RappCity

"Bye Bye Miss American Pie"

"Drove My Chevy to the  Levee..."
Sometimes odd things happen and you just can't say why. I ended my blog last week by quoting Don McLean's song VINCENT ("They're not listening still..perhaps they never will"), and today, after Hurricane Katrina, the first words that came into my mind as I sat down to write, were once more from McLean. The only connection I can make, is that this guy has had his finger on the pulse of America for a long, long time.

Get a beer.  A lemonade.  Lean back.  I have a lot to say today. All I can really think about are the poor people in Louisiana andand Mississippi.  

Katrina is just about the most tragic thing I have witnessed in my lifetime.  I am not discounting the horror of 9/11 (The fourth anniversary is coming up in a little over a week), but my friends, we have lost about 5% of our country this week!  And we are losing more and more lives by the minute!

So I paid the $3.00 a gallon for gas yesterday. I didn't care. I just sat, as the gougers changed prices so fast that people were driving around town in circles, and thought,"This is awful for working people, but at least we are all alive and have water and food.  Tonight, I am also thankful that we have peace on the Cape.

What must it be like to not only lose your home and family, but to have to swim and walk around in alligator and poisonous snake infested water just to scrounge for food and drink?  And, if you made it through the last couple of days in New Orleans, today you are being bitten by hungry mosquitos and even hungrier people; Some now armed with stolen guns and ammo from a looted Walmart!

Cops are holding onto a police station like a scene from the  film FORT APACHE, THE BRONX, with orders to, "shoot to kill."  Snipers are shooting at these cops too. They are also shooting at unarmed civilians, lost tourists wandering around looking for a way out, and even people being evacuated from a hospital by helicopter.  Reports of rapes and deadly confrontations between residents are starting to trickle in.  This tragedy is usally what we have seen in other countries, but thought could never happen on these shores. Civilization is a very fragile thing.

There, But for the Grace of God....
We, here on Cape Cod (myself included), have been watching this horror unfold onTV, from the comfort of our homes. We've been witness to a whole civilization and culture (Note: built on the sandy beaches and wetlands of the Gulf coast), being reclaimed by the waters that people have tried to tame with levees, dams and sea walls for many years.
All those efforts have finally, sadly, failed, and Mother Earth, in the end, took back the land.  Waters flowed and pushed their way back to where they once were born;  Before we "made" cities from coastal plains and a hole in the ground.

Greed, Negligence and a War
My heart truly goes out to all involved down south, but I also have a lot of anger for those "In the know," who could have done much more. They could have started by warning people a lot sooner about the real dangers involved in living below sea level (New Orleans), next to a weakened levee (see below), or directly atop a coastal flood plain (like Biloxi and Gulfport). 

The people in New Orleans have always known this could happen, and yet, have always chosen to stay. They loved the place. Who could blame them?  I do too. 
But this time they should have taken flight. They should have been forced to leave.  This storm was a monster. I feel badly for them, but I am really upset that many elderly, sick and poor people simply had no choice but to stay. That, to me, was criminal.  These people had no way out, not even with two days notice!

Where was the National Guard Mr. Bush?  Where were the transport ships, cargo planes, helicopters, tanks, army buses, and even Jeeps to get those people out of there before the storm hit?  We know where they were Mr. Bush. We know. But where were you?  Where are you now?

And now "scandal", on top of tragedy.  Reports are coming in from all over Louisiana that the Local, State and Federal Government have known for a number of years that the levees in New Orleans were weak and almost ready to burst.  Also that most of the money originally designated to the Army Corps. of Engineers for reconstruction was suddenly redirected to Halliburton (for its work in Iraq), with the rest going to Homeland security (I would think our oil fields in the Gulf, and the people living there could have benefited from a little "homegrown" Homeland security)!  But not when we are spending billions of dollars a week on this fruitless war in Iraq!

The New Orleans Times-Piscayune newspaper has been reporting for over two years that the top civilian contractor for the Army Corps, strongly objected to the President withdrawing  over 70 Billion dollars (a 44.2% decrease in funds since 2001) from the New Orleans levee project.  Late word is that a lack of only two million dollars earlier this summer halted a patch job on the 17th St. levee, which might have saved the whole city from the floods had it been fixed!   Maybe all this expains why Mr. Bush has seemed so "Stand-offish and downright sheepish" in his statements concerning this devastating event

Say what you will about Bill Clinton, but I can envision him hanging out of a helicopter from day one of this, telling people through a bullhorn where to get food and water,  and how he is, "Personally working on getting them out."  That's just MY take.

