What Will Our Grandchildren Inherit?

Good evening! It's been a long day. Grandpoppy finished eating supper and has gone to bed. Tonight, I served my pan fried chicken, that I always dip and coat it in my buttermilk batter. The heap of warm buttery mashed potatoes and roasted ears of corn-on-the-cob, went well with fresh side salads of tender young greens, garnished with chopped walnuts and sliced strawberries, for good measure! Of course, to compliment the main course, sat my hot baked pan of country style buttermilk cut biscuits dripping with Irish butter waiting to be crowned with drizzles of golden honey from my ceramic honey pot, sitting at the ready, on the kitchen table. Yum!

There has been so much unsettling news reported today. The news of misery and human suffering, only redeemed by displays of human kindness and quiet unexpected heroism, that inspires and encourages a spiritual desire for re-creation and imitation. Thank G-d, for those ordinary men and women who bear the heart of divine goodness, surprising and shaking lesser men from complacent cynicism, eternally tipping the balance between good and evil.

One bright spot in the news, featured a small report that Pres. Trump's diplomatic envoy-- Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson displayed a modicum of decency and good manners, thanking Mexico and Canada for their gracious and generous offers, to lend their aid and help, to America. Mr. Tillerson, responded the way one would expect a well-mannered adult, in spite of Pres. Trump's previous undignified and reprehensible insults to the pride and sensibilities of historically peaceful, neighboring foreign powers, residing on both sides of our country.  

The totality of today's news has left me feeling emotionally anxious and exhausted, worrying about the world that my generation will leave behind to our Grandchildren, and I still have dishes to do!(Hee-Hee!)

But, even so... I am old enough to know and plant the seeds of my hope...relying on a noble return... that the good in man, outweighs the bad. Most importantly...holding to G-d's unchanging hand, believing that ...all is not lost! Yet.

                                                  "Good Night!" and "Sweet Dreams!"

                                                               "Boner Appetite!"

The Disaster After The Disaster...

Good evening! Grandpoppy's feasted like a King with a plate loaded up with his favorite foods. The main course of chicken fried pork steak and its browned crispy coating laid smothered in country style milk gravy. A buttery pile of creamy mashed potatoes adorned the 12 o'clock position on his plate, while a hearty helping of green beans mixed with sauteed onions and a generous sprinkle of crispy fried bacon bits rested on top. Tall glasses of Lipton iced tea complimented our late dinner and Grandpoppy's approval.

There was a published article earlier today, about the Arkema Chemical plant in Crosby, Texas. It cautiously warned of another disaster teetering on the precipice of time, simply waiting to happen.

In fact, this evening, Rachel Maddow even discussed this looming explosion in the offing. Just when so many Texans are feeling the most vulnerable after the devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey. The evacuees are being informed of the possibility of another impending catastrophe looming, at their doorstep. The only question remaining is "when", not "if ".

Trump has already made budget cuts to so many governmental services and departments, like FEMA and the EPA. When this expected and highly anticipated explosion occurs, blowing the small town of Crosby,TX off the map, who will be responsible for the the residual cleanup and disaster relief? Who will oversee the cleanup? How will this new disaster after the last Texas-size disaster be handled? Many Texans are anxiously throwing their hands up in the air asking, "What's next?"

Our Texas brothers and sisters...you remain in our prayers tonight.

                                                "Good Night!" and "Sweet Dreams!"

                                                             "Boner Appertite!"


Chemical plant struck by Harvey now apt to explode
By Matt Dempsey


Updated 5:25 pm, Wednesday, August 30, 2017
Crosby fire officials are bracing for an explosion at the Arkema chemical plant in the city where floodwaters have knocked out power and generators needed to keep volatile chemicals stored at the facility cool.

All employees of the plant at 18000 Crosby Eastgate Road were evacuated late Tuesday, as were resident from about 300 homes within a mile and a half of the plant.

At a press conference Wednesday, Rich Rowe, Arkema's CEO said that if the volatile organic peroxides stored at the plant get too warm, some sort of explosion is inevitable.


"There is no way to prevent an explosion or fire," Rowe said.

