Unsettled is the word for a few more days. I am living out of my suitcase at the moment and waiting eagerly for my apartment to be made ready. The primitive conditions in which I am living at the moment have reawakened me. I mean, when was the last time you lived without a home Internet connection? Specifically, any time I need the Internet, I must leave my suitcase and venture out to a nearby Wi-Fi hotspot or make the journey all the way to Greenwood so that I can pirate my brother-in-law's Internet. How very inconvenient! How did we EVER survive BEFORE we even HAD Internet!?
Country songs sometimes express my exact sentiments, that is, when some guy is not losing his wife, his kids, his home, his job, his dog, and...maybe...even his truck. But yesterday I heard a song in which the artist lamented the "old days" (probably around the time of Watergate) when there were no video games (PONG had yet to hit the market) and there were only three channels on the tube. Incidentally, in those days the Tube really had tubes in it. To make matters worse, the singer wailed, he had to walk over to the TV to change channels. He forgot to mention "rabbit ears" and how one unfortunate person had to hold them "just right" so that everyone else could watch the television show.
But I digress...
So I am overcoming the challenge of living "unconnected" only because there is light at the end of the tunnel. In just a few days my apartment will be "made ready." Dish cc will place the little dish out on the wall, and presto, I will be LIVE again! Plus there will be more than three channels on the television, which I will not have to get out of my chair to change via remote control. It will be nice to be "back to the future" again. But I did not mention the best part! It deserves a new paragraph!
The best part is that my lovely bride will be living in the same apartment that I do! That's right, boys and girls! We will both reside in the same town at the same time, and in the same house. The expenses will be cut dramatically by having only one household again. She did reside with me at the beach house, true, but before that we had been separated for two years by our jobs. Such was the trial of being a working detective.
I have enjoyed doing this little blog, and I will keep on blogging for the foreseeable future. I am truly grateful for all of you who have stayed tuned even when the blogging was a little thin. There is always something to talk about, if one can find a hot connection for transmitting. It is just a little more difficult when a person is still unsettled in his new settlement.
PS: A big thank you to the guy at Burger King on Midkiff Drive in Midland!! He provided me with free Internet today, as well as a free Large Drink. West Texas hospitality!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
A Rose By Any Other Name...Still Violates The United States Constitution
Even though this is the season to be jolly, I believe there will be many air travelers who will feel less than jovial as they attempt to check into their terminals and board the airliners. The Government, this time in the form of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), is once again "protecting" you and me from terrorists who may attempt to bomb airplanes. Apparently the only way for this "protection" to be effective is to violate every citizen air traveler's constitutional right to be secure from unreasonable search and seizure. Does anyone remember the "Bill of Rights?" For a refresher, these are the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution which enumerate (BUT NOT GRANT) our civil rights. For a further refresher, you should remember that our Founding Fathers stipulated that these rights were granted by God, or the Creator, if you will. So our Constitution does not GIVE us our rights, but only LISTS those inalienable rights ALREADY GRANTED TO MAN BY GOD. I wonder if this is even taught in public schools anymore...
Back to our story...
The TSA is charged with keeping us safe and preventing terrorists from boarding planes. To accomplish this mission, TSA employees are now empowered to force (presumed innocent) passengers to submit to either a pass through the radioactive scanner which of course X-rays a person, revealing not just what the person might be hiding under his or her clothing, but also revealing in great detail the person's genitalia, and for the ladies, the clear picture of their breasts under their bras. Of course, children will pass through the same machine and be revealed in the same gross detail. If this same equipment were posted at say, a public school, the operator of the machine would be arrested for child pornography. By the way, to perform this intrusive and EXPLICIT photography (if you don't believe explicit, you should see samples of these pictures on the Internet), the scanner machines must emit hazardous levels of radiation for fairly prolonged periods of time. The same radiation exposure WOULD NOT BE allowed by regulators at your local dentist's office. So, if one does not want to have his or her body exposed to the TSA employee, there is another option.
Option B calls for the air traveler to bypass the scanner machine and proceed to one of the TSA employees standing at the gate. This TSA employee will then proceed to perform a bodily search of the unfortunate air traveler. Police officers would be arrested for performing the same "pat down" during, say a check for weapons during a traffic stop or field interview. The TSA employee must, according to TSA policy, run his or her hands over the traveler's entire body. No, not to check for obvious bulges like concealed guns or knives. The TSA officer would run his hands across the person's body from head to toe, both front and back, along the insides of the person's thighs and pubic areas...well, you get the picture. This same activity would result in mucho kicked butts and sexual assault reports under any other circumstance. Do YOU want to go through this inconvenience and humiliation in front of other passengers? Do you really want a stranger groping you just because the stranger is wearing a nice uniform? Do you REALLY want said uniformed stranger to grope your children in the same fashion? After all, children can carry bombs, too!
