Monthly Archives: August 2014

Fracking – A nation of experts

Hi readers.  Everywhere people gather with no television playing and no cell phone calls to attend to the US citizenry conversations eventually get around to fracking.  Drilling oil and gas wells horizontally into shale and fracturing the deposition to release energy producing minerals.

Heck, I’d never heard of it until a couple of years ago, when my neighbor began telling me about the amazing oil discoveries in Texas now reaching production.  Oil reserves larger than the combined deposits everywhere else on the planet.

At first I was skeptical, and I couldn’t imagine what fracking was.  But one thing I discovered immediately was the fact everyone who knew the word was possessed of a certainty about whether it was a dangerous risk to one or another environmental facet.

When I visited Eddie Brewer in Andrews, Texas while waiting for the VA to try figuring out what manner of health problems I’d given myself I found he’d educated himself about it.  A neighbor was drilling a number of wells so’s to sell water to drilling companies for use in fracking.  And Eddie was concerned about depletion of his household water well.

It was through Eddie I first became fundamentally acquainted with what’s involved.  And with him I watched a number of television documentaries on the subject of fracking and groundwater contamination.  I didn’t come away with a deep understanding of the risks, and I doubt anyone actually can lay claim to a thorough understanding of those.  But at least I was able to comprehend the basics.

And gradually became cognizant of how much BS was coming from the mouths of people who didn’t understand those basics in the form of almost religious opinion, either for, or against fracking.

So, even though I don’t have a good reason for doing so beyond curiosity, I recently decided to devote some time to learning about it.  Just enough to decide whether I’d have an opinion if I were smarter and better informed than I am.  I started by watching two movies currently streaming on Netflix:  Gasland, and FrackNation.  What would appear at first glance to be a way of getting both sides of the viewpoints.

Unfortunately, Gasland turns out to be a fraud.  Which doesn’t mean a strong stand opposing fracking mightn’t be valid.  All it means is that Gasland was a deliberate nest of lies and misrepresentations intended to propagandize unfavorably about fracking.

However, here are some other videos giving both sides of the subject.  I’ve watched them carefully and learned a lot.  But I still can’t figure out whether I have an opinion.  Or, if I have an opinion, what it might be.  I’ve graduated from not having an opinion out of total ignorance, to not having an opinion knowing a good bit more, and being more acutely aware of how much a person with an opinion ought to know.  Which most of us don’t.

FrackNation vs Gasland

The Director of ‘FrackNation’ Fights Back!

Dr. Ingraffea Facts on Fracking

FrackNation the documentary that exposes Joshua Fox as a liar?

WARNING Fracking An Inconvenient Truth Watch Learn about Fracking Shale Gas what they dont say

If you watch it all and discover yourself to be without an opinion, I’d guess you’ve learned a great deal more than you knew beforehand.

Old Jules

 

School Bully Not So Tough Since Being Molested

The Onion News in PhotosBack To SchoolISSUE 38•07• Feb 27, 2002
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http://www.theonion.com/articles/school-bully-not-so-tough-since-being-molested,8848/

Israel Admits – Wow! Israel admits it revoked residency rights of a quarter million Palestinians

That search engine technique is full of surprises.  I’d searched ‘Mossad admits’ before the last post, but hadn’t searched ‘Israel admits’.  But as an afterthought, I searched it.  Turned up a lot, including an international Jewish news site:

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-admits-it-revoked-residency-rights-of-a-quarter-million-palestinians-1.435778

Israel admits it revoked residency rights of a quarter million Palestinians

Many of those prevented from returning were students or young professionals, working aboard to support their families.

By | Jun. 12, 2012 | 1:18 AM | 31
Palestinian children in Hebron looking on as Shovrim Shtika lead a tour of the city.

Palestinian children in Hebron looking on as Shovrim Shtika lead a tour of the city, Feb. 26, 2012.Photo by Michal Fattal

Israel stripped more than 100,000 residents of Gaza and some 140,000 residents of the West Bank of their residency rights during the 27 years between its conquest of the territories in 1967 and the establishment of the Palestinian Authority in 1994.

As a result, close to 250,000 Palestinians who left the territories were barred from ever returning.

Given that Gaza’s population has a natural growth rate of 3.3 percent a year, its population today would be more than 10 percent higher, had Israel not followed a policy of revoking residency rights from anyone who left the area for an extended period of time. The West Bank’s population growth rate is 3 percent. Many of those prevented from returning were students or young professionals, working aboard to support their families.

The data on Gaza residency rights was released by the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories this week, in response to a freedom-of-information request filed by Hamoked – The Center for the Defense of the Individual. In its letter, COGAT said that 44,730 Gazans lost their residency rights because they were absent from the territory for seven years or more; 54,730 because they did not respond to the 1981 census; and 7,249 because they didn’t respond to the 1988 census.

