In pushing for the Obama Administration's approval of TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, the North American oil industry and its political patrons argue that the pipeline is necessary for American energy security and its construction will help wean America of dependence on Mideast oil. But a closer look at the new realities of the global oil market and at the companies who will profit from the pipeline reveals a completely different story: Keystone XL will not lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but rather transport Canadian oil to American refineries for export to overseas markets. read on. link

Environmentalist Objections

TransCanada claims their pipelines are the safest in the continent. And the State Department seems inclined to agree having released their Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Keystone XL pipeline last week. They find that the pipeline poses "no significant impacts" to the environment, and advise the project move forward.

So what about the 12 spills along the Keystone I line in its first year of operation? Since commencing operation in June of 2010, the Keystone I pipeline has suffered more spills than any other 1st year pipeline in U.S. history.

In addition to a nasty spill record, the proposed Keystone XL will cross one of the largest aquifers in the world - the Ogallala - which supplies drinking water to millions and provides 30% of the nation's groundwater used for irrigation. Pipeline construction will also disrupt 20,782 acres, including 11,485 acres of native and modified grassland, rangeland and pastureland, and pipeline construction will threaten sensitive wildlife and aquatic species habitats.

According to the EPA, carbon emissions from tar sands crude are approximately 82% higher than the average crude refined in the U.S. Given the extremely toxic nature of tar sands bitumen and the fact that Keystone is TransCanada's first wholly owned pipeline in the U.S., it seems reasonable to look to TransCanada's performance with Keystone I for clues on how it would manage Keystone XL. link

Eight helicopters on loan from the Illinois National Guard were expected to arrive Tuesday night in Vermont to help the Vermont National Guard deliver food, medicine, water and other supplies to 13 Vermont towns cut off from the rest of the state in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene.

The outside helicopter support is needed because all six of the Vermont Guard's Black Hawk helicopters are still in Iraq, where they and 55 Vermont soldiers are wrapping up a yearlong hospital transport mission, said Lt. Lloyd Goodrow, spokesman for the Vermont Guard.

The eight helicopters being sent in include six massive, double-bladed Chinook choppers and two smaller Black Hawk helicopters, said Vermont Guard Capt. Doran Metzger. link

Plans while there:
Viewing the U.S. Open tennis open on their big screen t.v. - will be great.

Use their jacuzzi. A treat for my back which has been giving me fits the last couple of weeks.

It's not the first time Idaho lawmakers have passed abortion laws that they were warned likely would be found unconstitutional. In the past decade, Idaho has spent more than $730,000 to defend restrictive abortion laws that ended up being struck down by courts. Those costly rulings prompted legislative leaders in recent years to require that abortion-related legislation be reviewed by the Idaho attorney general's office.

First of all, a federal judge has blocked implementation of Texas' new ultrasound law pending a court case, luckily before a single patient was subjected to the onerous restrictions. The law would have required women to listen to a condescending lecture about abortion (from a doctor who doesn't even agree!), put through a medically unnecessary sonogram using the vaginal probe instead of a less invasive technique, and then sent home for 24 hours to think about what a naughty girl she is.

SNIP

The other beam of light in the darkness is this NPR report on the Justice Department's amped-up efforts to prosecute abortion "protesters" who move beyond mere verbal harassment of women entering family planning clinics and into physically obstructing women or employees from entering clinics.

So, everybody knows that Obama has promised us a big speech to lay out his plan to create jobs. And because it will be the best speech evah about jobs, Obama decided it required that he deliver the speech before a joint session of Congress, ala the State of the Union. I don't get it, but that's what he wants.

Two possible dates, both presenting scheduling conflicts: give the speech on Wed. Sept.7 and conflict with a Republican presidential debate, or give the speech the next night, Sept. 8, and go up against the first game of the new NFL season.

Obama opted for the 7th. Everybody was notified. The courtesy letters to Boehner and Reid, asking for permission to address Congress went out. Pretty pro forma so far.

Boehner balked and insisted that the speech take place on the 8th. Blah, blah, blah, and the White House caves. Take that NFL.

If a drunk alcoholic driver kills a bunch of people is it the trucking company or the EEOC that is on the hook for damages?

Libyan rebels round up black Africans

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- Rebel forces and armed civilians are rounding up thousands of black Libyans and migrants from sub-Sahara Africa, acccusing them of fighting for ousted strongman Moammar Gadhafi and holding them in makeshift jails across the capital.

Virtually all of the detainees say they are innocent migrant workers, and in most cases there is no evidence that they are lying. But that is not stopping the rebels from placing the men in facilities like the Gate of the Sea sports club, where about 200 detainees -- all black -- clustered on a soccer field this week, bunching against a high wall to avoid the scorching sun.

Next week in Chicago, the Administration kicks off the eighth round of Trans-Pacific free trade agreement talks with multiple Asian nations. The nine-day negotiation includes talks with Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, Peru and Chile, but whatever comes out of the talks is intended to be a "docking agreement" to which larger nations in Asia and South America can sign up. That would include Japan, India and Taiwan; heck, it could include mainland China. This has been in the works for many years, and the Obama Administration has been negotiating since late 2009. The soft deadline for a Trans-Pacific FTA is November, just two months from now. link

Seriously, yesterday was the first day in 45 that is wasn't 100+.  Suppose to rain through Sunday, possibly an inch, which is more then we have gotten all summer.  A normal summer, 6 days over 100, not consecutive.  

It's weird, they are running low on water, not because of the drought per se, but the clay soil here shrinks without water and we are having water main issues, schools having to use portable toilets, and millions of gallons just running down the streets, they city can't keep up.  
Sucks.