I have to admit that back in 2002, in the wake of the 9-1-1 attacks, I was nonetheless infuriated that I (still the presumed innocent citizen, remember?) instead of walking with my loved one to the passenger waiting area and staying there with her until she boarded the plane, I was now forced to sit in a glassed-off little gallery where I could hardly see my loved one and could not communicate with her except by cell phone. Oh, I ranted and raved about it, but I took no other action. I would tirade to anyone who would listen that the terrorists had won, after all. And, in all seriousness, the terrorists have won, on at least two levels.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Government stepped right in and took several actions that you and I, as citizens and taxpayers would never have allowed in the past. Airports were turned into armed and armored fortresses. The streets were barricaded with concrete pylons. Police officers patrolled the airports as usual, but were now armed with military grade rifles, and possibly other weapons out in the wings somewhere. People were no longer allowed to approach near the taxi areas and watch the planes come and go. Any movement outside a specified area immediately drew a great deal of attention, and more than likely resulted in the arrest of the poor airplane fanatic, like me. Remember, the terrorists in the 9-1-1 attacks HAD NO EXPLOSIVES OR WEAPONS when they went through the pre-attack screening system. Only AFTER they boarded the planes were they armed for their suicide missions. So, not only would the old system NOT have detected the terrorists, the NEW, IMPROVED, INVASIVE, and UNCONSTITUTIONAL scanners and search procedures would not have prevented the attacks either!
But, to protect us, the TSA was formed, the changes mentioned above were put in place, and another piece of America was surrendered to the world hysteria and fear of terrorism. But those changes weren't enough. So eventually the program of X-ray body scanners and intrusive, unreasonable body searches were put in place. Passengers must submit to these procedures or not board airplanes. So, the terrorists won on another level. The American people were buffaloed into giving up their freedom by the Government's shouts that the sky was falling and the only way to be safe was for the American people to finally submit themselves to the very humiliating and shameful body scans and searches now being implemented at airports across the nation. It almost appears that the Government can take any action it wants in the name of "public safety
and the American people will meekly follow along like scared sheep waiting for the slaughter...I mean the TSA security check point.
As I said earlier, I am as guilty as anyone in this matter. For the sake of simply getting through the checkpoints as quickly as possible, I gave up my personal dignity, but much more importantly, I surrendered my inalienable right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure. And who knows what other measures will be dreamed up and implemented "for our safety and protection" as time goes by. But I would like to remind you of something else. All of the new safety procedures did not stop the now famous "shoe bomber," who fortunately was not able to light the fuse to his crude bomb before citizens- you and me, or others very much like us - tackled this terrorist and arrested him, holding him securely until the plane landed. The new safety procedures did not catch the "underwear bomber" although the X-ray scanner provided a highly detailed image of the gentleman's penis. Again, it was alert and quick thinking passengers who saw the explosives and prevented this terrorist from blowing up the airplane. These are two highly publicized examples of how the new security procedures DID NOT PREVENT POTENTIAL TERRORISM. But I wonder if they are the ONLY ones! Hmmm...
Now Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season are upon us. Many more travelers will be taking to the skies. And yes, each and every one of these travelers will get the options - Option A: the porno body scanner; Option B: the public groping by the uniformed TSA officer. But something is amiss here. According to the news, the Director of the TSA is very worried about the very obvious potential for mass protest that is stewing just below the surface. He was on television today first pleading for our cooperation, then warning of dire consequences for those who chose to boycott or otherwise protest the invasive screening procedures. He was afraid of what many people might be thinking at this very moment: What if everyone in the passenger terminals simply refused to submit to search procedures any more invasive than the traditional walk through the metal detector? If all passengers boarding the airplanes revolted against the screening system and refused to board the planes unless simply allowed to pass through the metal detectors, would it shut down air travel all across the nation? Maybe...or maybe the TSA would have to defer (dare I say it!) to the wishes of the people and stop the silly, but very humiliating and very unconstitutional, excessive and over dramatic screening procedures so that passengers can simply get on their airplanes and fly away to meet their loved ones.
In the fifties and sixties, Black people across America took the initiative and began blocking highways, passage ways, doorways, or whatever it took to disrupt the normal flow of things. The resulting chaos got the attention of mainstream American and helped in the fight for full citizenship for minorities in this nation. Now, fifty years later, I hope Americans of all ethnic origins (yes, I being "White" also have an ethnic origin) will stand together with peaceful, civil disobedience to stop the TSA in its tracks, and allow freedom from unreasonable search (and from the associated delays) to go unabridged, as our inalienable right.
Back to our story...