It added that 15,000 of those deprived of residency are now aged 90 or older.

In May 2011, Haaretz obtained the figures on West Bank residents who were stripped of their residency rights. The report noted that Israel had, for years, employed a secret procedure to do so. Palestinians who went abroad were required to leave their identity card at the border crossing. Unlike those from Gaza, who were allowed to leave for seven years, these Palestinians received a special permit valid for three years. The permit could be renewed three times, each time for one year. But any Palestinian who failed to return within six months after his permit expired would be stripped of his residency with no prior notice.

Former senior defense officials told Haaretz at the time of that report’s publication that they were unaware of any such procedure.

Today, a similar procedure is applied to East Jerusalem residents: A Palestinian who lives abroad for seven years or more loses his right to return to the city.

GOGAT’s letter to Hamoked regarding the Gaza natives said that there are various ways for Palestinians to get their residency restored, and in fact, some of those Gazans who lost their residency rights later regained them. However, it added, it lacks the resources to comply with Hamoked’s request to be told the specific reason behind each such restoration.

Since many of those who lost their residency rights from 1967 to 1994 in both Gaza and the West Bank were students or young professionals, their descendants today presumably number in the hundreds of thousands. Of the original people affected by the policy – nearly 250,000 – many have since died. But several thousands who were affiliated with the PA were granted the right to return in 1994; still other Palestinians have since been allowed to return for a variety of reasons.

Among the more prominent West Bank residents who have been barred from returning are the brothers of the PA’s chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, who went abroad to study and subsequently lost their residency. They now live in California. Erekat said that having learned from their experience, he was careful to return to the West Bank periodically while he was studying abroad, so as to keep his residency permit valid.

Hamoked, which learned of the existence of this policy by chance while investigating the case of a West Bank resident jailed in Israel, charges that stripping tens of thousands of Palestinians of their residency – and thus effectively exiling them permanently from their homeland – is a grave violation of international law.

To get the latest from Haaretz
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A surprising search tool [——— admits]

Hi readers.  I was messing around trying to find out what’s the current claim of choice regarding that airliner in the Ukraine and made a surprising discovery.  Turns out if you want to find intriguing news and information and type, [name something admits].  You’ll enter a new world.

Russia admits will give you pages and pages of things you never dreamed needed admitting to.

Argentina admits turns up stories of how Argentina would like and plans to get the Falkland Islands back.

Britian admits, among other surprises, to selling several billion dollars in weapons to Israel.

Mossad admits will have you wondering more than ever what they’re likely to admit sometime in the future.

Honduras admits brings up all manner of issues about how International banks are putting the squeeze on them.  And how they, and Mexico are trying to clamp down on people trying to get to the US illegally.

Mexico admits brings up, among other things, a story about a train refugees from Latin America hitch rides on to get to the US International Border.

I’m wondering now whether this might open a door to other phrases destined to drag unnoticed and unwanted weeds out of the web-garden.

Old Jules

Nafeez Ahmed: Gaza, Israel’s $4 billion gas grab

What begins out of the corner of the eye eventually draws attention to itself if it’s ironic enough.

Rise Up Times

Never mind the ‘war on terror’ rhetoric, writes Nafeez Ahmed. The purpose of Israel’s escalating assault on Gaza is to control the Territory’s 1.4 trillion cubic feet of gas – and so keep Palestine poor and weak, gain massive export revenues, and avert its own domestic energy crisis.

Nafeez Ahmed    theecologist.org  18th July 2014

Israeli tanks massing on the Gaza border … but do the soldiers know what they’re really fighting for? Photo: Amir Farshad Ebrahimi via Flickr.

If Palestinians develop their own gas resources, the resulting economic transformation could in turn fundamentally increase Palestinian clout.

Israel’s defence minister is on record confirming that military plans to uproot Hamas’ are about securing control of Gaza’s gas reserves

The conquest of Gaza is accelerating. Israel has now launched its ground invasion, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 260, 80% of whom are civilians.

A further 1,500 have been wounded and…

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Israel’s New Racism: The Persecution of African Migrants in the Holy Land

photographer John Stanmeyer of the VII Photo Agency as the World Press Photo of the Year 2013. The picture shows African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city at night, raising their phones in an attempt to capture an inexpensive signal from neighboring Somalia

Israel doesn’t want Africans living on land they don’t own in neighboring Palestine, even.  Because Africans are just someone else non-Jewish they’ll have to drive off it when they get around to stealing that part.

Israeli settlements in neighboring Palestine don’t allow anyone non-Jewish to live there.