Late Monday night, the facility lost power from both its primary supply and its backup generators. Employees moved the highly volatile organic peroxides into back-up containers to keep them cool. If that class of chemical gets too hot, it can cause fires or explosions.

The Crosby Fire Department evacuated its last employee Tuesday night. Eleven other staff members had been evacuated during the afternoon when the refrigeration in some of the back-up containers also started to fail.


Once government officials saw the chemical inventories for the facility, they ordered the evacuation of nearby resident.

Tammy Peek is one of those evacuees. She lambasted the company Wednesday morning in a series of tweets, questioning why it warn people as soon as its plant lost power.

"You have put our lives in jeopardy," Peek posted.

On Wednesday Rowe apologized to the people of Crosby for the threat posed by the facility and thanked emergency management and first responder officials for their help. He said while the company planned for a worst case scenario, and even brought on extra generators to account for any power loss, the magnitude of the storm overwhelmed the company's plan.


"It's impossible to predict with 100 percent confidence a situation like this," said Rowe. "No one anticipated six feet of water."

It would be surprising if Arkema had not considered a scenario like this, said Sam Mannan of Texas A&M University's Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center. Typically, companies can quench organic peroxides in situations like this by combining them with another chemical, eliminating the danger.

"You'll lose the feedstock, but it's safer than letting it go into runaway mode," Mannan said.

The plant has been shut down since Friday in anticipation of the storm.

The Arkema facility was among the Houston-area sites with the highest potential for harm in an incident, according to a 2016 analysis by the O'Connor Process Safety Center and the Houston Chronicle. That analysis factored risks based on the amount and type of dangerous chemicals on site and their proximity to the public.

It could be six days until the floodwaters at the Arkema plant recede enough for people to get access to the chemical stores. The company is able to see the temperatures of some of the freezer trailers but not all of them and has no ability to cool off the chemicals.

"Assuming there is a fire, you'll see a typical black smoke plume," said Rowe.

He downplayed any long-term impact or any toxic inhalation hazards from a fire or explosion at the plant, saying he was not aware of anything the public should be concerned about.

Rowe refused to release the company's federally mandated risk management plan or its chemical inventory to reporters.
                                       

Wood Ticks and Tree-Hugger Conversations

Good evening! Supper is finished and the homemade "Granny Burgers", satisfied our hunger for juicy, thick hamburgers served with creamy sweet coleslaw, mustard flavored deviled-egg potato salad and Boston baked beans hot from the oven. I served our cold beverages of Lipton brewed black pekoe tea poured over ice and served in tall, chilled turquoise tea glasses with wedges of sliced lemon. Grandpoppy and I, both left the table, full as a wood tick!

After consuming our sumptuous, but modern, 2 course meal of meat and complimentary vegetable dishes, we retired to the small knotty-pine paneled parlour. Patiently waiting through multiple tv advertisements, we were eventually rewarded with our favorite evening news program, returned to the screen. Today's news from the gulf coast could be described as discouraging at best and the latest international news from North Korea, could best be described as disturbing.

Like Al Gore and so many other environmental activists have proclaimed, warning humanity, that we are living in a time, when we are standing at the crossroads of history... it daily becomes even more consciously and pragmatically real.

We are living in a time of manifest science, when humans must unite our efforts to save our planet and ourselves, from the effects of man-made destruction. Time is short, before the destruction becomes irreversible and there is no recovery or salvation possible. Global warming is no longer a weird tree-hugger conversation of scientific theory, but an indisputable scientific fact. Are we going to choose to save our planet and ourselves? How do we do that?


Excerpt from the Washington Post Article:

Harvey should be the turning point in fighting climate change

And whenever it’s over, Houston should use Harvey to jump-start its transition from the country’s epicenter for oil and gas to a world capital of alternative energies. If the city can turn this devastating tragedy into an existential moment of reinvention after the storm, then a decade from now we may argue that it was worth it.


                                        "Good Night!" and "Sweet Dreams!"

                                                      "Boner Appertite!"

Pay To Build A Useless Wall or Pay For Cholera?