The TSA is charged with keeping us safe and preventing terrorists from boarding planes. To accomplish this mission, TSA employees are now empowered to force (presumed innocent) passengers to submit to either a pass through the radioactive scanner which of course X-rays a person, revealing not just what the person might be hiding under his or her clothing, but also revealing in great detail the person's genitalia, and for the ladies, the clear picture of their breasts under their bras. Of course, children will pass through the same machine and be revealed in the same gross detail. If this same equipment were posted at say, a public school, the operator of the machine would be arrested for child pornography. By the way, to perform this intrusive and EXPLICIT photography (if you don't believe explicit, you should see samples of these pictures on the Internet), the scanner machines must emit hazardous levels of radiation for fairly prolonged periods of time. The same radiation exposure WOULD NOT BE allowed by regulators at your local dentist's office. So, if one does not want to have his or her body exposed to the TSA employee, there is another option.
Option B calls for the air traveler to bypass the scanner machine and proceed to one of the TSA employees standing at the gate. This TSA employee will then proceed to perform a bodily search of the unfortunate air traveler. Police officers would be arrested for performing the same "pat down" during, say a check for weapons during a traffic stop or field interview. The TSA employee must, according to TSA policy, run his or her hands over the traveler's entire body. No, not to check for obvious bulges like concealed guns or knives. The TSA officer would run his hands across the person's body from head to toe, both front and back, along the insides of the person's thighs and pubic areas...well, you get the picture. This same activity would result in mucho kicked butts and sexual assault reports under any other circumstance. Do YOU want to go through this inconvenience and humiliation in front of other passengers? Do you really want a stranger groping you just because the stranger is wearing a nice uniform? Do you REALLY want said uniformed stranger to grope your children in the same fashion? After all, children can carry bombs, too!
I have to admit that back in 2002, in the wake of the 9-1-1 attacks, I was nonetheless infuriated that I (still the presumed innocent citizen, remember?) instead of walking with my loved one to the passenger waiting area and staying there with her until she boarded the plane, I was now forced to sit in a glassed-off little gallery where I could hardly see my loved one and could not communicate with her except by cell phone. Oh, I ranted and raved about it, but I took no other action. I would tirade to anyone who would listen that the terrorists had won, after all. And, in all seriousness, the terrorists have won, on at least two levels.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the Government stepped right in and took several actions that you and I, as citizens and taxpayers would never have allowed in the past. Airports were turned into armed and armored fortresses. The streets were barricaded with concrete pylons. Police officers patrolled the airports as usual, but were now armed with military grade rifles, and possibly other weapons out in the wings somewhere. People were no longer allowed to approach near the taxi areas and watch the planes come and go. Any movement outside a specified area immediately drew a great deal of attention, and more than likely resulted in the arrest of the poor airplane fanatic, like me. Remember, the terrorists in the 9-1-1 attacks HAD NO EXPLOSIVES OR WEAPONS when they went through the pre-attack screening system. Only AFTER they boarded the planes were they armed for their suicide missions. So, not only would the old system NOT have detected the terrorists, the NEW, IMPROVED, INVASIVE, and UNCONSTITUTIONAL scanners and search procedures would not have prevented the attacks either!
But, to protect us, the TSA was formed, the changes mentioned above were put in place, and another piece of America was surrendered to the world hysteria and fear of terrorism. But those changes weren't enough. So eventually the program of X-ray body scanners and intrusive, unreasonable body searches were put in place. Passengers must submit to these procedures or not board airplanes. So, the terrorists won on another level. The American people were buffaloed into giving up their freedom by the Government's shouts that the sky was falling and the only way to be safe was for the American people to finally submit themselves to the very humiliating and shameful body scans and searches now being implemented at airports across the nation. It almost appears that the Government can take any action it wants in the name of "public safety
and the American people will meekly follow along like scared sheep waiting for the slaughter...I mean the TSA security check point.
As I said earlier, I am as guilty as anyone in this matter. For the sake of simply getting through the checkpoints as quickly as possible, I gave up my personal dignity, but much more importantly, I surrendered my inalienable right to be free of unreasonable search and seizure. And who knows what other measures will be dreamed up and implemented "for our safety and protection" as time goes by. But I would like to remind you of something else. All of the new safety procedures did not stop the now famous "shoe bomber," who fortunately was not able to light the fuse to his crude bomb before citizens- you and me, or others very much like us - tackled this terrorist and arrested him, holding him securely until the plane landed. The new safety procedures did not catch the "underwear bomber" although the X-ray scanner provided a highly detailed image of the gentleman's penis. Again, it was alert and quick thinking passengers who saw the explosives and prevented this terrorist from blowing up the airplane. These are two highly publicized examples of how the new security procedures DID NOT PREVENT POTENTIAL TERRORISM. But I wonder if they are the ONLY ones! Hmmm...
