Grateful Dead

....was in Quebec. Solar flare breakouts seem to come about every 5 years Well, I best go out and buy a top-o-the-line genny to make sure my E72 box works besides in the car. Guess the Chinese are wasting their efforts hacking into our grids. Think I'll go back to my Project Ra and control the sun!

About to hit your neighborhood. Particularly disturbing was this tidbit that I saw in one report, about potential consequences if the Big One hits: A 2009 report by a panel of scientists assembled by NASA said that a sustained and powerful solar flare outbreak could overwhelm high-voltage transformers with electrical currents and short-circuit energy grids. The report, titled "Severe Space Weather Events -- Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts" warned that such a catastrophic event could cost the United States alone up to two trillion US dollars in repairs in the first year -- and it could take up to 10 years to fully recover. I could be typing along and have this whole electronic world of ours collapse without warni

...and rulers of repressive regimes shoot to kill, kidnap, turture, rape and generally put on the status quo -- Algeria: Violent crackdown on protesters Libya: Khadaffy rants with usual deadly malice Syria: Don't even think about it Jordan: The King moves -- Too little, too late Israel: Little is being said (Better disarray among your enemies than array) Iran: The usual assortment of jagg-offs calling for death to protesters Bahrain: (Home of the US 5th Naval Fleet) Massive crackdown with shotguns, concussion grenades and thuggery to clear the main square overnight. The US fairly occupies Bharain and will never let it go. Not much of this is different except the extent, broadcast content and the beating and raping of Western journalists. I think it's time to nationalize the oil companies and use their profits to turn to alternative fuels. This part of the world is fucked for the next 100 years at least with 100,000,000 of the population under the age of 18.in a struggle to rearrange their economic exertions. Mr. Pid: -- I applaud the current nonviolent efforts of these people under colonial dictators to free themselves and from my relative position am not afraid to say so. ~ Get up, Stand up. Stand up for your rights ~

I hope so too.

you say can and will be used against you. Here or abroad, apparently. Hopefully one day all people everywhere will feel comfortable expressing themselves no matter where they are, and be prepared to respect the point of view of every one else whether they agree with them or not. Conversation is always more interesting than recitation, so speak your mind and not someone else's.

on the local TV news last night, it was a story in itself, how the local Iranian-Americans politely but firmly refused to talk to local media at all because anything they said would be back in Tehran getting family in trouble in a heartbeat. The Internet as two-edged sword.

.......wow...

who's a US citizen now, but was born in the Middle East and has family all over the region, including Israel, and she says, you think I'm going to talk politics on Facebook? Are you insane?

so I'm thinkin' she's alright.....

I was very struck by all the bright young Egyptians speaking perfect American English to the cameras.