Israel hates Africans because they stink and spread diseases.  It’s becoming clearer every day that what Israelis objected to about the German Holocaust was the fact Jews were the target. If the Germans had gone after blacks or Arabs Israelis would have helped.

Middle Easterners don’t respect human life the way we do

Hi readers.  Thanks for coming by for a read.

Probably there’s no other conclusion to reach:  Middle Easterners don’t like other people as much as we do.

  • You’ve got all those wossname, Kurds having whatever is happening to them, or doing something to someone else.
  • You’ve got Israel doing a slick ethnic cleansing and land-grabbing against their cousins in neighboring Palestine.
  • You’ve got Sufis killing someone somewhere, Sunnis killing other people somewhere else, and you’ve got Shiites squeezing into the act killing someone else, possibly Sufis or Sunnis.
  • And now you’ve got women in Syria being stoned [with rocks, not marijuana] for adultery.
  • You’ve got the lot of them sneaking around killing, discriminating, not liking Christians when they aren’t killing someone else.

But of course those people don’t believe in the Bible.  They never learned to stay home and peacefully mind their own business, relax about human diversity, and forgive others for being different from themselves.  They never learned not to get too worked up about having a lot of extra possessions, big houses, gewgaws, cars and cosmetic surgery.

And guns.  They have too many guns.  Where the hell do they get all those guns?  Those people in the Middle East have more guns and rockets than we have IPODs and SUVs.  Especially the ones who are trying to be like us.

In countries over there where they’re not all Mexicans the white people try hard to be like us.  Israel is a good example.  But although they’re simple, God fearing folks, they aren’t Christians.  They don’t believe in the Bible.  So they can’t understand they need to quit slaughtering their neighbors and stealing their land.  They’d like to be like real white people, but they can’t get it right.  And that’s just Israel.  A few miles in any direction the places are full of Mexicans who aren’t even trying to be like white people.

Old Jules

The Onion Survey: Americans Watching Better Sex Than Ever

NewsUnsponsoredISSUE 50•31Aug 7, 2014

Many Americans say they frequently spend all night watching amazing sex.

LOS ANGELES—Reflecting a significant shift in societal attitudes and behaviors, a survey completed this week by researchers at the University of Southern California revealed that American adults are watching far better sex than ever before.

The initial findings, which sociologists gathered from thousands of telephone and in-person interviews as well as field observations, confirmed that the sex that U.S. citizens now see on screen is considerably more adventurous, passionate, and satisfying than any they have previously experienced.

“Based on our data, the American people are now regularly viewing the highest quality sex of their lives, which is characterized by stronger connections with those on screen and longer, more fulfilling climaxes,” said lead researcher Patricia Oberlin, adding that the vast majority of those surveyed claimed they have watched “mind-blowing” or “earth-shattering” sex within the past five days. “Every demographic that we queried—individuals and couples, young and old, males and females, gay and straight—they’re all engaging in rich and rewarding sex-watching lives, with many respondents reporting that they never imagined they would ever see such thrilling sex.”

“We found that Americans now routinely take part in watching wild, energetic sexual intercourse, which often lasts for greater lengths of time,” Oberlin continued. “And the frequency of sex viewing in the U.S. has increased as well, with many people saying they watch sex every day of the week and occasionally two times per night. All in all, Americans’ sex-viewing lives are incredibly active.”

Sociologists attributed the improved quality of copulation that Americans are watching to an increased level of attention paid to their particular desires during sex-viewing. This heightened level of comfort and empowerment while watching sex, according to researchers, has allowed the general public to shed their inhibitions and view a wider variety of erotic acts, with many Americans reportedly experimenting with different or unfamiliar positions, toys, age groups, and ethnic and racial backgrounds to keep their viewing lives fresh and interesting.

“Earlier in their lives, people might have only been exposed to an old-fashioned sexual viewing experience where the sex was fairly routine and the emphasis was entirely on pleasuring the male, but our data shows that this isn’t always the case anymore,” Oberlin said. “In fact, we found that a large number of Americans even prefer to watch sex that focuses solely on female pleasure and doesn’t involve men at all.”

Researchers confirmed that since the last time the survey was conducted, in 1989, there has been a large increase in watching forms of sex that were previously considered taboo, citing examples such as oral sex performed to the point of asphyxiation, fisting, and erotic lactation.

While the study determined that vaginal intercourse is still by far the most commonly viewed sexual act in the U.S., more Americans, including a large percentage of women, indicated they are now open to watching fellatio, cunnilingus, anal penetration, and dominance and submission.