Now Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season are upon us. Many more travelers will be taking to the skies. And yes, each and every one of these travelers will get the options - Option A: the porno body scanner; Option B: the public groping by the uniformed TSA officer. But something is amiss here. According to the news, the Director of the TSA is very worried about the very obvious potential for mass protest that is stewing just below the surface. He was on television today first pleading for our cooperation, then warning of dire consequences for those who chose to boycott or otherwise protest the invasive screening procedures. He was afraid of what many people might be thinking at this very moment: What if everyone in the passenger terminals simply refused to submit to search procedures any more invasive than the traditional walk through the metal detector? If all passengers boarding the airplanes revolted against the screening system and refused to board the planes unless simply allowed to pass through the metal detectors, would it shut down air travel all across the nation? Maybe...or maybe the TSA would have to defer (dare I say it!) to the wishes of the people and stop the silly, but very humiliating and very unconstitutional, excessive and over dramatic screening procedures so that passengers can simply get on their airplanes and fly away to meet their loved ones.
In the fifties and sixties, Black people across America took the initiative and began blocking highways, passage ways, doorways, or whatever it took to disrupt the normal flow of things. The resulting chaos got the attention of mainstream American and helped in the fight for full citizenship for minorities in this nation. Now, fifty years later, I hope Americans of all ethnic origins (yes, I being "White" also have an ethnic origin) will stand together with peaceful, civil disobedience to stop the TSA in its tracks, and allow freedom from unreasonable search (and from the associated delays) to go unabridged, as our inalienable right.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Bailey Black (The Book) is Here
I was too excited to blog very much yesterday due to the news arriving that Bailey Black was ready for purchase on the PublishAmerica bookstore located at http://www.publishamerica.com/ Once there, click on the Online Book Store Tab. I have to confess that, as happy as I am that the book is now published, I am suddenly very self-conscious and vulnerable. The big test is here: Will anyone actually like the book? That's right...I am suddenly struck with stage fright!
It reminds me of the days of my short-lived acting career in the Gatesville Civic Theatre. I was fortunate enough to be cast in a city play in my junior year of high school. I was the hero/villain Pound Sterling in the play "An Old-Fashioned Melodrama - Modern Style." I knew I was not an Oscar winner, but I believed I could play my part adequately. Well, just a few minutes into the first rehearsal, I found that acting was a little more complicated that I thought it would be. My most recent acting experience was playing "Joseph" in the elementary school play one Christmas in Gatesville. Anyone remember that? Kathy Munday played "Mary" in that play.
Anyway, back to "Pound Sterling." The cast worked for several weeks in anticipation of the dress rehearsal, on which night local senior citizens were invited as guests of honor. So, it was time to raise the curtain. The other cast members took their places...and the lights were on! After the curtain opened, I entered from stage left, went strolling to my X-mark at center stage, took a deep breath, gathered myself to project my voice across the auditorium.....and....
That's right. I had forgotten each and every one of my lines. In those first few seconds of dead air, that seemed like four lifetimes to me, I felt sweat breaking out on the beads of sweat that had suddenly formed on my forehead. I could just make out several hundred (okay, about a hundred) people in the darkened galleries...just enough to see that they were all looking AT ME. Never mind that I could not actually SEE their faces...I knew they were all staring at me, all acutely aware that I had no idea what I was supposed to say...
(Silence...plus crickets in the background...)
At this point, one of the cast members, the late Johnny Hendricks, ad-libbed "Pound! Don't you have something to TELL US?!"
Saved! Somehow those words galvanized my brain to take action. I literally felt the electric message flowing from my brain, across synapses to nerves, down my head to other nerves, finally activating my mouth.
"I have some GOOD NEWS! And some BAD news."
With that, I was able to stumble through my lines and finish dress rehearsal. That night was a disaster for Pound Sterling. But on the three nights that the play ran, I did manage to "get in character." But that burning, desperate, almost totally helpless feeling I had that night has returned to some extent as Bailey Black is now being offered for sale.
I sincerely hope that any of you who are feeling a little yearn for some arm-chair adventure will at least read the blurb about Bailey Black. If you are really brave, I hope you will see your way to buy a copy. Maybe if two of you want to be brave together, you can go in for halfies for one book. Then, if at least one of you likes the book, you can buy out your partner's interest if the other person does not like it. But on a serious note, I would like to express once again my thanks to those of you who have followed along through the publication process. I hope you will read my book, and most of all, I hope you like the story. And, in the weeks to come, I will be announcing signing events as they are finalized. Thank you all!