Good afternoon! The horrific devastation continues in Houston and the Texas coastline all along the gulf. The photos of Hurricane Harvey's individuals and their whole families left victim to the residual massive flooding in Houston, is inundating thousands of homes leaving many thousands of people homeless, is heartbreaking!

The contamination of water to the city of Houston and surrounding communities may become another very real medical emergency needing the assistance of the EPA for testing and safeguarding the state of Texas. Since Trump has slashed the EPA Dept. budget and personnel--who will be handling this problem?

Texans and Houstonians DO NOT need useless Presidential photo-ops that glorify Trump. If that is all he has to offer victims of this natural disaster---he needs to keep his ass back at the White House! Empathy and compassion for these victims could be this President's greatest redeeming contribution, in addition to support and supplemental prioritization of federal aid to the suffering citizens of America. Unfortunately, Trump would rather fund his useless wall and avoid spending the national treasury to provide hands-on help to Houston and the gulf coast!

Where are the staff advising Pres. Trump if the possibility of Cholera and its devastating and far-reaching implications are left ignored and unaddressed by the EPA and other government agencies. He will then be responsible for the illness, infections and death of affected Hurricane Harvey victims. That's not a good photo-op or op-ed for the world to watch or read about. It would be a damning recommendation on a Presidential resume.

Texans with Cholera would make a really ugly front page cover story for Trump!

                                                 "Boner Appetite!"

Cholera

Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative, comma-shaped bacterium. The bacterium's natural habitat is brackish or saltwater. Some strains of V. cholerae cause the disease cholera. V. cholerae is a facultative anaerobe^[1] and has a flagellum at one cell pole as well as pili. V. cholerae can undergo respiratory and fermentative metabolism. When ingested, V. cholerae can cause diarrhea and vomiting in a host within several hours to 2–3 days of ingestion. V. cholerae was first isolated as the cause of cholera by Italian anatomist Filippo Pacini in 1854,^[2] but his discovery was not widely known until Robert Koch, working independently 30 years later, publicized the knowledge and the means of fighting the disease.

Ecology and epidemiology[edit]

The main reservoirs of V. cholerae are people and aquatic sources such as brackish water and estuaries, often in association with copepods or other zooplankton, shellfish, and aquatic plants.^[14]

Cholera infections are most commonly acquired from drinking water in which V. cholerae is found naturally or into which it has been introduced from the feces of an infected person. Other common vehicles include contaminated fish and shellfish, produce, or leftover cooked grains that have not been properly reheated. Transmission from person to person, even to health care workers during epidemics, is rarely documented. V. cholerae thrives in a aquatic environment, particularly in surface water. The primary connection between humans and pathogenic strains is through water, particularly in economically reduced areas that do not have good water purification systems.^[9]

Nonpathogenic strains are also present in water ecologies. The wide variety of pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains that co-exist in aquatic environments are thought to allow for so many genetic varieties. Gene transfer is fairly common amongst bacteria, and recombination of different V. cholerae genes can lead to new virulent strains.^[15]

A symbiotic relationship between V. cholerae and Ruminococcus obeum has been determined. R. obeum autoinducer represses the expression of several V. cholerae virulence factors. This inhibitory mechanism is likely to be present in other gut microbiota species which opens the way to mine the gut microbiota of members in specific communities which may utilize autoinducers or other mechanisms in order to restrict colonization by V.cholerae or other enteropathogens.

Trump Shames America...

Good evening! The gun metal gray clouds have hovered overhead today, with a solemn, but silent presence that mitigated the serene opus of nature's constant crashing waves against the Pacific shore. The relentless hours of rain and flooding compound the misery and grief, suffered by our fellow American brothers and sisters living in Texas and the gulf coast states. Our continued prayers and heartfelt sympathy goes out to them.

The respected leadership and strength found in the common sense and altruistic character of Gov. Greg Abbott and men like retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, inspire ordinary citizens to pull together to lend assistance in rescue, united in the purpose to work to ease the grievous suffering of the citizen's in their community, through generous acts of kindness given without charge or expectation of remuneration. This is the work that quiet heroes do.