Wake Up!
A lot of people in this country live in danger zones (California anyone? Mt. St. Helens?), and they "sort of know" they are taking a chance.  Or do they?  Many Gulf coast residents it seems, thought that since they had weathered a few hurricanes they were now "Old Pros," and this one would be, "just another."  Unfortunately, just because you dodge a few bullets, does not mean you won't get hit eventually.

And for those out there now quoting biblical prophecies, let me just say that I see the same destruction you do. And I feel the same pain you do.  But I still believe very strongly in "Self-fulfilling" prophecies!

We need to learn some BIG lessons from this!  Especially here on Cape Cod (and other areas on the coastlines of America), before something like this happens again!  And it will!

Fact:  Did you know that way before Katrina ever hit New Orleans the city was already losing an acre of wetland every 24 minutes?  Every 24 minutes!  Similar erosion is happening along the coastlines of the Cape. And we need to take a good long look in our own backyards!  

I turned to the Weather Channel last night to listen to some real  meteorologists and scientists. And yes, folks.  It's a fact:  Global Warming is here (not coming). We can expect more frequent and intense storms in summer and winter (are you listening yet George)?  These educated men also clearly stated that our "personal" contributions to climate change are important, because, although we may not have caused  it,  we certainly could hasten the process and make things worse.  Sadly, some still choose not to believe this.  Wake up!

These scientists (Not Conservatives or Liberals)  also said that a lot of people down on the Gulf Coast have been under the impression that the "Great days" of hurricanes had passed (The big ones from the 1930's to the 60's).   And as odd as that seems, they believed it enough to start rapidly building on wetlands, marshes and bayou's in Biloxi and Gulfport during  the 1970's and 80's. 

Gambling then brought in multiple large casinos, which in turned sparked more hotels, restaurants, department stores, shopping malls and other supportive type businesses that grow around any new "Boom" town. Of course the workforce (as well as the wealthy) also needed new homes and apartments too.  Developers up and down the Gulf Coast were very busy!                                    

Everyday folk just trusted this would bring some needed money into the state. I honestly think many people just didn't understand,  others chose not to believe it,  and still others were so busy making money they simply didn't give a damn!   And the latter, I am sure, will be the first people back to rebuild.  Trust me.   And probably even bigger than before.  Geeez...

Vacation Memories
I spent one of the best vacations I ever had (winter 2002) driving along route 10 through Pensacola, New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi and Baton Rouge, and all the way to Houston.  Nothing could have been more beautiful! 

But, as I drove my little car across the span bridges and the Bayou, I did wonder what would happen if a really bad storm hit.  And the following year it happened.  In Pensacola.   My new favorite vacation spot.   The place with the most beautiful, white beaches and dunes that you could ever imagine!  I planned to return if I got the chance.  I didn't.  The follwing year ('03) it was severely hit by a hurricane.  It got hit again last year, but not as hard.

Wake Up Time
Third world nations are fast catching up to the U.S. in business and industry.  Most are also copying many of our bad habits.  They're polluting, pumping, dumping and building out of control just like we are (How cute...such flattery).   China and India are now becoming major players (with less regulation and more people!), not to mention all the smaller countries that also want a piece of the Global pie!

I've been talking about problems with water and pollution on Cape Cod for a while now.  So, as sad as the Gulf Coast tragedy is (and it goes as deep as pain goes), I am not writing this piece as an, "I told you so," but rather as a reminder about what we need to do here, at home.  Before we lose Cape Cod!

40B (BS)
One thing we need to do is force our elected officials to overhaul the laws concerning building on wetlands and  "Supersizing" 40B housing projects!
I don't know about you, but I am very tired of hearing these "politico's" claiming they can't do anything beacause their hands are tied (handcuffs might be a good idea).  They say, 40B housing cannot be avoided.  Nothing can be done. The law allows it.  What can they do?   I ask, "Even on coastal flood plains and wetlands and marshes?"

These days of developers bypassnig all zoning restrictions by simply making 25% of the total units "Affordable"  needs to end!  Quickly!

Current law also states that we can only avoid 40B's IF a town already has 10% of its housing listed as "Affordable."  

I'm not good at math, but even I see the arithmatic of this does not work out.   For every 100 condos built (by 40B standards)  25  (25%) become available as "Affordable Housing."   But, if you then add in a lot of concurrent "private" building of regular single homes, two family houses, condos and other assorted residences (who do not need to offer 25% affordable housing), that little 10% figure begins drifting out into space and out of sight over and over again.