It reminds me of the days of my short-lived acting career in the Gatesville Civic Theatre. I was fortunate enough to be cast in a city play in my junior year of high school. I was the hero/villain Pound Sterling in the play "An Old-Fashioned Melodrama - Modern Style." I knew I was not an Oscar winner, but I believed I could play my part adequately. Well, just a few minutes into the first rehearsal, I found that acting was a little more complicated that I thought it would be. My most recent acting experience was playing "Joseph" in the elementary school play one Christmas in Gatesville. Anyone remember that? Kathy Munday played "Mary" in that play.
Anyway, back to "Pound Sterling." The cast worked for several weeks in anticipation of the dress rehearsal, on which night local senior citizens were invited as guests of honor. So, it was time to raise the curtain. The other cast members took their places...and the lights were on! After the curtain opened, I entered from stage left, went strolling to my X-mark at center stage, took a deep breath, gathered myself to project my voice across the auditorium.....and....
That's right. I had forgotten each and every one of my lines. In those first few seconds of dead air, that seemed like four lifetimes to me, I felt sweat breaking out on the beads of sweat that had suddenly formed on my forehead. I could just make out several hundred (okay, about a hundred) people in the darkened galleries...just enough to see that they were all looking AT ME. Never mind that I could not actually SEE their faces...I knew they were all staring at me, all acutely aware that I had no idea what I was supposed to say...
(Silence...plus crickets in the background...)
At this point, one of the cast members, the late Johnny Hendricks, ad-libbed "Pound! Don't you have something to TELL US?!"
Saved! Somehow those words galvanized my brain to take action. I literally felt the electric message flowing from my brain, across synapses to nerves, down my head to other nerves, finally activating my mouth.
"I have some GOOD NEWS! And some BAD news."
With that, I was able to stumble through my lines and finish dress rehearsal. That night was a disaster for Pound Sterling. But on the three nights that the play ran, I did manage to "get in character." But that burning, desperate, almost totally helpless feeling I had that night has returned to some extent as Bailey Black is now being offered for sale.
I sincerely hope that any of you who are feeling a little yearn for some arm-chair adventure will at least read the blurb about Bailey Black. If you are really brave, I hope you will see your way to buy a copy. Maybe if two of you want to be brave together, you can go in for halfies for one book. Then, if at least one of you likes the book, you can buy out your partner's interest if the other person does not like it. But on a serious note, I would like to express once again my thanks to those of you who have followed along through the publication process. I hope you will read my book, and most of all, I hope you like the story. And, in the weeks to come, I will be announcing signing events as they are finalized. Thank you all!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Bailey Black Hits the Book Store...sort of!
The day I have been waiting for has gotten here, and actually a lot faster than I believed it would. My contract allowed the publisher a year from September 10th to get the book published. Well, it is for sale on the PublishAmerica website under Bookstore. The easiest way to find it is to go to the search block and either type in Bailey Black or Wesley Meeks.
I am so excited about this at the moment that I am having difficulty focusing on my "real" blog. The book is simply entitled Bailey Black. It is not on the Amazon website yet, and probably not on Barnes and Nobles, but will be in the next few days to weeks. For an author, writing a book is easy compared to the thought of actually publishing it, knowing that other people will be reading it. What will they think about it? Will anyone read my NEXT book after reading this one? Oh the anxiety....
Nonetheless I am so happy that the book is out now. I will be doing some marketing now, book signings, and such...so cross your fingers...and thanks for all of you who have stood with me waiting for this moment.
I am so excited about this at the moment that I am having difficulty focusing on my "real" blog. The book is simply entitled Bailey Black. It is not on the Amazon website yet, and probably not on Barnes and Nobles, but will be in the next few days to weeks. For an author, writing a book is easy compared to the thought of actually publishing it, knowing that other people will be reading it. What will they think about it? Will anyone read my NEXT book after reading this one? Oh the anxiety....
Nonetheless I am so happy that the book is out now. I will be doing some marketing now, book signings, and such...so cross your fingers...and thanks for all of you who have stood with me waiting for this moment.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Bullet Proof Vehicles are Big Business in Mexico...and San Antonio
I was trying to get current news about the border situation, that is specific news. Of course the current news is that killing is going on non-stop. But the LACK of news from Mexico on United States outlets is really frustrating, almost as bad as the near news blackout on the Obama trip. But I ran across an interesting sidelight to the Mexican civil war.