“I used to only watch the missionary position, which was kind of boring, but now, I’ve been getting into watching sensual massages and role-playing stuff with cheerleader costumes,” said Patrick Sanders, 38, a Phoenix-area husband and father of two. “The truth is I used to have a lot of hang-ups and I couldn’t even fathom watching a threesome with two men and one woman. In fact, the thought of seeing another guy’s penis during sex-viewing was just gross. But it turns out I was missing out on watching some really hot sex.”

“At this point, I’m completely fine seeing someone ejaculate on pretty much any body part—in fact, that’s something I discovered I actually enjoy viewing,” added Sanders. “I’m even thinking of exploring watching bondage. That’s something I never could have viewed years ago.”

Researchers also found that Americans are spicing up their sex-watching lives by viewing intercourse in different settings such as bedrooms, kitchens, bathrooms, offices, classrooms, parks, college dorms, public spaces, and even moving vehicles.

In addition, many of those surveyed said they are watching sex more spontaneously or viewing it at unusual times of day, which they said increased their arousal.

“Sometimes, I’ll watch sex first thing in the morning before I roll out of bed and get ready for work, and it’s fantastic,” said Mitch Watson, adding that he has never felt more alive. “I thought I was watching pretty good sex in my 20s, but this is a whole new level. I know what I want to watch now, and it’s a little more unrestrained and kinky.”

“Last week, my wife and I booked a hotel for a couple nights and spent the entire time in the room,” continued Watson. “We just ordered room service and watched great sex all weekend.”

http://www.theonion.com/articles/survey-americans-watching-better-sex-than-ever,36640/?recirc=unsponsored&utm_source=The+Onion&utm_campaign=3b3b67c7b3-The_Onion_Newsletter_Daily_Template&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6a8b5ad20e-3b3b67c7b3-16729065

Unanticipated 21st Century sex stuff

Hi readers.  Hells bells.  Hugh Hefner started the sexual revolution back in the 1950s because he thought we were holding back, stuffing things back down inside.  Psychologically repressing ourselves and generally, because sex could make Hugh Hefner a pile of money.

Mutantes: Punk Porn Feminism 2009 NR91 minutes This documentary maps the evolution of the “post-porn” movement, featuring interviews with pioneers like Annie Sprinkle, Carol Queen and Lydia Lunch. More Info Starring: Norma Jean Almodovar, Maria Beatty Director: Virginie Despentes Flowing on Netflix.

But if Hefner had seen this stuff coming down the pike I believe he’d have been shocked, maybe he’d have to ask himself if what he began was an unmitigated blessing.

Also streaming on Netflix:

Fuck for Forest

(Fuck for Forest) 2012 NR 1hr This documentary lays bare an unusual Berlin-based NGO that uses proceeds from homemade adult films to fund the restoration of Amazonian rain forests.

I’m sure it’s just me, but saving the planet by screwing just doesn’t make a lot of sense as a motivation.

Also streaming on Netflix:

Danland 2012 NR 88 minutes This documentary examines the psychology of amateur porn-film creator Dan Lear and what prompted him to choose such an unorthodox profession. More Info Starring: Dan Lear Director: Alexandra Berger


Orgasm Inc. 2009 NR 79 minutes Orgasm Inc. is a funny and sobering look inside “big pharma” and the marketing campaigns associated with a pill for female sexual dysfunction. More Info Starring: Elizabeth Canner, Kim Airs Director: Elizabeth Canner


Then there’s what’s happening in the courtesan industry.  Streaming on Netflix.

American Courtesans 2013NR 86 minutes Follow 11 sex workers through massage parlors, brothels, strip clubs and New York high-rises in this documentary about their choices and fears. More Info

Sheeze man.  I don’t object to any of this,  but I’d pay good money to avoid being a part of a fair amount of it. And not only because it would likely bring on the big one.

But I’m a live and let live kinda guy.

Old Jules

 

Received August 3rd- Aug. 9th

Jeanne’s Library Mail project keeps growing, it seems. There’s talk in the Johnson County Library System of taking it on the road to exhibit in the other branches of the system after it finishes in the branch where she works nights. Cool idea she had with this. Jack

Library Mail Art 2014

Four cards came in the mail this week! This colorful card is from Sheila Wright, in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.

IMG_4545

IMG_4546Thank you, Sheila!

The next three cards came from Sara Grob in Flauwil, Switzerland. Sara is one of my pen friends, and I have always admired her creativity.
IMG_4547IMG_4548
Here’s her second:
IMG_4549IMG_4550And the third:
IMG_4551IMG_4552Many thanks, Sara!

We still have until August 29th to accept your submissions for the exhibit, so if you have something you’d like to contribute, send it along! (Check the About page for guidelines.) Also, if you’ve mailed something and not seen it on this page, leave me a comment and I’ll double check to make sure I haven’t missed anything.

Thanks again, and I hope you have a creative week!
Jeanne

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