I was freshly shocked and ashamed of our President today, when I heard the report on MSNBC this afternoon, that Mexico had offered its assistance to America during this natural disaster and that Pres. Trump did not have the decency or manners to shoot off one of his twitter bits to politely and graciously thank them.

The reporter asked the question about how Pres. Trump should respond to this message, after he has recklessly, rudely and repeatedly bad-mouthed the Mexican people?

Might I suggest: head bowed, eyes lowered with his hat in his hand and shame written all over his rudely arrogant and conceited face.

It is a blessing to have a neighbor who offers and expressly wishes to give assistance to a hurting and suffering people, with whom it shares its natural geographic border. That is especially true when the President of the United States of America, has intentionally insulted and made multiple unsubstantiated offending accusations. Who is the Christian nation in this scenario?

 Excerpt from: Newsweek Magazine Article

AS TRUMP ATTACKS MEXICO ON TWITTER, IT OFFERS TO BE A 'GOOD NEIGHBOR' AND HELP TEXAS AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY

BY JOHN HALTIWANGER ON 8/28/17 AT 4:32 PM

While the Mexican government clearly took issue with Trump's assertions about who would pay for the wall, it also said, "The Mexican government takes this opportunity to express its full solidarity with the people and government of the United States as a result of the damages caused by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and expresses that it has offered to provide help and cooperation to the U.S. government in order to deal with the impact of this natural disaster—as good neighbors should always do in trying times."

Even as Trump attacked and criticized Mexico on Twitter, it still felt inclined to offer Texas and the U.S. its support amid a natural disaster, but it's not clear whether Trump will accept this assistance. 

In a statement emailed to The Washington Post Sunday night, the U.S. State Department said, "It is common during hurricanes and other significant weather events for the U.S. Government to be in close contact with our neighbors and partners in the region to share data and cooperate as needed and appropriate. If a need for assistance does arise, we will work with our partners, including Mexico, to determine the best way forward."

This isn't the first time Mexico has offered to help Americans in need. In 2005, the Mexican military provided aid in Louisiana and Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina. Over three weeks, it served 170,000 meals, helped distribute more than 184,000 tons of supplies and conducted more than 500 medical consultations, the Post reported. The assistance Mexico provided helped save lives. 

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who led the country during Katrina (and who's been an outspoken critic of Trump), recalled in a tweet how his country assisted the U.S. in 2005 and asked whether Trump would "let Mexicans help this time."

                               "Good Night! and Sweet Dreams!"

                                           "Boner Appertite!"

Go Ahead...Shut Down The Government, For That Wall Now!

Good evening! Grandpoppy didn't rest well last night and is catching an early catnap on the office couch. I am trying carefully to write this as he is sleeping soundly and I do not want to disturb him till time for the late news to come on television.

I watched a modest amount of MSNBC and CNN news today for brief periods between doing laundry, breakfast dishes and fixing some supper for later. I heard the Red Cross and multiple other relief agencies, as well as some various college football associations are asking for donations to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

This reminded me of the televised desperation of the distressed victims of Hurricane Katrina's devastation and their daily cries for help in the disease and stench-filled days following the morbid aftermath. Countless overwhelming cries for help rang out to the mayor of New Orleans, the Governor of Louisiana, FEMA and finally the President. No one listened, maybe because the power brokers at the top of the heap, just didn't care.

I remember the early morning interview of political consultant, James Carville, on "Good Morning America", back in 2005. Carville was blatantly pointed in his plead for help from the President and Congress to do something, for the relief of his fellow citizens, family and neighbors in New Orleans. As I watched him plead so passionately, I thought for a minute that he was going to breakdown in tears and start uncontrollably bawling, on national tv!

Instead, it was his adamant expression of earnest and profound sincerity, that undeniably stirred my soul and moved me to tears. James Carville was unapologetic in his determined attempt to grab the attention of the world, shaming and shaking powerful political men from their apathetic sleep that came to allow and distanced them, from the socially inhumane slide into a state of complete indifference and inaction, in the first place... until that moment!

