Just when I though I was taking a “blogger break”, I caught a headline in the WSJ today “WHO Calls for Spraying Controversial DDT to Fight Malaria”. What better news than “25 Iraqi’s killed in religious strife” as I see daily in the news. The article reads that WHO will encourage the spraying of SMALL amounts of DDT on walls and surfaces inside home in areas of highest risk of malaria. The spraying is usually conducted by government officials allowing them to keep tabs on the chemicals to assure their proper usages. The mosquito-borne disease malaria infects as many as 500 MILLION people a year and kills about a MILLION a year. Mostly thanks to the deceased Rachel Carson and her band of extreme so called environmentalists and weak Environmental Agency Officials. Carson wrote about protecting the egg shells of bald eagles from excessive use of DDT while killing millions of humans. Since DDT was TOTALLY banned after Carson’s book “Silent Spring” came out in 1960, you can attribute approximately 40 million deaths of poor people in the 3rd world, mainly Africa, to these do-good extremist environmentalists like Carson and weak elected and bureaucratic government officials.
The WJS article states that US Republican Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma urged a stop to the boycotting of agriculture products from countries that DO use DDT for malaria control. Coburn says “As the experiences of South Africa and other African countries have demonstrated, DDT alone can reduce malaraia rates by 75% in less than two years.”
A group called “Beyond Pesticides” pushing for the total elimination of all pesticides is quoted as saying “the use of DDT is short-sighted and doesn’t recognize the long-term problems and hazards.” If this group wants the government to keep them totally safe, I hope they don’t drive a vehicle because 43,000 people were killed in vehicle related accidents last year and over one million injured. So I’m sure there are some nuts out there demanding that we all ride bicycles or horses.
Extremist environmentalist: I have six blogs this subject of “Extreme Environmentalists that cost his country BILLIONS of dollars a year. I am an environmentalist and abhor pollution, promote recycling and call attention to things that damage the health of other people. I try to use common sense in doing so. These extremists do not have the common sense to know that anything in excess is usually harmful to all living creatures. When DDT first came out it was used to excess in many places; children ran to spraying machines to be sprayed. That was proven wrong and DDT IMPROPERLY used is detrimental to life. So is alcohol, so is mercury (Most of us ingest small amounts of mercury every day) When something is going wrong, people with common sense take actions to slow it down or stop it but as soon as easily frightened people turn into groups, too many times they start looking to expand their power. Often, then common sense flies out the window.
For these extreme environmentalists, many of whom live in our area, there are no limits of projects they can stop once they find out threatening small groups who are able to catch the liberal media’s attention can wreak havoc with the economy and kill people by denying their needs. They’re the same people who on a sinking boat of 1000 people would demand the saving of the life of 1 person threatening the well being of 999; that person to saved as more important than saving the other 999. (If they were actually present as part of the 999, they might change their minds unless they have been promised 72 virgins (male or female) in whichever heaven they plan to ascend to.) Let all of us with a modicum of common sense and especially those who have their roots in Africa get behind Senator Coburn and the World Health Organization to move more quickly in wiping out malaria as we have done in the more sophisticated United States.
And start questioning people who make dramatic statement like “the Republicans are making the sky fall” and Peoria will become a “ghost town” or all of us in this country are going to be like “chicken little”.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Water Company Potential Sale
My source from Illinois-American Water Company sent me an email this AM. It reads: “The newspaper article in today’s JS is 100% wrong. It is 100% inaccurate. Thames Water does not own American Water. RWE presently owns Thames Water. They are being sold independently of one another. The PJ article is based purely on internet speculation. No one from Illinois-American or American Water was contacted. American/Illinois Water has a petition before the ICC for approval of the sale of common stock of American Water. Under the present schedule, a decision could be made in March, 2007. All the information in the ICC process is open to the public and available to the news media.
On March 24,2006 RWE announced the decision to pursue an initial offering (IPO) in the US for the shares of American Water. This was the first step in RWE”s divestiture of American Water.
We are contacting the JS and other media outlets to clarify the misinformation.”
This email is attributed to Terry Mackin
Vice-President, Internal Affairs
American Water, Central Region (St.Louis)
I was chided by the JS recently on writing a blog based on “speculation”. And I’m not even a journalist major or minor.
Look for a correction the JS but maybe not.
On March 24,2006 RWE announced the decision to pursue an initial offering (IPO) in the US for the shares of American Water. This was the first step in RWE”s divestiture of American Water.
We are contacting the JS and other media outlets to clarify the misinformation.”
