Implanting microchips in people- not scifi anymore. Damn, we just can't wait to be a controlled society, can we?

Super scary stuff.





"CityWatcher.com, a provider of surveillance equipment, attracted little attention to itself - until a year ago, when two of its employees had glass-encapsulated microchips with miniature antennas embedded in their forearms.





To some, the microchip was a wondrous invention - a high-tech helper that could increase security at nuclear plants and military bases, help authorities identify wandering Alzheimer’s patients, allow consumers to buy their groceries, literally, with the wave of a chipped hand.
To others, the notion of tagging people was Orwellian, a departure from centuries of history and tradition in which people had the right to go and do as they pleased without being tracked, unless they were harming someone else.



Chipping, these critics said, might start with Alzheimer’s patients or Army Rangers, but would eventually be suggested for convicts, then parolees, then sex offenders, then illegal aliens - until one day, a majority of Americans, falling into one category or another, would find themselves electronically tagged." LINK





And speaking of Orwell, the surveillance society he forsaw is here. Welcome, Big Brother!








Foresight: The cameras crowd George Orwell's former London home

Unbelievable numbers from China's floods.

652 Dead.
119.15 million people affected.
452,000 houses destroyed.
7.87 million hectares of crops destroyed.
52.5 billion yuan (6.9 billion U.S. dollars) in direct economic losses.

"The meteorological authorities forecast heavy rains would hit the country's southwest, northwest and northeast regions in the coming days.

China, however, is also being plagued by drought in its northern region including Heilongjiang Province and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and even parts of its southern region.

The office said that drought has left 5.88 million people and 4.7 million heads of livestock short of drinking water and affected 9.33 million hectares of arable land." LINK

Whistling in the dark

No power in Barcelona (2nd day of major outages - 350,000 were without electricity) LINK
No power in San Francisco (51,000 affected) LINK
No power in Albania (yes, the entire country) as well as "at least 27 heat-related deaths in Romania, four in Italy, and dozens of houses destroyed by forest fires in Macedonia." LINK

On the other hand, in China, "The flood-battered banks of the Huaihe River are at risk of washing away, posing a grave threat to the homes of millions of people, Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Torrential rains have wrought havoc across large parts of China this summer, most recently in the southwest and the east, killing more than 500 people and causing billions of dollars in damage.

More rain has been forecast. " LINK

The UK flooding: "Britain's flood victims are facing further misery with Government officials warning water levels are still to peak in many areas, while forecasters predict another deluge of heavy rain.

As a massive humanitarian operation to supply fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people gets underway in central and western England, it has also emerged that the worst floods in modern history had claimed their first lives.

Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, warned last night that the crisis along parts of the river Thames was still expected to worsen.

More rain will stretch the emergency operation even further. The Met Office has predicted rain today, heavier downpours on Thursday and then the threat of persistent heavy rain stretching through the weekend. " LINK

So much doom!

God, long time, no posting... Technical difficulties. Over. On with the doom. ( I loathe Vista.)

UK flooding! Holy mackerel, this is rotten.

LINK

Flooding in China! LINK

Flooding in Texas. LINK

Dead zone growing in the Gulf of Mexico.

"NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (AP) -- Researchers predict that the recurring oxygen-depleted "dead zone" off the Louisiana coast will grow this summer to 8,543 square miles -- its largest in at least 22 years."

LINK

Oil and Gas out by 2015.

"The warning – which is being hailed as a "tipping point" on both sides of the Atlantic – marks the first time that the industry has accepted that it may soon no longer be able to meet demand for its products.

And the crunch could come sooner, with oil production becoming "a significant challenge as early as 2015". This chimes with the International Energy Agency's prediction that oil supplies could become "extremely tight" in five years.
The predictions should send a shiver down humanity's collective spine as a shortage of oil and gas has been predicted to cause industrial collapse, market crashes, resource wars and a rise in poverty. Some forecast that fascist regimes will rise out of the chaos." LINK

All is going just as one might expect. To hell in a handbasket, baby, and fast.

Hey, Governor- good timing!

Clever, clever! Gov. Riley of Alabama has issued a state request for prayers for rain- right before it is supposed to rain! Good move there, buddy.

"The governor issued a proclamation calling for a week of prayer for rain, beginning Saturday.
Riley encouraged Alabamians to pray "individually and in their houses of worship."

"Throughout our history, Alabamians have turned in prayer to God to humbly ask for his blessings and to hold us steady during times of difficulty," Riley said. "This drought is without question a time of great difficulty."

"Roger McNeil, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Birmingham, said a weak summer front will push its way into Alabama from the northwest, triggering scattered showers Saturday and Sunday. But the showers won't be enough to put a dent in the drought, he said."


Praying for rain does not work, however, when has that ever stopped a Republican? And it's definitely a good start to start your praying for rain right when it's well, forecast to rain.

LINK to Alabama story

Is it really eco-friendly shopping?

"Paul Hawken, an author and longtime environmental activist, said the current boom in earth-friendly products offers a false promise. “Green consumerism is an oxymoronic phrase,” he said.

“We turn toward the consumption part because that’s where the money is,” Mr. Hawken said. “We tend not to look at the ‘less’ part. So you get these anomalies like 10,000-foot ‘green’ homes being built by a hedge fund manager in Aspen. Or ‘green’ fashion shows. Fashion is the deliberate inculcation of obsolescence.”

He added: “The fruit at Whole Foods in winter, flown in from Chile on a 747 — it’s a complete joke. The idea that we should have raspberries in January, it doesn’t matter if they’re organic. It’s diabolically stupid.”
LINK