Meteorological weather reports from the "Weather Channel", predict continued historical amounts of rainfall till Wednesday. When the full extent of damage is assessed, I wonder if FEMA will have the funds to cover Hurricane Harvey's damage to 60 counties in Texas? Will government funding terminate or will Congress appropriate funding extensions that might cut into Trump's bully threat of prioritization for his favorite sacred cow... to build a useless wall across the Texas/Mexico border?

If Pres. Trump carries through on his pledge to "shut down the government", till he gets the funding for his border wall, I wonder how many suffering and devastated Texas Republican voters will be singing the blues come the 2018 elections?


                                                "Good Night! and Sweet Dreams!"

                                                             "Boner Appertite!"

In Louisiana, it's one damned thing after another: James Carville

By: Patrap, 1:51 PM GMT on June 01, 2010

In Louisiana, it's one damned thing after another: James Carville

Henry Ford once described history as "one damned thing after another." And he didn't even live in Louisiana.


Much has been made of my outburst toward the Obama administration on May 26 on "Good Morning America" when I exclaimed, "Man, you got to get down here and take control of this! Put somebody in charge of this thing and get this moving. We're about to die down here!" But those emotions had been percolating below the surface like the crude that threatens our way of life today.

But while it is important to note that the tepid response to this catastrophe is unacceptable, it is also essential that the rest of the country understand that this feeling of neglect has festered amongst South Louisianians for generations. It's just one damned thing after another, so the anger rising out of the Gulf is not new.


For too long, the federal government and industry alike has simultaneously abused and neglected, patronized and plundered, and now polluted the people of Louisiana. And our plight is now a national emergency.

For decades, massive engineering projects across the country have made us more vulnerable. We lose a football field of land every 38 minutes. Since World War II, we've lost wetlands the size of the state of Delaware. I bet Joe Biden would be screaming on national television too if it was happening on his turf. Or if the Hamptons lost 16,000 acres a year, you bet there'd be a Million Hedge Fund Managers march on Washington to demand action.

We feel ourselves ever more vulnerable due to the nonstop degradation of our wetlands, which serve as our first line of defense against hurricanes and powerful storm surge. Their loss has everything to do with activities across the rest of the country, starting with the deprivation of natural sediment that the Mississippi River should carry to its mouth and dump at the Gulf of Mexico to nourish our barrier islands.

Then the oil companies dredged canals in the marshlands in an attempt to grow an industry that now provides the country with more than 30 percent of its domestic oil and natural gas. Salt-water intrusion killed the marsh. These marshlands provide jobs for tens of thousands of fisherman in an industry that provides over 30 percent of this country's domestic seafood supply.

Add that to the fact that we have not seen a single penny of royalties for oil produced more than six miles off our coast. We assume all of the risk, produce seafood and oil and gas, with none of the reward. Yes, $165 billion of royalties have gone to the federal treasury that could go to help repair this pressing issue.

But there's more.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, federal judge Stanwood Duval Jr. found that the Army Corps of Engineers had displayed "gross negligence ... insouciance, myopia, and shortsightedness." He continued, "The corps not only knew, but admitted by 1988, that the MRGO threatened human life." And yet, nothing was done about it until recently.

And then BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster hits us with the deadliest combination imaginable of corporate greed and governmental malfeasance. We've been lied to by BP at every turn, from oil flow estimates to the existence of plumes to health effects.
There's also the blatant malpractice and corruption in the MMS. Free meals, cushy seats at sporting events, and other gifts from the folks they were trying to regulate seemed to cloud the judgment of too many MMS officials to be bothered with protecting the interests of our residents and our way of life.

So we've had two monumental, mostly preventable man-made disasters in five years which brings us to the moment where I said on television the thing that every person who lives south of the I-10,/I-12 corridor agrees with.

We've been abused, neglected and exploited for too long.

And to be brutally honest, part of my frustration is a sense of personal shame that I have known this was going on for a long time and I was ineffective in making Louisiana's case in my years in Washington.

But let me say that it's now time to draw a line in the alluvial mud. We want our fair share of oil revenues now so that we can protect ourselves. And we want to be treated like we matter.