This email is attributed to Terry Mackin
Vice-President, Internal Affairs
American Water, Central Region (St.Louis)
I was chided by the JS recently on writing a blog based on “speculation”. And I’m not even a journalist major or minor.
Look for a correction the JS but maybe not.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Jobs Revisited
On August 20 I wrote a blog and I wrote a long comment back to “anonymous” but my comment got lost and never appeared on the site. So I’m creating a new blog to answer the question poised. “Are sports becoming so important in our lives that it is affecting student’s ability to get an education?” I believe that sports of all kinds from fantasy players playing for fantasy teams, obsession with real sports teams, parents over eager to make their kids athletes, winning at all costs, grade school, high school and colleges putting too much emphasis on sports have somewhat lessened students interest in pursuing careers in technology, medicine and engineering.
Another question presented “is Bradley putting too much emphasis on sports and physical activities with their $100 million facility planned for sports, physical education and recreation?”
On 10/14/05 I created a blog “How Sports Helped Mold My Life”. I suggest you read this blog and it will answer most of the question of the importance or over emphasis on sports of all kinds. Some sports participation is good for all people of all genders and ages. Over emphasis on sports is the same as overdoing any good thing such as eating, spending, drinking, driving in a reckless manner, sex, recreating and working. In my case, while my teachers told me I had the ability to excel in math, I was not interested. In fact I wasn’t much interested in anything except getting off the farm. My interest in wanting to play sports turned my life into a reasonable success. It helped prevent me from smoking, drinking and running with the wrong crowds and got me to bed at a reasonable hour. When I was in the Air Force and later college, I could often be found in the gym rather than in the local bars.(or the library) Sports participation also made me a competitor who preferred to win yet learned to lose. Sports experiences helped me become a good salesperson, a good follower, a good teacher and coach and a reasonably successful business man and a political leader.
I believe Bradley is planning to turn out an educationally well rounded, physically fit competitive graduate and that formula has proven to be good for the country. I believe we from the United States have proven to be better leaders, better followers, and better thinkers equipped to succeed when challenged by our adversaries. I attribute much of this to sports and any extra curricular activity that combines training, discipline, a work ethic, the challenge to be an individual and think on your own and still cooperate and an ability to be hard but fair losers and gracious winners. Passive viewing and passive participation leads to less physically fit men and women; men and women who we will always need to keep this country safe from those who care little for sports but plan constantly to do us great bodily harm. They listen to false prophets and these people can not be reasoned with by dialogue and acts of truth and love.
How and why we are falling behind in such skills as math, medicine and engineering is best described by Dr. Jerry Becker from SIU. You can get on Dr. Becker’s email list at jbecker@siu.edu I’m sure there are many more experts in the field and I know I have some extensive files on how to win the hearts and souls of kids who have the interest and abilities to pursue these hard topics. However, sports have and will always have a positive impact on a great many lives of kids and adults, some like me, for an entire lifetime.
An article by Tim Wendell of USA Today dated 1/23/06, is titled “Too Hard on Kids? Hardly”. Wendell says “Good coaching, and parenting (good), can keep a sassy child from becoming a reckless adult. If I get some dialogue on this blog I’ll go into more details of Wendell’s article.
Moderation of all things good is easy to say but difficult to achieve. Maybe we can get some comments on the benefits and negatives of active physical participation in one’s life at any age.
Since I am on the campaign trail but still try to do all the other things I’m involved in, I may be writing less blogs until after Nov. 7 election. I have only so much energy as I still compete in tennis and walk door to door and I do not want to be stressed out if I am to do a good job on my other obligations. For those of you just starting to read me, I suggest digging into my archives.
Thanks again.
Another question presented “is Bradley putting too much emphasis on sports and physical activities with their $100 million facility planned for sports, physical education and recreation?”
On 10/14/05 I created a blog “How Sports Helped Mold My Life”. I suggest you read this blog and it will answer most of the question of the importance or over emphasis on sports of all kinds. Some sports participation is good for all people of all genders and ages. Over emphasis on sports is the same as overdoing any good thing such as eating, spending, drinking, driving in a reckless manner, sex, recreating and working. In my case, while my teachers told me I had the ability to excel in math, I was not interested. In fact I wasn’t much interested in anything except getting off the farm. My interest in wanting to play sports turned my life into a reasonable success. It helped prevent me from smoking, drinking and running with the wrong crowds and got me to bed at a reasonable hour. When I was in the Air Force and later college, I could often be found in the gym rather than in the local bars.(or the library) Sports participation also made me a competitor who preferred to win yet learned to lose. Sports experiences helped me become a good salesperson, a good follower, a good teacher and coach and a reasonably successful business man and a political leader.