It seems that people are getting their vehicles armored in record numbers. Politicians in Mexico (as in other nations) have done this for years, but now local business people, bankers, and even more mundane workers are getting their vehicles armor-plated. Of course, the crime bosses have long had this advantage. But it has become of the fastest growing business segments in Mexico. People simply wanting to survive their commutes to work or to drop off the children at school. Carjackings and kidnappings are rampant and have turned Mexico into the most dangerous country in the world, as far as nations that are "at peace" are concerned. Granted, Mexico is "at peace" in name only. More people dead there since 2008 than all the American soldiers killed in both Gulf Wars and up to the present occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The fact that "common people" are turning to ballistic armor for their cars is one of the most telling aspects of the state of the current government of Mexico. I am not talking about exotic cars and Humvees; people are getting their Camrys and Accords armored as well. Many citizens have had bullets hit their vehicles when gunmen were not visible and there were no evidence of gunfights in progress. These random bullets have proven deadly for many Mexican citizens as well as the occasional unfortunate tourist. By the way, tourists, if you have not figured out by now that maybe this would be a better time to visit Hawaii or even the Vatican than Mexico, well, you might need to read my previous posts. But you will be hard-pressed to find real time news from Mexico. There appears to be some sort of a media-wide agreement to limit coverage of Mexico. Of course it may be that coverage of the Mexican civil war would be detrimental to the "open-border" lobby, so that could be the reason for so little coverage.
My hat is off to those Mexican government officials and police officers who are still willing to serve in the face of such dire hazard. One of the biggest problems honest officials face is the knowledge that anyone in their organizations could be a "mole" for the various cartels. At the local levels, more and more cities are literally under the control of one or more cartels. In the latter case, the constant fighting between these cartels limits the regular functioning of these cities. Mexico is still in turmoil. The government of Mexico is apparently powerless to stop the fighting. So, the best that most Mexicans can do at the moment is take their cars to the local armor shop. But, take a good lunch supply with you...the wait for armor is up to twelve weeks. Even in San Antonio, the wait for service is several days.
It seems that people are getting their vehicles armored in record numbers. Politicians in Mexico (as in other nations) have done this for years, but now local business people, bankers, and even more mundane workers are getting their vehicles armor-plated. Of course, the crime bosses have long had this advantage. But it has become of the fastest growing business segments in Mexico. People simply wanting to survive their commutes to work or to drop off the children at school. Carjackings and kidnappings are rampant and have turned Mexico into the most dangerous country in the world, as far as nations that are "at peace" are concerned. Granted, Mexico is "at peace" in name only. More people dead there since 2008 than all the American soldiers killed in both Gulf Wars and up to the present occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The fact that "common people" are turning to ballistic armor for their cars is one of the most telling aspects of the state of the current government of Mexico. I am not talking about exotic cars and Humvees; people are getting their Camrys and Accords armored as well. Many citizens have had bullets hit their vehicles when gunmen were not visible and there were no evidence of gunfights in progress. These random bullets have proven deadly for many Mexican citizens as well as the occasional unfortunate tourist. By the way, tourists, if you have not figured out by now that maybe this would be a better time to visit Hawaii or even the Vatican than Mexico, well, you might need to read my previous posts. But you will be hard-pressed to find real time news from Mexico. There appears to be some sort of a media-wide agreement to limit coverage of Mexico. Of course it may be that coverage of the Mexican civil war would be detrimental to the "open-border" lobby, so that could be the reason for so little coverage.
My hat is off to those Mexican government officials and police officers who are still willing to serve in the face of such dire hazard. One of the biggest problems honest officials face is the knowledge that anyone in their organizations could be a "mole" for the various cartels. At the local levels, more and more cities are literally under the control of one or more cartels. In the latter case, the constant fighting between these cartels limits the regular functioning of these cities. Mexico is still in turmoil. The government of Mexico is apparently powerless to stop the fighting. So, the best that most Mexicans can do at the moment is take their cars to the local armor shop. But, take a good lunch supply with you...the wait for armor is up to twelve weeks. Even in San Antonio, the wait for service is several days.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
West Texas, NOT WASTE Texas
As usual, the theme "we must have progress, or our town will die" won out over common sense. This didn't happen recently. The radioactive waste facility, Waste Control Specialists - Andrews, has been in operation since 2002. The oil business in West Texas continued its "business as usual" meaning booms and busts were happening, and the bust was going on at the time. So, "progressives" and "visionaries" (please insert the names of several industry-connected or bought public officials, yes - you may include George "Dubbya" in this crowd) began shouting that the sky was falling and Andrews was sure to die! Never mind that Andrews has recovered from busts many times over the years. But here was an opportunity to bring permanent "wealth" to the city and the area. Waste Control Specialist could build its facility nearby, everyone from Andrews would get a job there, and we would all live happily ever after!
In fact many residents did not want this terrible facility to be built anywhere near Andrews. I, for one, did not want it built anywhere near Texas. But some loud residents, some powerful local politicians, and some BOUGHT state politicians (as usual) overwhelmed the opposition with money and political pressure. Not to mention the various statements of "facts" regarding the safety of the facility and the promise that only "low-level" waste would be stored at the facility. The people of Andrews were divided, many for, and many against, this facility. With the intervention of then Governor Bush and other Texas politicians (pockets lined of course, with contributions and so forth) the facility was approved and licensed, and is now in full swing.