We're not whiners. We produce oil and gas and produce seafood and allow goods to flow freely to the heartland. We assume the risks with little reward.

In the end, whatever past transgressions by the country towards us or whatever our failures to articulate our plight have been, we should be reminded of the words of Admiral Lord Nelson just before the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, "England expects that every man will do his duty." And in this, the most critical hour in our region's long, tortured, and yet glorious history, let's remind ourselves that Louisiana expects every person to do their duty.

This is a struggle for the preservation of our culture, way of life and the land we love.

Political consultant James Carville lives in New Orleans.

Step 1: Destroy Media; Step 2: Destroy the Constitutional Rule of Law; Step 3: Destroy the Banking System...

Good Afternoon! We will be waiting for months, to realize the extent of the devastation and damage to human lives, physical property, state and federal economy that will be affecting Texas cities and many communities from Hurricane Harvey, ahead of America's long task of cleanup. Our hearts and prayers are with all the victims who endure, but surely ...will reclaim their lives and overcome this tragedy, by G-d's grace.

I have faith in their resolute resourcefulness, spiritual and mental fortitude coupled with the help of the nation behind them, to survive and thrive again in spite of the short-term mal-effects of this disaster. My major worry is for the long-term problem that lies ahead of America. A man-made disaster that daily threatens to destroy the fabric of the American culture, society, Consitutional rule of law and ultimately...our democracy.

I was reading about American Economist and Chairwoman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System,  Janet Yellen. She advocates staying with the current course of Federal Reserve banking policies. There is a controversy on both sides of the central bankers' conference in Jackson Hole, that could end up affecting her re-appointment, as Federal Reserve Chief, when her term ends in February 2017.  Regardless of Presidentially favored nominations, all are subject to Senate confirmation. 

What is concerning about this conference is Trump's desire to make a major overhaul of the conservative policies designed and implemented since the last financial crisis. Yellen advocates support to continue strong financial regulations on banks, to prevent any return to another financial crisis, ever again. 

Trump's nomination of Randal Quarles, for the position of the Federal Reserve Vice Chairman of Supervision, complains that banking "stress tests", are too rigorous and complicated.

Yellen counters, " The events of the crisis demanded action, needed reforms were implemented and these reforms have made the banking system safer." 

All king's and successful dictators, follow certain paths that are critical to effectively dismantle and silence opposition and implement mass reliance by their kingdom's demographically disproportionate population of uneducated and naive citizens dependence on their governmental institutions. My fear is that the "dissoulution" of democracy is steadily occurring and like the old metaphor of a perfect snowball rolling down hill to Hell-will become quickly uncontrollable and successfully accomplish its mission.

                                "Good Day!" and "Boner Appertite!"   

Excerpt from the New York Times: 

August 25, 2017 

YELLEN WARNS AGAINST ERASING BANKING  REGULATIONS 

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — Janet L. Yellen, the Federal Reserve chairwoman, delivered a strong rebuttal on Friday to Republican criticism that financial regulation is impeding economic growth.

In a speech that amounted to a warning to the Trump administration, Ms. Yellen said that people were forgetting the lessons of the crisis that began a decade ago. Ms. Yellen argued that the United States must remain committed to strong financial regulation to provide a stable foundation for economic growth.

“Enhanced resilience supports the ability of banks and other financial institutions to lend, thereby supporting economic growth through good times and bad,” she said.

Ms. Yellen extended an olive branch to the Trump administration, saying the Fed wanted to improve regulations, including easing the burden on smaller banks and reviewing restrictions on investment activity by larger banks. But she emphasized that she was not proposing the kind of major overhaul favored by Mr. Trump. “Any adjustments to the regulatory framework should be modest and preserve the increase in resilience at large dealers and banks associated with the reforms put in place in recent years,” she said.

One specific difference concerns the Fed’s annual “stress tests” of large financial institutions. Randal Quarles, nominated by Mr. Trump to serve as the Fed’s vice chairman of supervision, has described the tests as too rigorous and too complicated. Ms. Yellen said testing “has contributed to significant improvements in risk management.”