This method is so faulty that the ratio of 10% will never be met.  It's a Catch 22!  It's like paying the vig on a gambling debt!  Like a 30% interest rate on a lousy credit card.  You keep paying the interest...but you never make a dent in the principle.   You can never never catch up, and that's the whole point of the game! So the cycle begins again..and the town has to allow more 40B projects.

I smell Big Dirty Rats....and most are appointed or elected!

Affordable housing is needed.  But, these units can be built in clusters, scattered all over the Cape.  Some over here.  Some over there.  Ten at this place.  Twenty over there.  Fifteen around the corner. Six over here. A dozen down the road. And that could help slow down pollution and erosion, while also maintaining the integrity of our towns.

But that would be too costly and time consuming for these "outside" developers who just want to buy land...any land...build on it, then run back over the bridge in time to be home in Newport for dinner!   
                                                        
Did you know that one man is currently planning a 168 unit (a staggering number) 40B  project right next to a fragile wetland in Falmouth Heights?  Did you also know he lives in Connecticut?

The septic waste alone from a "village" that size is totally inconceivable in an area like that.  I think this developer (who had over 100 people show up in protest at his town hearing.....and whose lawyer complained that he was being bullied)  should be made to foot the bill for hooking all his units to a public sewer system, paid for by him!  Or (If there is no God, and this guy gets approved), he ought to be obligated to cart the waste over the bridge and back to his home town in Connecticut! 

It's enough we may run out of drinking water and lose our fishing and tourist industry (No big deal right?), but those rising ocean levels are seeping, by the minute (Like New Orleans),  into our abused marshes and wetlands. We may lose our homes and way of life too!   Estuaries, rivers, marshes, beaches, bird sanctuaries, swimming and fishing ponds, and other delicate waterways need protection from these guys!  And who is protecting us?

These coastal areas have been a barrier for centuries between Cape Cod and the sea.  They have kept us safe from many storms.  But now, through erosion, rising tides and man made sewage and greed, we are losing them.   And for what?  So a few "Carpetbaggers" can make a buck or two and run?

See Romney Run!
It's time to take this problem to the Governor and the Legislature.  It is time to change these outdated 40B laws! 

Mitt Romney wants to run for President.  Ha!  I haven't seen this man do one thing for the state of Massachusetts since he's been here.  Have you?  If you have, please feel free to comment below.  Maybe I just  fell asleep and missed it.   To me he's just an "Empty Suit" with good hair (You need to have hair these days to be President).  This man has been bred, raised and primed to become our President since he was twelve!  And like George Bush, he has done nothing in his life to warrant an honor like being Commander in Chief.
He has never had an original thought, and yet still is rising to the top like cream ...only because of his familial, political and business connections. The rich mans version of "Affirmative Action."

But, OK.  I will give him one last chance.  The Romney challenge has begun!  Mitt, show me some Grit!  Give me some Moxie!  Let me believe you honestly care about us. Take a stand on saving Cape Cod and all its American history!

Mitt, prove me wrong and put your "behind" on the line, and be the "Champion" of our coastlines, and wetlands,  so we can stay here, not drown or starve,  and live healthy and prosperous lives for eons to come!   I know you're from Utah, but as Governor of Massachusetts (However did that happen?),  the least you can do,  after our hospitality, is some good while you are here.  Use that "Bully Pulpit" and speak out against the devious developers and what they are doing to our land (even if they are your biggest contributors). 

Speak to the people Mitt.  Not the Corporations.  Put forward some kind of original thought for legislation to change existing 40B laws. Fight for stopping further coastal erosion, and for increased funds for pollution control, and making sure Cape Cod (and Massachusetts as a whole) are not just a fond memory as you head out the door for primaries unknown.

Mitt, you just might find that as a HERO of the people you would stand a better chance in national elections.  And you would also be a better person for it!

Well, if Mr. Romney refuses my challenge.  I say we write to him! Let's write to all our local and state legislators!  Email them.  Fax them.  Call them!  Annoy them.  Tell them:  Change the law and limit the size of 40B housing developments. Put a lid on future coastal building and home sizes on or near marshes and wetlands"

"Limit nitrogen and chemical use by golf courses and parks near estuaries, coastal areas, ponds and rivers."
And if all else fails, let's all open our windows and all shout, "We're mad as hell and we won't take it anymore!"