I believe Bradley is planning to turn out an educationally well rounded, physically fit competitive graduate and that formula has proven to be good for the country. I believe we from the United States have proven to be better leaders, better followers, and better thinkers equipped to succeed when challenged by our adversaries. I attribute much of this to sports and any extra curricular activity that combines training, discipline, a work ethic, the challenge to be an individual and think on your own and still cooperate and an ability to be hard but fair losers and gracious winners. Passive viewing and passive participation leads to less physically fit men and women; men and women who we will always need to keep this country safe from those who care little for sports but plan constantly to do us great bodily harm. They listen to false prophets and these people can not be reasoned with by dialogue and acts of truth and love.
How and why we are falling behind in such skills as math, medicine and engineering is best described by Dr. Jerry Becker from SIU. You can get on Dr. Becker’s email list at jbecker@siu.edu I’m sure there are many more experts in the field and I know I have some extensive files on how to win the hearts and souls of kids who have the interest and abilities to pursue these hard topics. However, sports have and will always have a positive impact on a great many lives of kids and adults, some like me, for an entire lifetime.
An article by Tim Wendell of USA Today dated 1/23/06, is titled “Too Hard on Kids? Hardly”. Wendell says “Good coaching, and parenting (good), can keep a sassy child from becoming a reckless adult. If I get some dialogue on this blog I’ll go into more details of Wendell’s article.
Moderation of all things good is easy to say but difficult to achieve. Maybe we can get some comments on the benefits and negatives of active physical participation in one’s life at any age.
Since I am on the campaign trail but still try to do all the other things I’m involved in, I may be writing less blogs until after Nov. 7 election. I have only so much energy as I still compete in tennis and walk door to door and I do not want to be stressed out if I am to do a good job on my other obligations. For those of you just starting to read me, I suggest digging into my archives.
Thanks again.
9/11
On 9/11/01, my wife and I were in Arlington, Va. I was approximately one and one half miles from the Pentagon playing in a tennis tournament at the Army and Navy Club and my wife was a couple of blocks away from the Pentagon on a tour bus. The American Airlines plane came in approximately 3-400 yards to the left of where four of us were sitting. We heard the explosive roar of the airplane engines as the plane accelerated it’s speed and altered it’s course from the White House to the Pentagon. As the plane disappeared from our view we sat in stunned silence (3 seconds or so) when we heard the thump as the plane hit the Pentagon and the “whump” as the fuel exploded. I ran to my car and raced to the Pentagon to find my wife’s bus. Fortunately her bus had left the area but Claire did see the flash of the explosion. Not seeing any buses in the area I took pictures and immediately left the area getting out of the way of fire and other vehicles as they were heading toward the disaster.
The area of the Pentagon I entered was the Diplomatic Parking lot. There was no panic in the people leaving the building. It was like they were just leaving work and walking to their destinations. The smoke was rising over the building and it is possible that those leaving the building were not sure of what had happened.
There is no doubt in my mind that the terrorist hijackers couldn’t clearly distinguish the White House so they altered their direction slightly to hit the Pentagon.
What has always concerned my wife and I is why we only saw one other plane in the air and that was at dusk as we stood on the balcony or our hotel and had only heard one sonic boom later in the afternoon.. We thought at that time and believe today that we were poorly prepared to defend our Capitol despite many articles that had been written about how easy it would be to fly a plane into a building and destroy it.
I read the articles in today’s JS about before, after and future feelings about 9/11, a couple of these articles I read with dismay. One writer asks “why are we not doing things to make it better for our kids and our children’s kids” (like we aren’t??; good grief) and another writes “we continue to cling to the myth that violence can solve our problems.” He writes the term “passive resistance” was re-coined by Mohandas Gandhi to the “force which is born of truth and love”. Both writers speak of non-violence as the answer to living together in peace on one small planet.
Both writers should join the real world. And maybe will some day as they mature. Wouldn’t we all like to live peacefully even in one small “segment” of society, say Peoria. We would not need a police force, juvenile courts, jails and nor prisons. All our kids would love to go to school and learn. And that is just the Peoria area. Come back and spread truth and love. Help solve all the small wars waged by people who would kill people of all races if given the opportunity, who envy the status of more developed worlds. Solve thousands of years history’s of divisions of religions like the terrorist Shiites and Sunnis. Just like these terrorist animals who wreaked sorrow and disaster on 9/11. I reprint a quote from an intellect in this month Forbes Magazine that says the “major differences between us and animals are that we drink when we are not thirsty and have sex anytime we want it.” Animals like lions have compassion too, they take good care of their young, but I suggest one stay away from them when they are hungry or get “riled” up.