Guess what? Is this a surprise? The Waste Control Specialists facility has been cited for six violations of various magnitude since 2004. Some of the violations were "fixed" (though the venting system is not functioning properly at the moment), but the major violation is ongoing, and will be ongoing for...who can say? The Texas Environmental Quality Commission (surprise again!) voted to allow this "exception" to regulations as long as Waste Control Specialists promised to fully comply...someday. The violation? Radioactive waste of the "hottest kind" was only to be stored at the facility for a year, before being transferred to permanent disposal sites. This waste disintegrates rapidly, releasing carcinogens that can cause bone cancer and other diseases. Not only was the waste kept too long (it is still there) but asphalt pads were found to have leaks, which of course means that leaking radiation will be introduced into the ground, and eventually into the West Texas water supply. Don't worry folks...the State and the owners now tell us the cracks, though not repaired, are not a significant source of radiation leakage. Don't you feel better? I don't.
Now plans are in the works to begin bringing in waste from thirty-six other states and store this radioactive waste at the leaking facility. This same idea was proposed in Ohio but the people there defeated it immediately. They don't want waste from other states. They don't even want their OWN nuclear waste. That's right, they want to ship it to Texas...specifically to the Waste Control Specialists facility near Andrews. On top of this, other nuclear waste sites, closed because of LEAKING facilities, are trying to gain approval to ship their waste to ... can you guess...WEST TEXAS! That wasn't hard at all, was it, class?
The facility in Andrews was sold to a very anxious group of people who fell for the lie that Andrews would somehow die if the nuclear waste facility was not built there. Actually it is much closer to Eunice, New Mexico, and offers the same hazards to people there. The Eunice residents had no input as they were not residents of Texas, though they will share the same fate as the people of Andrews. The facility was to hold only medical waste and other "low-grade" nuclear waste. As it turns out, the definition of "low-grade" is not static and has been changed by Congress to include weapons grade waste. No surprise there, either, kids.
I have just returned to the Permian Basin, but I am just as opposed to this facility as I was when I left the area. The are things to be done that can actually limit the waste stored at this facility and keep new parties (States) from dumping their waste in Texas. The main thing of course, is to demand these limitations and hold politicians, as well as local "leaders," accountable for monitoring the facility, and also accountable when safety violations occur. I do not have the facts at the moment to assess what economic impact this facility has had on Andrews and West Texas. Frankly, I do not care. The negative impact on the environment, and on you and me, cannot be measured in bribes...I mean campaign contributions, community grants from the company, and so forth. And further more, I am extremely opposed to, and ashamed of, the fact that such leaders as George W. Bush, as well as many local "community leaders," have allowed West Texas to be labeled WASTE, Texas. There is time to limit nuclear storage, prevent extremely dangerous waste from entering Texas, and above all, to once and for all time declare that this is West Texas, not Waste, Texas!
In fact many residents did not want this terrible facility to be built anywhere near Andrews. I, for one, did not want it built anywhere near Texas. But some loud residents, some powerful local politicians, and some BOUGHT state politicians (as usual) overwhelmed the opposition with money and political pressure. Not to mention the various statements of "facts" regarding the safety of the facility and the promise that only "low-level" waste would be stored at the facility. The people of Andrews were divided, many for, and many against, this facility. With the intervention of then Governor Bush and other Texas politicians (pockets lined of course, with contributions and so forth) the facility was approved and licensed, and is now in full swing.
Guess what? Is this a surprise? The Waste Control Specialists facility has been cited for six violations of various magnitude since 2004. Some of the violations were "fixed" (though the venting system is not functioning properly at the moment), but the major violation is ongoing, and will be ongoing for...who can say? The Texas Environmental Quality Commission (surprise again!) voted to allow this "exception" to regulations as long as Waste Control Specialists promised to fully comply...someday. The violation? Radioactive waste of the "hottest kind" was only to be stored at the facility for a year, before being transferred to permanent disposal sites. This waste disintegrates rapidly, releasing carcinogens that can cause bone cancer and other diseases. Not only was the waste kept too long (it is still there) but asphalt pads were found to have leaks, which of course means that leaking radiation will be introduced into the ground, and eventually into the West Texas water supply. Don't worry folks...the State and the owners now tell us the cracks, though not repaired, are not a significant source of radiation leakage. Don't you feel better? I don't.
Now plans are in the works to begin bringing in waste from thirty-six other states and store this radioactive waste at the leaking facility. This same idea was proposed in Ohio but the people there defeated it immediately. They don't want waste from other states. They don't even want their OWN nuclear waste. That's right, they want to ship it to Texas...specifically to the Waste Control Specialists facility near Andrews. On top of this, other nuclear waste sites, closed because of LEAKING facilities, are trying to gain approval to ship their waste to ... can you guess...WEST TEXAS! That wasn't hard at all, was it, class?
