders and the cherry on the cake is they've elevated Rush Limbaugh, a drug-addicted, former disc jockey, as the Republican Party's standard bearer. Limbaugh: The modern-day Morton Downey, Jr. and Joe Pyne. Remember them?
To his credit, RNC's Chairman, Michael Steele (aka: the Republican's token Obama-wannabe) initially decried Limbaugh's pontifications and history of slurs and dismissed Limbaugh's 'alleged' elevated Republican Party status identifying him [Rush] as a mere "entertainer". But he soon recanted after Russssssssshhh ripped Steele a new one on his radio show the following day. No doubt accompanied by self-flagellation and much genuflecting at the chubby knees of Mr. Limbaugh, the now-humbled and reamed out Mr. Steele's fell on the Republican Party public relations' sword, begging forgiveness of The Big Cigar-Mouthed Lout for (as he said): 'misspeaking'.
Performing the ever-popular political cop-out ploy-tap dance, Mr. Fetchett...er....Steele mewled: "I mis-spoke. That wasn't what I really meant to say". Which is ass-covering-p.r. code for: "I guess I didn't realize the nationwide clout this asshole has. So I'd better lean over (as Rush has suggested to so many Democrats) and pucker". Hypocrite? Yes. Pathetic? Oh, yeah. I wonder what Mr. Hughley thinks of this man he claimed to have great respect for after that initial interview? Hey, D.L., I believe the term you might be looking for is: Uncle Tom.
See the initial Michael Steele/D.L. Hughley interview and Steele's mea culpa: HERE
The elevation and status afforded this "entertainer"(that's debatable) hack as a spokesperson for a large, influential cadre of our citizenry is about as ludicrous as Joe The Plumber running for V.P on a Sarah Palin ticket in 2012.
Oh My God! The Horror!
February 18, 2009
Recall Of Pet Foods Containing Tainted Peanut Ingredients
Just in case you thought the latest recall of peanut products was solely restricted to human consumption foods, think again. Pet foods, of all kinds, can contain some peanut ingredients. This was news to me and maybe to many others.
So here's the latest list of all pet food that's been recalled (or if not, as a responsible pet person, you should remove it from your animal's menu). The list is compiled by the FDA and comes here through the courtesy of The Humane Society's web page:
Peanut Ingredient Pet Food Recall
So here's the latest list of all pet food that's been recalled (or if not, as a responsible pet person, you should remove it from your animal's menu). The list is compiled by the FDA and comes here through the courtesy of The Humane Society's web page:
Peanut Ingredient Pet Food Recall
February 1, 2009
A Fish For Life
When George Costanza's fellow marine biologists aren't removing Titleist golf balls from whale's blowholes, they've been preoccupied with discovering a species of hydrozoan or jellyfish-like aquatic organism they're dubbing "The Immortals"
Not to be confused with a 1950's doo-wop group or CGI-generated Xerxes horde battling the 300 Spartans, these "Immortals" are so named because they can live forever by virtue of the fact that they can reinvent themselves in younger and younger form only to die if they are eaten. Not unlike Joan Rivers.
This regeneration and ability to revert to its juvenile form occurs only after each completion of successful mating. Not unlike Hugh Hefner.
Scientists and doctors seeking anti-aging protocols, quite understandably, recognize The Immortals as a key to further their research into either slowing the aging process or preventing some of its more debilitating effects.
In those scientific circles, The Immortals are known as Turritopsis nutricula. I prefer "Benjamin Button-Fish".
Not to be confused with a 1950's doo-wop group or CGI-generated Xerxes horde battling the 300 Spartans, these "Immortals" are so named because they can live forever by virtue of the fact that they can reinvent themselves in younger and younger form only to die if they are eaten. Not unlike Joan Rivers.
This regeneration and ability to revert to its juvenile form occurs only after each completion of successful mating. Not unlike Hugh Hefner.
Scientists and doctors seeking anti-aging protocols, quite understandably, recognize The Immortals as a key to further their research into either slowing the aging process or preventing some of its more debilitating effects.
In those scientific circles, The Immortals are known as Turritopsis nutricula. I prefer "Benjamin Button-Fish".
January 17, 2009
"Eyes On The Prize"
Martin Luther King, Jr. advised to, "Keep your eyes on the prize" because...he had a dream. A dream where..."One day we will live in a nation where [people] will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character".
Dr. King presciently knew he'd not live to behold the fruition of that dream. But we are blessed to be alive to see the beginnings of that Dream becoming a reality.
In three days (from this writing) that prize will be awarded to a grateful, patient nation when Barack Obama is sworn in as our Nation's 44th president. May that dream become a reality for all Americans. May we prove worthy to uphold that dream. May we prove the content of our character.