Most of what I see the overly liberals writing about today is blame it all on the Republicans especially Bush and Cheney. I regret that this administration has made many mistakes but so did Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, Kennedy, and Clinton just to name a few. So did leaders from Lebanon, Germany, France, Russia and Japan. Violence happens when unlawful force is visited on usually tolerant people. This country has shown more tolerance than probably any country in the world.
I suggest those who believe in turning the other cheek read “The Open Society and It’s Enemies” written by author Karl Popper in 1945. Popper wrote “Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.”
The hatred by some people who would commit violent acts against us and each other are as old as history itself. Those who believe all problems are caused by the current administration need to read more history (include the Bible) about world events and especially, read the history of the Middle East. (I have read many books on world history, even taught it, and am reading “Fiasco” now; not that I believe everything I read) Maybe some “truth and love people” go to Israel and live for a year near tolerant terrorists like the Hezbollah or the Hamas. Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iran can use people with artistic and international relations talents too. If you are looking for a non-violent world don’t stay in the U.S. We have more violent and non-violent people incarcerated that any other country in the world. All these imprisoned had most of the same opportunity we all have; get a free education and do an opportunity to do an honest day’s work. My ancestors fled “peaceful” Switzerland to escape religious persecution.
As to solving our problems with “violence” who do they think is protecting their freedom to live, write, get educated, speak freely and hold jobs or have families that had the opportunity to make money in a capitalist society that allow these writers to graduate from the University of Illinois and a design school in New York? I graduated from “lowly” Western because my parents had no money but I could use the GI Bill of Rights. Most Western graduates I know have more than a modicum of common sense, so much missing from many graduates of elite schools. I suggest both return to the Peoria area and help spread tolerance and diversity (didn’t Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner write “Has it occurred to people that the more we try to teach our kids to accept diversity, that we might be encouraging them to do the opposite? On the farm we had an old saying “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make the horse drink. Think about it.
I close with a quote not mine but could have been, “unlawful combatants have always been considered a scourge to humanity, today they pose the greatest single threat to organized society, and every opportunity must be taken to de-legitimize them”.
The area of the Pentagon I entered was the Diplomatic Parking lot. There was no panic in the people leaving the building. It was like they were just leaving work and walking to their destinations. The smoke was rising over the building and it is possible that those leaving the building were not sure of what had happened.
There is no doubt in my mind that the terrorist hijackers couldn’t clearly distinguish the White House so they altered their direction slightly to hit the Pentagon.
What has always concerned my wife and I is why we only saw one other plane in the air and that was at dusk as we stood on the balcony or our hotel and had only heard one sonic boom later in the afternoon.. We thought at that time and believe today that we were poorly prepared to defend our Capitol despite many articles that had been written about how easy it would be to fly a plane into a building and destroy it.
I read the articles in today’s JS about before, after and future feelings about 9/11, a couple of these articles I read with dismay. One writer asks “why are we not doing things to make it better for our kids and our children’s kids” (like we aren’t??; good grief) and another writes “we continue to cling to the myth that violence can solve our problems.” He writes the term “passive resistance” was re-coined by Mohandas Gandhi to the “force which is born of truth and love”. Both writers speak of non-violence as the answer to living together in peace on one small planet.
Both writers should join the real world. And maybe will some day as they mature. Wouldn’t we all like to live peacefully even in one small “segment” of society, say Peoria. We would not need a police force, juvenile courts, jails and nor prisons. All our kids would love to go to school and learn. And that is just the Peoria area. Come back and spread truth and love. Help solve all the small wars waged by people who would kill people of all races if given the opportunity, who envy the status of more developed worlds. Solve thousands of years history’s of divisions of religions like the terrorist Shiites and Sunnis. Just like these terrorist animals who wreaked sorrow and disaster on 9/11. I reprint a quote from an intellect in this month Forbes Magazine that says the “major differences between us and animals are that we drink when we are not thirsty and have sex anytime we want it.” Animals like lions have compassion too, they take good care of their young, but I suggest one stay away from them when they are hungry or get “riled” up.
Most of what I see the overly liberals writing about today is blame it all on the Republicans especially Bush and Cheney. I regret that this administration has made many mistakes but so did Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, Kennedy, and Clinton just to name a few. So did leaders from Lebanon, Germany, France, Russia and Japan. Violence happens when unlawful force is visited on usually tolerant people. This country has shown more tolerance than probably any country in the world.