She noted that large banks have shifted to a more stable mix of financing. Funding from equity investors, or capital, has doubled, while the least stable funding, short-term wholesale borrowing, has been cut roughly in half. “Banks are safer,” Ms. Yellen said.

America's first King...

Good evening! Tonight, Grandpoppy and I are sipping diet Coca-Cola and dining on hand-tossed, thin crust, meat lovers pizza for him and an extra Mozzerella covered, vegetarian pizza for me! We have been alternately watching the MSNBC and CNN "Breaking News", from the worn seats of our comfy living room dual recliners.

There seems a plethora of more disturbing news tonight than normally delivered on what has become the expected chaotic news of the day, every day, on a regular basis under the leadership of Donald Trump.

This southern stormy night, veteran news anchor, Brian Williams professionally engages his audience, succinctly delivering reports that predominantly includes Category 4 Hurricane Harvey approaching landfall soon.

Grandpoppy and I anxiously share our fellow man's fears and apprehensions, as we await the most up-to-date news coverage. We kneel in prayer tonight, lifting up supplication for blessings on the people living in Texas with heart-felt hope that everyone, in the affected areas have heeded the government warnings to evacuate the area for their own safety and well-being! It was reported that some people were turned away from shelter due to the various near-by locations being filled to capacity. We pray that those who were turned away, quickly found shelter around the corner and were embraced into girded safety from the storm.

Pres. Trump pardoned the convicted Maricopa County ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio and announced his Presidential pardon supplanting coverage of Hurricane Harvey via Twitter messaging. Why would Trump do this? Is he afraid Hurricane Harvey will get more media coverage than him? Is he using an oddly timed opportunity during an impending natural disaster, to try to blatantly transmit his message to racists, fascist, KKK, white supremacist friends and Republican base supporters implying that he will give special favors in exchange for their loyalty?

Bill Clinton appointed U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who tried Arpaio's case in her court. Judge Bolton found Arpaio guilty and promptly handed down Arpaio's sentence. Perhaps, it was a collection of several factors that compelled Trump to grant Arpaio his Presidential pardon. Trump may have done so as an effort to solidify his base supporters, perhaps...to immaturely even, thumb his nose at the Clintons, in his show of one-upsmanship of Presidential power. Why he chose tonight to announce granting his Presidential pardon to Arpaio, seems to defy the spirit and genuine intention of the Constitution. Maybe, Trump is simply trying to prove that he has the ultimate power and can hand down edicts and do whatever he wants as President of the United States? Did America elect our first King?

A few morsels of food for thought:


What a Pardon Does Not Do

BY JOSH CLARK

Despite being such a broad and unique power, presidential pardons do have limitations.

When it was established that the pardon is to be used solely to grant reprieve from affronts committed against the United States, a loophole was opened. Pardons have been demonstrated to not legally have an effect on contempt of court charges since, like a civil case, a contempt charge isn't considered an affront to the United States; instead, it's considered an affront to the court.This caveat also provides Congress with a way to get around the presidential pardon. This resulted in the relatively modern concept of the pardon and its use as a political tool. Check out the next page to learn about how the modern pardon has become a double-edged sword for Congress and the executive branch.

The Heritage Guide To The Constitution:

The President...shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

ARTICLE II, SECTION 2, CLAUSE 1

The power to pardon is one of the least limited powers granted to the President in the Constitution. The only limits mentioned in the Constitution are that pardons are limited to offenses against the United States (i.e., not civil or state cases), and that they cannot affect an impeachment process. A reprieve is the commutation or lessening of a sentence already imposed; it does not affect the legal guilt of a person. A pardon, however, completely wipes out the legal effects of a conviction. A pardon can be issued from the time an offense is committed, and can even be issued after the full sentence has been served. It cannot, however, be granted before an offense has been committed, which would give the President the power to waive the laws. 


                                                     "Good Night!" and "Sweet Dreams!'

                                                                 "Boner Appertite!"

       

    

FEMA's Purse...

Good morning! The Pacific breeze blows gently through my kitchen window, as I prepare crispy bacon and scrambled eggs, complimented by shredded cheddar cheese, sliced avocados and topped off with Cholula sauce. My liquid brown lightning, is percolating as we speak.

