Calling a Spade a Peach?

Hi, Guys!

First, the picture above is required by Dragonfly in her latest post.  It is the sixth picture in the IPhoto file on this laptop, and she tagged me to provide it.  The photo is of the Queen and the Kernal at the Class of '66 mini-reunion last September in Nashville.

But my real purpose in blogging today is to address the new Administration's desire to change the English language in the spirit of kinder, gentler, political correctness.

As you know, The Global War on Terror has now ended.  Michelle Obama planted a victory garden on the White House Lawn, but we can no longer hope for victory.  Now we have just another "Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO)." 

The attack on America which occurred on 9/11/2001 is now a "Man Made Disaster- (MMD)" in accordance with language recently used by Secretary Napolitano of the DHS.

I think a few additions are in order.

First, whenever we send Hillary to other countries to blame the United States for whatever is the subject du jour, as in her discussion of US drug addiction and weapons in Mexico, then we have begun HOPE - a "Heavy Overseas Peace Engagement." 

Next, if we ever discover that we may have to actually fight with somebody over threats or "Man Made Disasters" perpetrated against the United States, the President can go on national TV to announce  CHANGE - a "Combat Heavy Assault on Negative Government Entities."  Much clearer than "regime change," no?  Plus, it's CHANGE we can believe in.

I can hear it now..." Hey, Willy, how long we been on this here OCO?  Couple of years? Man, with the casualties we've had already, I pray we don't run into any more MMD's tomorrow."  

" Don't worry, Joe... The lady diplomat in the pants suit is out on another HOPE

mission right now.   If she gets it right, we won't have to continue this CHANGE we've 

been working on for the last couple of years." 

"Can't believe we're taking fire yet speaking English while saying nothing.  See if we can send a message up through the chain of command asking them to cut out this "Correctly Re-defined Acceptable Parlance."  

"Them words are too big for me, Willy. 

I've only got this piece of cardboard to write on.

What's the acronym?"

Let's all meet Willy and Joe on the high ground and help them out...

Lemonade from Lemons

Hi, guys!

In all the news of massive government spending, increased taxes, and a nonetheless slowing economy, perhaps you missed this.  Some bad news followed by some good news!

Last week's Obama budget for 2009 deleted all funding for the continuation of work on the

National Radioactive Nuclear Waste site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.  This was in keeping with Candidate Obama's promise to "protect the people of Nevada" and Senator Harry Reid, who in 2006 pronounced the Yucca Mountain Project as "dead," just before announcing that the surge in Iraq would never work and "this war is lost." So, Obama's budget decision was good news for Harry but not so good for the rest of America.

We have spent nuclear waste currently stored at 121 outdoor sites throughout America, each site meant to be temporary and each a hazard of radioactive material being stolen.  In 1982, Congress passed and the President signed the Nuclear Waste Act, mandating study on several sites around America for permanent and secure storage of this material.  Five years later, Congress selected the Yucca Mountain site in the Nevada desert, some 80 miles south of Las Vegas.  After a failed Nevada challenge in the courts, Congress again confirmed Yucca Mountain in 2002 and serious planning work continued.

To date, the American taxpayer has invested $9 Billion in railway, site planning and initial construction.  In addition, we have purchased a $13 Million tunnel boring device designed specifically to complete the work at Yucca Mountain.  

The EPA  and the Department of Energy have each spent addditional funds to separately CERTIFY in 2005 that the radiation leak risk from Yucca Mountain is so small that the US Government stands behind its finding that less than 1 millirem of radiation per year is the highest possible risk, and that for 10,000 years!  That's less radiation than you get making one coast to coast flight... Unsatisfactory to Senator Reid, additional studies led to USG certification (that means financial liability) that the Yucca Mountain site would be safe for ONE MILLION years.  Still unsatisfactory for the man who declared the project "dead" three years ago.  So, the Obama Administration has announced that it will begin all over again to do the work that has been going on for 27 years.  

More bad news.  In the $787 Billion"Stimulus Act" recently signed by President Obama, there were to be no "earmarks."  They still insist that to be true.  However, one "shovel ready" project was $8 Billion for work on high speed rail projects ready to be built.  Trouble is, there was only one such project anywhere in the nation - the high speed rail line long championed by the Senate Majority Leader to link Las Vegas to Los Angeles.  Apparently the twenty-odd flights per day between the two cities were not enough to keep the dice hot or the cards shuffled enough for Harry.  So, high speed rail there will be, thanks to the good senator. Oink!

Do you see how any of this can possibly end in good news?

Here's how.  With all the transportation plans done for the Yucca Mountain site to accept delivery of nuclear waste, let's get some value for the money we've spent and will spend!  A few minor adjustments, and we can have the waste continue to be delivered to the Yucca Mountain site where it can be easily transloaded onto the Harry Reid High Speed Rail and delivered to Los Angeles, specifically the location  shown below.  Let the recipients figure out what to do with their gift from Harry.  "Go ahead, make my day..."

Wasted years? - 27

Wasted dollars? - $9.5 Billion plus

Solving two long term problems at once? - PRICELESS!