As I sit and watch the television coverage of President-Elect Obama's whistle-stop train deliverance to Washington D.C., I am beyond inspired. I am more than grateful to be a witness. I am excitedly hopeful that we, as a united country, have finally managed to slither out of the slime that has clogged and cloaked our hearts and minds for too long. The slime that has held us back from beholding and practicing the true meaning of The American Dream: To work together for a common cause. Not "in spite of our differences", but because of them.
In nations around the world where differences are the roots, reasons and perpetuation of wars and genocides...where differences are abhorred, denied and stifled... America should stand apart and above. We should. But, too often and for too long, we have not. We have defiled the original tenets upon which our country was founded. We have disgraced and denied the sacrifices made by millions of our citizenry to vouchsafe the very definition of The United States of America: A Celebration of Differences.
Let the pundits and talking heads talk - to themselves. Let Left and Right forget any direction but Straight Ahead. The time for empty words and rhetoric is over. It's been done. To death. Literally. We are not a piece of paper. We are not a party politic. We are, as our name implies..."United". Never before were the words "United we stand, divided we fall" more true than now. We sink alone and apart or we swim...together.
My prayers are that from this day forward - although not overnight and not easily - but as united, real Americans, we begin anew and continue to honor those differences and prove to the the rest of the world that "Yes".....we can!
Dr. King presciently knew he'd not live to behold the fruition of that dream. But we are blessed to be alive to see the beginnings of that Dream becoming a reality.
In three days (from this writing) that prize will be awarded to a grateful, patient nation when Barack Obama is sworn in as our Nation's 44th president. May that dream become a reality for all Americans. May we prove worthy to uphold that dream. May we prove the content of our character.
As I sit and watch the television coverage of President-Elect Obama's whistle-stop train deliverance to Washington D.C., I am beyond inspired. I am more than grateful to be a witness. I am excitedly hopeful that we, as a united country, have finally managed to slither out of the slime that has clogged and cloaked our hearts and minds for too long. The slime that has held us back from beholding and practicing the true meaning of The American Dream: To work together for a common cause. Not "in spite of our differences", but because of them.
In nations around the world where differences are the roots, reasons and perpetuation of wars and genocides...where differences are abhorred, denied and stifled... America should stand apart and above. We should. But, too often and for too long, we have not. We have defiled the original tenets upon which our country was founded. We have disgraced and denied the sacrifices made by millions of our citizenry to vouchsafe the very definition of The United States of America: A Celebration of Differences.
Let the pundits and talking heads talk - to themselves. Let Left and Right forget any direction but Straight Ahead. The time for empty words and rhetoric is over. It's been done. To death. Literally. We are not a piece of paper. We are not a party politic. We are, as our name implies..."United". Never before were the words "United we stand, divided we fall" more true than now. We sink alone and apart or we swim...together.
My prayers are that from this day forward - although not overnight and not easily - but as united, real Americans, we begin anew and continue to honor those differences and prove to the the rest of the world that "Yes".....we can!
January 3, 2009
"Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot" Or "Bye, Bye Bushie"
"Sniff"
I guess there are some things I'll miss about him.
BEST OF THE BUSH-ISMS
You can't write that stuff. Which means, right off the bat, his long-awaited departure will already improve the economy of some unemployed comedy writers. After eight years of their jobs being done for them, they'll finally be able to get back to writing their own material.
I guess there are some things I'll miss about him.
BEST OF THE BUSH-ISMS
You can't write that stuff. Which means, right off the bat, his long-awaited departure will already improve the economy of some unemployed comedy writers. After eight years of their jobs being done for them, they'll finally be able to get back to writing their own material.
November 21, 2008
Time Bush Is Removed From The Endangered Species List
As posted previously, this pox on our country's administrative history (aka: George W. Bush, Jr.) just won't go away quietly. Hasn't he already "gotten" the loud, clear and distinct message that the majority of voters in this country think he royally effed up these past eight years and the best thing he could do for the entire country (and Bush-supporters, too) is to at this point just keep as low a profile as possible (like he did during the campaign which didn't do squat for McCain anyway), say nothing, do nothing...and get the hell out of that big white building?
Yet, like some vengeful little kid who feels he's been unduly punished or rejected by his classmates because he wanted all the bats, balls and ownership of the field, he's pulling a "I'll show them...heh, heh, heh" . Read about Bush's last hurrah before slinking off into the Texas sunset.
For a listing of this sociopathic, paranoiac's last-ditch efforts to push through enough deleterious legislation - to the human, animal and environmental arena - check out ProPublica. Make sure to click on all the headings in the left-hand side bar for complete descriptions of each "Midnight Regulation" as they're called.
Just when you thought you knew how much disdain this man holds for the welfare of this country, he goes and pulls another pile of Bushshit out of his 10-gallon empty hat.
