Stories about the fictional planet Nibiru and predictions of doomsday in December 2012 have blossomed on the Internet. There are now (June 2009) more than 175 books listed on Amazon.com dealing with the 2012 doomsday. As this hoax spreads, many more disaster scenarios are being suggested. “Ask an Astrobiologist” has received nearly a thousand questions about Nibiru and 2012, with more than 200 answers posted.

(Ask an Astrobiologist, NASA blog)

***sigh, but on the other hand …

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.

(Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower, Guardian, 11/09/09)

Oh yeah … the masses have to be convinced that December 21, 2012 has no forseeable major disasters coming, but where there IS a major and forseeable disaster coming at us like a freight train … why … [stick head in sand after shoving fingers deeply inside ears].

As NASA’s astrobiologist wrote: “I note that my desk calendar ends much sooner, on December 31 2009, but I do not interpret this as a prediction of Armageddon. It is just the beginning of a new year.”

(This is just too damned funny to not highlight. – promoted by JulieWaters)

GMD is stridently left of center, to such an extent that its “editors” and commentators expend great effort trying to outdo each other in demonizing, denigrating or marginalizing those Vermonters who disagree with or question their opinions. If this were merely individual citizens having an online discussion about people they revile, it would be just another easily ignored extremist hate site.

(Be mindful of who’s writing, Letter to the editor, Times Argus, 11/06/09)

but at least not all the rest of the world approves.

[updated … I neglected to include part 1 … here it is]

President Obama … why are you standing up for all those good Nazis who were “just following orders”? Why are you defending those good Nazis who gave the orders?

Grins

and

Guffaws

Environmental Defense Fund will send a team of experts to Havana, Cuba, on Sunday to discuss ways to eliminate overfishing, protect coral reefs, conserve coastal areas, and tap potential ocean energy – a signal that greater environmental cooperation may be on the horizon.

. . .

EDF has asked the Obama administration to ease policies that limit scientific exchanges between U.S. and Cuban scientists and conservation professionals. Last month the U.S. State Department issued visas for four Cuban environmental officials to attend scientific meetings …

(United States Scientists Visit Cuba to Discuss Overfishing, Coral Reefs, Ocean Energy and Ocean Issues, Reuters, 10/23/09)

Thank you President Obama.

Burlington Telecom is drawing ire and fire from the Douglas administration and others for making use of a $17 million dollar loan from the city of Burlington. It appears Department of Public Services Commissioner is concerned about the fiscal risk to taxpayers among other things. (Burlington’s telecom foray runs into $17 million snag, Times Argus, 10/23/09)

At least folks are talking about re-payment.

Meanwhile Fairpoint, which according to the Times Argus “paid $2.4 billion for the [Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine] network, is mired in debt and edging closer to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, which would allow the North Carolina corporation to restructure”, is taking an entirely different and more market based approach … they’ve applied for almost $38 million dollars in grant money from the federal government to help bail their financial asses out! (FairPoint calls on unions to help avoid bankruptcy, Times Argus, 10/23/09)

Tom Evslin, the state official who is transitioning from being Vermont’s Recovery Officer to its Chief Technology Officer, said this build-out is in addition to what FairPoint has already promised the state that it would do.

“We did sign a letter of recommendation for this funding,” Evslin said.

Nope – nobody talks about repayment there.

And certainly Montpelier’s cautionary tale on making deals with financially shaky firms isn’t having any play in this.

Here’s the unpleasant truth, and it has been recognized across the existing power structure’s political spectrum: bringing modern day communications to Vermont requires government intervention and public cash.

Stop beating up on BT for needing the helping hand, put ECFiberNet high on the priorities list, encourage more locally controlled municipal communications ventures, and then maybe … if they can prove they deserve it … pass that money on to Fairpoint.

Well no … not really … at least as far as I know.

What I did want to point out was this posting at Media Matters for America regarding ACORN and phony right wing smear jobs and I want to give a full middle finger salute to those like Welch who’s rush to censure ACORN over a fabricated event was bested only by Welch’s own fawning and stumbling rush to get Bush’s autograph at a State of the Union address.

Anyway here’s part of what you need to have fresh in mind

Russell can be seen holding police report in O’Keefe’s October 21 video. O’Keefe’s video shows footage from Russell’s September 17, 2009, YouTube video in which she made statements about O’Keefe’s and Giles’ visit to the Philadelphia ACORN office. Russell said that following O’Keefe’s visit, “We called the police and filed this report.” In his October 21 video, O’Keefe does not dispute that ACORN filed a police report about his visit.