Calling All Kennedy's?
And,  if Mitt won't be our hero,  someone tell Robert Kennedy, Jr. that a really good cause is looking for him.  There are plenty of people who can take over the "Save Nantucket Sound" brigade.  Let Robert know that we could use him and his brother Joe (and some other brothers and sisters and cousins) to come speak out for us, "Little people" and help us in the fight for the future of Cape Cod!  Windmills will be moot...if the Cape is no longer here!  We could very well be underwater one of these days, like our poor southern neighbors ... and along with others in coastal communities around America.  The time to do something is NOW!

Allow me to repeat my regular mantra in a new form: Let's vote out, recall and/or impeach any public servant who does not help the public! 
Those that favor the dastardly developers over real residents should not be representing us!  Our elected officials should be working for us.  Developers from other states don't get to vote here. We do!  Let's use it!

As the old proverb says, "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem!"

Before I leave, please let me offer a prayer for all my brothers and sisters suffering from this terrible situation down south.  May God bless and keep them all safe through this nightmare they are living through. We do hear you. 

The great Louis Armstrong sings to me tonight,  ~Do You Know What it Means, to Miss New Orleans?~    Now I do...     #JC

20 comments »

"A Pond Farewell"

"Water, Water, Everywhere..."

It's nice to know I'm not talking to myself. 

I received a very nice comment from someone who still has clean water to drink (well, they did at press time), but drinks bottled water anyway - just to play it safe.  Even my brand.  Pass the Poland Spring.

I know at this time of year it's hard to be serious about anything when so many of us on Cape Cod are just busy having fun in the sun.  Some of us "Year-Rounders" even have a job (or two, or three) to keep us so occupied that we too just don't have enough time in the day for "deep" things like saving the ecosystem on Cape Cod.  But life won't wait for us to catch up.  And some things need immediate attention.

All you summer residents out there should be concerned as well.    After all, if the Cape disappears, where will you go that has what we have?  And how far are you willing to drive when gas hits $5.00 a gallon?  Flying is a whole other ballgame (and you can't take the Red Sox or the Cape Cod baseball leagues with you)!

So I ask.  Why should we let the "Rich and Powerful" destroy Cape Cod?

I was never one for phrases like, "nouveau riche," but guess who is buying most of those "Trophy Homes" being built on our coastal ponds, marshes and other delicate eco-areas?

Hint: It's not the waitress from Friendly's or the guy with the lobster traps. Hey, I won't knock new money itself (not while I buy lottery tickets and play the market), just the thoughtless things it sometimes tends to buy.

And who is cutting down all the trees (Easter Island anyone)?  The rich, big and fat contractors who build and sell these "monster homes" before heading back to Boston, or Andover or Cape Ann!  Gee, that's very eco-friendly in a place that is built on a dune between an ocean and a bay!

Even the "old rich" (and the old poor) are shuddering at the wanton waste and disdain some of these newcomers have for the Cape.  Say it along with me, "These people just don't care." If Cape Cod dried up tomorrow, they'd just sail, jet or be driven to another new playground to mess up.  I say, "Get lost Greedy Grinches!  Or roll up those Polo sleeves and start to help us out here!"

Interesting fact:  I just recently found out that Cape Cod was not always so sandy.  It seems some Europeans came across that Big Pond and cut down most of the trees on the Outer Cape beginning as far back as that Big Rock business up in Plymouth. They kept at it for quite a while too, and created those beautiful dunes we sing about. They're wonderful to look at and visit...but not much good to live on! (in my best Sam Kinison voice).  The future of Cape Cod is one big DUNE if we don't do something.

Pond Sharks and Town Sharks

I live on a freshwater pond here in Rapp City (a tiny little hamlet between Wellfleet and Woods Hole), and I am sad to say it is one of the few left where children (of all ages) can actually allow their bodies to touch the water!  We've been lucky so far.  But I know its days are limited.  Natural climatic conditions (is Global Warming natural?) are slamming us pretty badly, but do we really have to help it along this much? 

Good news  in Falmouth I hear that some "private" golf courses have actually stopped polluting the fairways and greens with fertilizers (which leech into the groundwater and pollute ponds, bogs, marshes, rivers and coastal waters). Bravo!                                                                                                                                                                              Bad news: Falmouth itself (according to their own local paper), applied approximately 10,000 pounds of fertilizer this year to the new "Town Owned" golf course!  What kind of message and example is that?  How can you ask everyday people with average sized lawns to stop over fertilizing, when you take something as big as a golf course and fertilize the hell of    What are they thinking?