This morning's national news, centers around Hurricane Harvey coming ashore in the Gulf and projected to make relative landfall on the coast from Corpus Christi to Houston, Texas. The hurricane is expected to be a category 3. It will be serious enough to cause major flooding and overwhelming destruction to property. There can reasonably, be expected even more horrific calamity in the form of loss of life, for those persons caught unprepared or who refuse to heed weather warnings. It would be wise to believe and take the appropriate protective measures proving secure in the knowledge, that Mother Nature has no sense of humor and is no comedienne. Her rightful claim to respect remains grounded in the knowledge that she does not lie and she does not joke.

I only wonder, if Hurricane Harvey will produce wild and calamitous destruction to the recreational coastline of Texas and how badly destructive it could be. I question if there will be enough money in FEMA's purse to reach out and provide emergency aid? What will Pres. Trump do and how will he respond? Will Trump even respond in a timely manner to a crisis like this? Will a natural disaster like this replace the useless "wall building project" of Pres. Trump and consume all available funds?

Can the affected American taxpayers on a possibly ravaged Texas coast, rely and depend on Pres. Trump to come to their rescue? We shall see.


                                               "Good Day and Boner Appertite!"


(P.S. "Happy Birthday, Augie Doggie's Daddy!)


Excerpt From Wikipedia:

Budget[edit]

FEMA has an annual budget of $13 billion^[2] that is used and distributed in different states according to the emergencies that occur in each one. An annual list of the use of these funds is disclosed at the end of the year on FEMA's website.^{[25][26][27][28]}

Regions[edit]

Hurricane Katrina – 2005[edit]

Evacuees taking shelter at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas

See also: Criticism of government response to Hurricane Katrina

FEMA received intense criticism for its response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster in August 2005. FEMA had pre-positioned response personnel in the Gulf Coast region. However, many could not render direct assistance and were only able to report on the dire situation along the Gulf Coast, especially from New Orleans. Within three days, a large contingent of National Guard and active duty troops were deployed to the region.

The enormous number of evacuees simply overwhelmed rescue personnel. The situation was compounded by flood waters in the city that hampered transportation and poor communication among the federal government, state, and local entities. FEMA was widely criticized for what is seen as a slow initial response to the disaster and an inability to effectively manage, care for, and move those who were trying to leave the city.

Then-FEMA Director Michael D. Brown was criticized personally for a slow response and an apparent disconnection with the situation. Michael Brown would eventually be relieved of command of the Katrina disaster and soon thereafter resigned.

Katrina was seen as the first major test of the nation's new disaster response plan under DHS. It is widely held^{[by whom?]} that many things did not function as planned.

According to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina:^[52]

• "The Secretary Department of Homeland Security should have designated the Principal Federal Official on Saturday, two days prior to landfall, from the roster of PFOs who had successfully completed the required training, unlike then FEMA Director Michael Brown. Considerable confusion was caused by the Secretary's PFO decisions."
• "DHS and FEMA lacked adequate trained and experienced staff for the Katrina response."
• "The readiness of FEMA's national emergency response teams was inadequate and reduced the effectiveness of the federal response."
• "Long-standing weaknesses and the magnitude of the disaster overwhelmed FEMA's ability to provide emergency shelter and temporary housing."
• "FEMA logistics and contracting systems did not support a targeted, massive, and sustained provision of commodities."
• "Before Katrina, FEMA suffered from a lack of sufficiently trained procurement professionals."

A DMAT member assures a rescued man that the trip to the airport will be safe.

Other failings were also noted. The Committee devoted an entire section of the report to listing the actions of FEMA.^[53] Their conclusion was:

For years emergency management professionals have been warning that FEMA's preparedness has eroded. Many believe this erosion is a result of the separation of the preparedness function from FEMA, the drain of long-term professional staff along with their institutional knowledge and expertise, and the inadequate readiness of FEMA's national emergency response teams. The combination of these staffing, training, and organizational structures made FEMA's inadequate performance in the face of a disaster the size of Katrina all but inevitable.^[53]