Yet, like some vengeful little kid who feels he's been unduly punished or rejected by his classmates because he wanted all the bats, balls and ownership of the field, he's pulling a "I'll show them...heh, heh, heh" . Read about Bush's last hurrah before slinking off into the Texas sunset.
For a listing of this sociopathic, paranoiac's last-ditch efforts to push through enough deleterious legislation - to the human, animal and environmental arena - check out ProPublica. Make sure to click on all the headings in the left-hand side bar for complete descriptions of each "Midnight Regulation" as they're called.
Just when you thought you knew how much disdain this man holds for the welfare of this country, he goes and pulls another pile of Bushshit out of his 10-gallon empty hat.
November 9, 2008
One More Bush Disaster For The Road
Some people just don't know when they've overstayed their welcome. Especially when you consider that according to the majority of voting voices November 4th, Mercifully-Soon-To-Be-Former-President Bush wasn't welcome in the first place.
In yet another one of his last-ditch efforts to hurriedly push through even more invasive and damaging legislation towards our natural resources MSTBFP-Bush and The U.S. Fish & Wildlife are seeking to once again overturn a ruling to delist delist the gray wolves of The Rocky Mountains from the endangered species' list.
The fact that mining companies in the area have their own agenda of expansion into those sensitive areas might have something to do with MSTBFP-Bush's urgency. (By the way, anyone who's naive enough to think the U.S. Fish & Wildlife's mission is to protect our natural resources and is uninfluenced by special interest groups and politics, probably also pushed the lever for McCain this November and laments Palin's retreat to the Alaskan tundras. You betcha.)
As if his legacy as this country's worst environmental president wasn't bad enough. His almost pathologically-intentional disdain for our country's natural resources, environment and threatened wildlife populations will forever be written in history books as well as the hearts & minds of concerned Americans. At this point, we can only hope and work with the new Obama administration to not only enact more protective legislation, but to overturn and undo the damage caused by MSTBFP-Bush.
Even the most lame sociologist, therapist or penny-ante,talk-show pseudo-shrink would be fair and accurate interpreting this man's last-minute actions as nothing short of vengeful. Or revengeful. Or borderline sociopathic in my humble, lay opinion. The urgency of these and many other down-to-the-wire measures seem to indicate his intentions to weigh down the new administration with so much legislation that most definitely will need to be overturned, it will bog down in Congress or languish on the new president's desk at the dictates of other pressing priorities, like the economy and Iraq.
Bush will be gone - soon. But the stench left in his wake will fill the air across our land and pervade foreign countries long after his physical presence is finally beyond the confines of the Oval Office. It would almost be worth any ozone layer holes, which may very well have been exacerbated during his eight-year debacle in the White House, if his malodorous legacy could escape through one and into outer space. If nothing keeps the "alien invaders" away, that surely will.
I will never be so glad to see The White House door hit someone in the ass come January 20, 2009. With the possible exception of Nixon.
In yet another one of his last-ditch efforts to hurriedly push through even more invasive and damaging legislation towards our natural resources MSTBFP-Bush and The U.S. Fish & Wildlife are seeking to once again overturn a ruling to delist delist the gray wolves of The Rocky Mountains from the endangered species' list.
The fact that mining companies in the area have their own agenda of expansion into those sensitive areas might have something to do with MSTBFP-Bush's urgency. (By the way, anyone who's naive enough to think the U.S. Fish & Wildlife's mission is to protect our natural resources and is uninfluenced by special interest groups and politics, probably also pushed the lever for McCain this November and laments Palin's retreat to the Alaskan tundras. You betcha.)
As if his legacy as this country's worst environmental president wasn't bad enough. His almost pathologically-intentional disdain for our country's natural resources, environment and threatened wildlife populations will forever be written in history books as well as the hearts & minds of concerned Americans. At this point, we can only hope and work with the new Obama administration to not only enact more protective legislation, but to overturn and undo the damage caused by MSTBFP-Bush.
Even the most lame sociologist, therapist or penny-ante,talk-show pseudo-shrink would be fair and accurate interpreting this man's last-minute actions as nothing short of vengeful. Or revengeful. Or borderline sociopathic in my humble, lay opinion. The urgency of these and many other down-to-the-wire measures seem to indicate his intentions to weigh down the new administration with so much legislation that most definitely will need to be overturned, it will bog down in Congress or languish on the new president's desk at the dictates of other pressing priorities, like the economy and Iraq.
Bush will be gone - soon. But the stench left in his wake will fill the air across our land and pervade foreign countries long after his physical presence is finally beyond the confines of the Oval Office. It would almost be worth any ozone layer holes, which may very well have been exacerbated during his eight-year debacle in the White House, if his malodorous legacy could escape through one and into outer space. If nothing keeps the "alien invaders" away, that surely will.
I will never be so glad to see The White House door hit someone in the ass come January 20, 2009. With the possible exception of Nixon.
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