The facility in Andrews was sold to a very anxious group of people who fell for the lie that Andrews would somehow die if the nuclear waste facility was not built there. Actually it is much closer to Eunice, New Mexico, and offers the same hazards to people there. The Eunice residents had no input as they were not residents of Texas, though they will share the same fate as the people of Andrews. The facility was to hold only medical waste and other "low-grade" nuclear waste. As it turns out, the definition of "low-grade" is not static and has been changed by Congress to include weapons grade waste. No surprise there, either, kids.
I have just returned to the Permian Basin, but I am just as opposed to this facility as I was when I left the area. The are things to be done that can actually limit the waste stored at this facility and keep new parties (States) from dumping their waste in Texas. The main thing of course, is to demand these limitations and hold politicians, as well as local "leaders," accountable for monitoring the facility, and also accountable when safety violations occur. I do not have the facts at the moment to assess what economic impact this facility has had on Andrews and West Texas. Frankly, I do not care. The negative impact on the environment, and on you and me, cannot be measured in bribes...I mean campaign contributions, community grants from the company, and so forth. And further more, I am extremely opposed to, and ashamed of, the fact that such leaders as George W. Bush, as well as many local "community leaders," have allowed West Texas to be labeled WASTE, Texas. There is time to limit nuclear storage, prevent extremely dangerous waste from entering Texas, and above all, to once and for all time declare that this is West Texas, not Waste, Texas!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
West Texas
The deed is finally done. I said goodbye to the Third Coast and Some'r Surfin' on Thursday night and headed for central Texas. After a brief stopover at my mother's place, I traveled on to West Texas. I arrived in Midland just after 5:00 P.M. and just in time to visit with Child B before she left Midland for points unknown. I will see her again Monday. Later last night, I had dinner with Child A. He is also starting a new job and seems to be really happy with his new company. Unhappily, I had to leave my spouse in Houston, but she will make the trip out here in a few weeks...much better than the two year separation we had last time.
I am happy to be back out here in the desert; after all, it was my exposure to this area that eventually inspired to tale of Bailey Black. As I have mentioned on occasion, the pure blue sky and the unmatchable sunsets offset the sometimes less than spectacular scenery around the immediate Midland area. Just a few miles further west you will run across the sand dunes that comprise one of the largest beaches in the world, although they forgot to add water years ago when the dunes were formed. Yes, I will miss my daily walks along the beach, but I will save several dollars per week in Cheetos which I will no longer be feeding to the sea gulls. My spouse has always loved West Texas and she is thrilled to be returning to her old stomping ground.
As far as this blog, I still do not have Internet service, but there are a number of free wi-fi spots around so this will not be an issue. I really appreciate all my readers and I especially thank you for staying with me during the past few days when I was off the air. I will turn on my opinion mill again as I assume my new position in West Texas. So many things are going on locally, across the state, and across the nation. Around the world things just keep spiraling out of control. And at the same time good things are happening all around us. I believe that the good outweighs and overcomes the bad and that is as it should be. But occasionally bad things happen, corrupt officials try to use their power corruptly, and war and terror rage on. I try to keep an optimistic outlook (my wife's true function in life) as well as occasionally comment intelligently on some of the issues.
So...stay tuned. Once again, I appreciate each of you and I wish the best for all of you through the remainder of the year.
I am happy to be back out here in the desert; after all, it was my exposure to this area that eventually inspired to tale of Bailey Black. As I have mentioned on occasion, the pure blue sky and the unmatchable sunsets offset the sometimes less than spectacular scenery around the immediate Midland area. Just a few miles further west you will run across the sand dunes that comprise one of the largest beaches in the world, although they forgot to add water years ago when the dunes were formed. Yes, I will miss my daily walks along the beach, but I will save several dollars per week in Cheetos which I will no longer be feeding to the sea gulls. My spouse has always loved West Texas and she is thrilled to be returning to her old stomping ground.
As far as this blog, I still do not have Internet service, but there are a number of free wi-fi spots around so this will not be an issue. I really appreciate all my readers and I especially thank you for staying with me during the past few days when I was off the air. I will turn on my opinion mill again as I assume my new position in West Texas. So many things are going on locally, across the state, and across the nation. Around the world things just keep spiraling out of control. And at the same time good things are happening all around us. I believe that the good outweighs and overcomes the bad and that is as it should be. But occasionally bad things happen, corrupt officials try to use their power corruptly, and war and terror rage on. I try to keep an optimistic outlook (my wife's true function in life) as well as occasionally comment intelligently on some of the issues.
So...stay tuned. Once again, I appreciate each of you and I wish the best for all of you through the remainder of the year.
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