Below is an image of the police report, which Media Matters has confirmed is on file with the Philadelphia Police Department:

(In “heavily edited” video rebuttal, O’Keefe does not dispute Philly police report filed after his visit to ACORN office, Media Matters for America, 10/21/09)

That’s right … seems O’Keefe & co were being turned in to the cops BY ACORN all across the country … literally.

Thanks Peter.

so why aren’t the DC Democrats listening? (Maybe they are? Can we get it in more than name only?)

New polling results released by the Washington Post.

First the numbers you’re going to hear about on the “news”: The nation is evenly divided when it comes to supporting or opposing the changes in health insurance being proposed by the Obama administration and Congress. 45% of the Washington Post-ABC News poll said they support the proposed changes, but 47% are opposed.

Now you know what you’ll hear … let’s get on to the real story.

10/18/09 – Summary Table

a. Expanding health care coverage to people who don’t have it now                              

b. Controlling the costs of health care overall

8. Would you support or oppose having the government create a new health insurance plan to compete with private health insurance plans? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?

Vermont’s Commissioner of Education, Armando Vilaseca, is determined to take your kids school days away from you. His latest gig in central Vermont is encouraging Montpelier city’s high school and U-32 to pursue something neither district is actually pursuing: a merger.

(While Vilaseca pushes for a political win in the guise of a merged supervisory district, the two boards are actually talking about sharing resources – not legal oversight.)

Local control is the best known phrase that gets in the way of Vilaseca’s dream of lordship over our public school system, but a lesser known phrase is also at play.

Local accountability would disappear along with the last remnants of local control. Under Vilaseca’s dream, parents would lose the easy accessibility of a school board made up of neighbors, and this is important.

As a local school board member I am available. People know who I am, and they know how to reach me. Folks know I am approachable and I will listen regardless our personal feelings towards each other. If I am not reflecting local community values I can be persuaded to change or acquiesce.

All of this is important because I help make decisions that directly affect the day to day treatment of their kids. Our school board sets the school’s policy and direction on where resources should be directed, whether to hire an extra teacher on short notice, was that incident involving bullying something that should result in expulsion or merely a talking to, where will the school buses stop and more.

The same expectations of communications and responsibility back to the community member are lost with physical distance and lack of personal acquaintance.

There are a lot of practical problems with Vilaseca’s desire to force centralized command and control on our local school systems (well beyond today’s already often burdensome set of demands). How many hours per day on a school bus are too many? Why wouldn’t we be able to save more by making liberal use of modern day communications for the likes of distance learning? If we need to be reducing school staff to more closly align with fewer students (something that is not true across the board by the way), why does the state keep sending us new programs and policies to implement?

And my biggest question: where in Vermont has school district consolidation resulted in a less expensive system?

“Parents who live in Middlesex drive through Montpelier to get to their high school,” [Vilaseca] said. “Whether that’s right or wrong, is there a better way?” (Education chief says merger talks should continue, Times Argus, 10/19/09)

Yes, there is a better way Mr. Vilaseca. That better way would be for those Middlesex parents who would prefer their kids attend the Montpelier school be given that right. Better yet … a high school local to the Middlesex community that uses any number of concepts enabled by today’s ability to easily make use of audio/video and other types of electronic sharing. Consolidation is not a part of it at all.

And Vilaseca’s club? He has the authority to redraw supervisory district lines … well not exactly. According to Title 16, Chapter 3, Section 165 of Vermont’s statutes that privilege rests with the State Board of Education.

We have enough issues with maintaining cohesive communities. We don’t need to add centralized command and control Soviet style governance over our for now local school systems.

From notable achievements and new discoveries to trials and tribulations and harbingers of hope, the Mars Exploration Rovers seemed to experience the gamut on the Red Planet this September, their 69th month on an expedition that originally set out back in 2004 for a three-month tour.

(Embedded Spirit Waits Exit Approval, Opportunity Celebrates New Mars Year with New Record, Planetary Society, 09/30/09)

I almost wanna sing the theme song from Gilligan’s Island.

By the way, for a really small ($25 … more if you choose) fee you can join the Planetary Society. You’ll not only get a really great magazine, but you’ll also join up with folks interested in doing … not just watching!

(As my daughter assures me)

Girls go to college to get knowledge.

Boys go to Jupiter to get stupider.

(Let me just add)

Robots go to Mars to be cars!