It's really is almost a, "Farewell to Ponds"  from Hyannis and Mashpee to Woods Hole and up through Sandwich.   This is sad folks...and worth thinking about.

Growing up and/or living by a freshwater pond is a unique experience.     Where else can a kid catch a trout from a rowboat, command a paddle boat, set sail within sight of mom, or just float carefree on a raft?  Where else can a kid swim without sharks (pools are for adults!), catch frogs and tadpoles, chase butterflies and then sit back and watch ducks, geese and swans herd their little families around?                                                                                

A friend's niece came to visit her on a local pond once, and the girl fearfully asked before going in the water, "Do ponds have sharks?"  My friend replied, "Just "Pond Sharks"... but they're friendly, and they let you ride on their backs if you can find one."  She smiled, and jumped right in looking for one.  Will there be ponds and "Pond Sharks" for the next generation of kids to enjoy?

Many of these ponds have also (for generations) been sources of natural drinking water.    When I moved here, "well" water was still very much the norm around these parts.  Now most of them are either contaminated, or soon will be.  Hooking up to town water is already mandatory in some areas, and as you all know I have yet to acquire a taste for it...                                                                                                             People directly in the path of old chemical plumes from Otis Air Base got hooked up to town water for free.  But others, maybe even a block away, had to pay for installation and service.  Just to play it safe,  And guess what?  They have discovered new plumes just this past year!  For people without much money that was and is a hardship, even on a payment schedule. Shouldn't they get a refund?  Not everyone can afford bottled water!

Is anyone out there?

Scientists (has anyone been listening?) have been telling us for over twenty years that coastal areas should be prepared for the effects Global Warming. Rising sea levels, high enough to flood all barrier islands and beaches on the eastern seaboard of the US, as well as cities (from Martinique and Miami to Manhattan)...are coming.  And yes, Cape Cod should also be on alert.  At least "Aware."  We can't change the climate, but we can change ourselves.  And scientists have been telling us to what we need to do to slow Global Warming down bit.  And what is our response?  We build bigger homes, drive bigger cars and zoom around in bigger boats.  Well, pretty soon big "Arks" will be the rage!

As singer/songwriter Don McClean sang poignantly to Vincent Van Gogh:  "They're not listening still. Perhaps they never will." JC

####################                                                                                                                                 Of  Special Note: From the EPA: An Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms will be held in Research Triangle Park, NC, September 6-8 2005. Subject: How Cyanobacterial, harmful algal blooms are increasing, and how the organisms and their toxins pose a risk to human health and are ecologically sustainability in all types of water bodies, including drinking water and recreational reservoirs. Registration deadline is 26 Aug 2005. More info can be obtained by email at: using a subject line that contains "ISOC-HAB Invitation Request". Or go to the website at: http://www.epa.gov/cyano_habs_symposium/

3 comments »

Coastlines of the Rich and Powerful

Most of us have heard those distant world news reports: Oceans are rising. Coastlines are disappearing. Homes are sliding down mountains. Torrential rains and alternate droughts are engulfing places we've never been.

It's a wake up call Cape Cod! "Global Warming" is here. It's not just on the way anymore (Even if George W. still considers it a "theory" ... just like evolution).

As what does this mean for us?

It means that Cape Cod's shoreline, fresh water and entire ecosystem is right in the middle of this crucial crossroad of time... and most people don't even know it's happening in their own backyards!

Of course tourists, vacationers and visitors to our beachfront paradise don't give a rat's "patootie" what happens around here when they leave, but how many Year-Rounders, Weekenders and second home owners really know how badly our water sources have degraded?

What is happening Globally may be mostly out of our hands (What kind of car do you drive?), but locally, at least, I think we all need to take a long, hard look at what's going on and try and save our beaches, wetlands, marshes, fish and ultimately our lives before it's too late! We need to take this very personally!

Right now Waquoit Bay and the adjoining waters that flow into it (Great River, Little River, Quashnet River, Hamblin Pond and others) are being assaulted. Although storm water runoff is unavoidable, most of the problem has been caused by too much fertilizer and too many septic systems.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection told the area towns they need to reduce the nitrogen in the water by 80%... to bring it back to the safe figures of the Federal Clean Water standards. And this is just a microcosm of what's happening all over the Cape.

