The independent trucker are talking about a strike tomorrow as a protest for the high fuel prices. I can't blame them. With the cost of thier fuel at over $4 a gallon (that's a $600 fillup) it costs them $1.10 per mile while they make $1.50 a mile on average. Short haulers must be really feeling the pinch. And this doesn't include repairs. One break down and you're working for nothing.
Truckers strike
They have my support. Now if they'd just park their rigs on Pennsylvania Ave. They just might get some attention.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Another one bites the dust
Head of HUD may be resigning soon as he refused dealings in Philly if the city council did not give contracts to his friends. This sounds like more of bush's slimey friends. Hope he gets convicted.
Housing
How many of shrubs friends have resigned and/or been convicted to date? I'm loosing count.
Housing
How many of shrubs friends have resigned and/or been convicted to date? I'm loosing count.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Plastic's dirty little secret
I had known for some time now that certain plastics were toxic. PVCs or polyvinyl clorides are very toxic when burned or in liquid state. You know this material used in plumbing pipe and window frames. What I hadn't known was that plastics can degrade to the microscopic level and become a magnet for other toxins. I like everyone else had assumed that plastic materials remained in their complete state until some considerate soul came by and picked them up for disposal whether on the beach or by the side of the road. I was aware of the physical hazards plastics posed to wildlife. One day at work we tried to catch a bird with a plastic net stuck to its' beak. We weren't successful but the bird managed to survive.
A lot of the hazardous materials I deal with are listed as such because they don't breakdown in the environment. I've dealt with PCB's, DDT and many other chemicals but it hadn't occurred to me what the effects from these nastys would be since they are already in the food chain on a microscopic level. And then to add the thought of plastics acting like little toxic magnets concentrating what is already out there. You need to remember since the start of the industrial revolution companies and people have just been dumping their toxic wastes anywhere. Just take it out back and dump it on the ground was a common practice up until the 60's.
Not to add more depressing news to this article but most of our landfills have plastic liners to prevent leakage into the groundwater. Great, putting plastics into a plastic container that will eventually leak. The other method of disposal is by burning. That doesn't seem to be a better solution either. Recycling is great but now I see recyclers don't take all plastics even some with the #1 mark. It would be great to buy and use alternative products but when products come wrapped in large amounts of plastic and are made of plastics.. well you get the picture. Maybe we need some new laws about packaging because we have no control over how things are packaged.
And no I'm not some environmental fanatic. It's just that I realize that we need to get ourselves moving in the right direction. I believe firmly that given half a chance mother nature will take care of herself, but you have to give her the chance.
Toxic Plastic
One last thing - I think I'll be turning out my lights this evening for an hour for the Lights Out around the world. Not that it will make much of a difference but our local power company is going to raise rates.
A lot of the hazardous materials I deal with are listed as such because they don't breakdown in the environment. I've dealt with PCB's, DDT and many other chemicals but it hadn't occurred to me what the effects from these nastys would be since they are already in the food chain on a microscopic level. And then to add the thought of plastics acting like little toxic magnets concentrating what is already out there. You need to remember since the start of the industrial revolution companies and people have just been dumping their toxic wastes anywhere. Just take it out back and dump it on the ground was a common practice up until the 60's.
Not to add more depressing news to this article but most of our landfills have plastic liners to prevent leakage into the groundwater. Great, putting plastics into a plastic container that will eventually leak. The other method of disposal is by burning. That doesn't seem to be a better solution either. Recycling is great but now I see recyclers don't take all plastics even some with the #1 mark. It would be great to buy and use alternative products but when products come wrapped in large amounts of plastic and are made of plastics.. well you get the picture. Maybe we need some new laws about packaging because we have no control over how things are packaged.
And no I'm not some environmental fanatic. It's just that I realize that we need to get ourselves moving in the right direction. I believe firmly that given half a chance mother nature will take care of herself, but you have to give her the chance.
Toxic Plastic
One last thing - I think I'll be turning out my lights this evening for an hour for the Lights Out around the world. Not that it will make much of a difference but our local power company is going to raise rates.
Friday, March 28, 2008
If they think the economy slowed in February...
Wait until they look at
March
Strange but I was just going over my bank statements and noticed that I only wrote six checks for the month of March. If that doesn't say something about what's going on...
March
Strange but I was just going over my bank statements and noticed that I only wrote six checks for the month of March. If that doesn't say something about what's going on...
Pennsylvania Primary
Pennsylvania
Barrack Obama is making inroads into the election process in the keystone state. For those of you over there in Pa. stop to remember some of the things that Ronald Reagan did back in the 80's. Breaking the air traffic controllers union and weakening others. The republicans made it easy for companys to send your jobs over seas. Hillary Clinton stood behind NAFTA that was to promote free trade. What the nation really needed at the time was legislation that promoted fair trade. Then there's the issue of health care. If Hillary has her way your wages will be garnished if you can't afford to pay the premiums for her plan. Imagine you're right at that middle ground where you don't qualify for subsidized health care from the state but can barely make it on your salary only to have what you do make garnished and I'll bet the program won't even cover everything leaving you with a bill you can't pay. We're seeing how well this is working in Mass. with Mitt's program. And you wonder why the population of Pa. has been in decline for the last 20 plus years. Hey I think we still have a sign left over from the late 70's you can borrow. You may recall.
Barrack Obama is making inroads into the election process in the keystone state. For those of you over there in Pa. stop to remember some of the things that Ronald Reagan did back in the 80's. Breaking the air traffic controllers union and weakening others. The republicans made it easy for companys to send your jobs over seas. Hillary Clinton stood behind NAFTA that was to promote free trade. What the nation really needed at the time was legislation that promoted fair trade. Then there's the issue of health care. If Hillary has her way your wages will be garnished if you can't afford to pay the premiums for her plan. Imagine you're right at that middle ground where you don't qualify for subsidized health care from the state but can barely make it on your salary only to have what you do make garnished and I'll bet the program won't even cover everything leaving you with a bill you can't pay. We're seeing how well this is working in Mass. with Mitt's program. And you wonder why the population of Pa. has been in decline for the last 20 plus years. Hey I think we still have a sign left over from the late 70's you can borrow. You may recall.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Oh boy here we go again
Somebody shooting at cars from an overpass in Virginia.
Not a good sign of the times
I have no objection to guns but ya think we could add a few years to the sentences of people who use guns in a crime?
Not a good sign of the times
I have no objection to guns but ya think we could add a few years to the sentences of people who use guns in a crime?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