I suggest those who believe in turning the other cheek read “The Open Society and It’s Enemies” written by author Karl Popper in 1945. Popper wrote “Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.”
The hatred by some people who would commit violent acts against us and each other are as old as history itself. Those who believe all problems are caused by the current administration need to read more history (include the Bible) about world events and especially, read the history of the Middle East. (I have read many books on world history, even taught it, and am reading “Fiasco” now; not that I believe everything I read) Maybe some “truth and love people” go to Israel and live for a year near tolerant terrorists like the Hezbollah or the Hamas. Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iran can use people with artistic and international relations talents too. If you are looking for a non-violent world don’t stay in the U.S. We have more violent and non-violent people incarcerated that any other country in the world. All these imprisoned had most of the same opportunity we all have; get a free education and do an opportunity to do an honest day’s work. My ancestors fled “peaceful” Switzerland to escape religious persecution.
As to solving our problems with “violence” who do they think is protecting their freedom to live, write, get educated, speak freely and hold jobs or have families that had the opportunity to make money in a capitalist society that allow these writers to graduate from the University of Illinois and a design school in New York? I graduated from “lowly” Western because my parents had no money but I could use the GI Bill of Rights. Most Western graduates I know have more than a modicum of common sense, so much missing from many graduates of elite schools. I suggest both return to the Peoria area and help spread tolerance and diversity (didn’t Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner write “Has it occurred to people that the more we try to teach our kids to accept diversity, that we might be encouraging them to do the opposite? On the farm we had an old saying “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make the horse drink. Think about it.
I close with a quote not mine but could have been, “unlawful combatants have always been considered a scourge to humanity, today they pose the greatest single threat to organized society, and every opportunity must be taken to de-legitimize them”.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Erased Peoria Park Board Tapes of Executive Sessions; Accidental??
First I heard it was one tape that got erased “accidentally” of Peoria Park Board and Peoria Public School District #150 Executive Minutes. Then an unimpeachable source told me it was “two” Park Board Executive tapes that were “accidentally” erased. These tapes supposedly contain dialogue between certain Peoria Public School District #150 Board Members and members of the Peoria Park District Board of Directors concerning the relocating of Glen Oak School on Prospect Road and on private and PPD land.
Supposedly these tapes were made before some school board members authorized purchase of the houses on Prospect.
Surely someone in the media is aware of this “accidental” happening. I believe if I was involved my picture would by now have appeared at least twice in the local media.
Why the secrecy when it appears to be a known fact?
Just musing but I wonder why Keller-Williams was and is the authorized agent representing the school board to buy up these properties for the planned new school. My email to a school board member asking if this was by bid or why was Keller-Williams selected has gone unanswered. Linda Kepple and Keller-Williams appear to be synonymous and Linda is Jack Pearl’s daughter and Tim Cassidy, Park Board president is Jack Pearls nephew. I last heard a couple of years ago that Pearl Insurance is the prime insurer for the Park District and two Pearls’ and Linda Kepple ,made substantial financial contributions to Tim Cassidy’s campaign when he ran for reelection a couple of years ago and Pearl Insurance has been the prime insurer to the park for quite a long time. Just curious also to know if this tax collecting ($11 million last year) public body bids their insurance. It was also rumored that two phone banks were run out of Pearl Insurance offices in support of Mr. Cassidy.
I find this scenario very interesting. If any of my readers find the above is incorrect, please don’t hesitate to correct me.
Supposedly these tapes were made before some school board members authorized purchase of the houses on Prospect.
Surely someone in the media is aware of this “accidental” happening. I believe if I was involved my picture would by now have appeared at least twice in the local media.
Why the secrecy when it appears to be a known fact?
Just musing but I wonder why Keller-Williams was and is the authorized agent representing the school board to buy up these properties for the planned new school. My email to a school board member asking if this was by bid or why was Keller-Williams selected has gone unanswered. Linda Kepple and Keller-Williams appear to be synonymous and Linda is Jack Pearl’s daughter and Tim Cassidy, Park Board president is Jack Pearls nephew. I last heard a couple of years ago that Pearl Insurance is the prime insurer for the Park District and two Pearls’ and Linda Kepple ,made substantial financial contributions to Tim Cassidy’s campaign when he ran for reelection a couple of years ago and Pearl Insurance has been the prime insurer to the park for quite a long time. Just curious also to know if this tax collecting ($11 million last year) public body bids their insurance. It was also rumored that two phone banks were run out of Pearl Insurance offices in support of Mr. Cassidy.
I find this scenario very interesting. If any of my readers find the above is incorrect, please don’t hesitate to correct me.
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