And how about all those huge new "Trophy Homes" going up all around us? This type of wild building frenzy, very often on fragile land (for the great views), has gotten way out of hand, and seems to me just a new way to "show off." These folks are not just trying to outdo the Jones's ... they are trying to outdo the Welches, Kozlowski's, Lays and Mellon-Scaife's!

Did you know many of these new homes are built just to rent? Some are even sitting on land that could very well be underwater after one good sized hurricane! But what the heck. Vacationers, during "Peak Season," will pay anywhere from $1,500 to $15,000 a week to rent them.

Why should that concern us you say?

Listen up: A lot of these homes are ineligible for flood insurance, and quite a few are bought with "interest only" mortgages to finance them. That means that they are never actually paid off. They are just rented out as fast as they are built! So, if they flood, sink, or get washed away, they are simply written off by the "owners" who may have already made back their initial investment. Good deal huh?

What about the cost to you and me?

Think about the extra sewage these monsters create. The extra water these monsters consume. Then figure in the extra energy used to run all the extra things that come with a house like that. Add that to the town salaries and town machinery it might take to salvage what's left of many of these sinking mansions when a big storm hits.

And that's not even counting the erosion these homes create by disturbing beaches, natural coastal areas and wetlands?

We all pay for that. In taxes, and in kissing our land and clean water good-bye!

And, I'm sorry, but the "rubber stamping" of too many densely populated 40B housing projects, (building rights given to developers without need for zoning permits if 20% of the space is deemed "affordable housing" by these same boards), screams nepotism, corruption and greed to me! Half of these projects seemed to have been approved and built while we were all sleeping...and by people who don't even live on Cape Cod!

Wastewater management can only go so far. Nitrogen from septic systems chokes waterways with algae, which depletes oxygen, making it impossible for eelgrass to grow and fish/shellfish to survive. That not only affects vacationers, but the pocketbooks of hardworking locals who fish for a living, and in turn the economy of the whole region.

Remember the recent Red Tide? Now that was from a bad storm ... and only lasted a few weeks. Now imagine a Red Tide lasting a few years. Or forever!

It's bad enough that the military already ruined much of the fresh groundwater on the Upper Cape with artillery and bombs (see my last blog below), but this overbuilding of homes and shopping malls, pesticides from backyards, front lawns and huge commercial golf courses on top of non compliance with eco-laws will eventually force everyone on the Cape to buy drinking water along with their food!

I already have my Poland Spring delivered. I am told that our RappCity town water is still drinkable (according to federal guidelines), but... I'm just not fond of the taste of those "allowable" amounts of lead and chlorine (among other things) in my tap water.  But, hey... that's just me. If I could afford it, I'd bathe in Poland Spring too!

When will the builders be held in check by the people we put into office? Where have our elected officials been during this housing boom and water poisoning? Our local Selectmen and Zoning Board members should be ashamed!

Admittedly, a lot of this happened because we have let it happen. But we can also put a stop to it. We can vote. Vote to save Cape Cod, and get rid of all those necrotic, nepotistic, noodniks!

(Note: My esteemed editor Walter sadly reminded me that, "In the Mashpee River (possibly Cape Cod's most polluted), its trout, once fished by the likes of Daniel Webster, are all gone...." )

7 comments »

Is Anyone Safe Anywhere?

Which is more lethal? Mad Cows? Flu-ridden birds? Mercuriated (my own word) fish? Biting spiders? Venomous snakes? Lions and tigers and bears (oh my), or PEOPLE?

Are WE the most dangerous creatures on earth? I have to admit that lately I'm overwhelmed by thoughts of genetically altered "prion-ized" (my word too) beef ....caused by feeding cows to other cows....along with my regular, normal, everyday, run of the mill fears of, "Out of Control Terrorism" and pandemic diseases. I think we really need to get a handle on some things...before we go from merely dangerous to completely extinct! The above things actually rely on, and work off each other: Lack of food can cause war and disease; Disease can affect food and people and cause war; War can cause food shortages which can cause disease, etc., etc., etc.

And whether AT war, or preparing for it, we are always trying out the guns. Old guns... New guns. ..shooting...bombing. Practice makes perfect. And it will always take a toll... So, it is no surprise that, once more, the chemical EDB has been found in the cranberry bogs along the Coonamessett River, right here on the Cape.

Once again (as in the 1990’s), Ocean Spray will not be buying their cranberries from that area. Never mind the economic effects on the growers, but think about the harmful effects this will have on fish and wildlife (and always, ultimately us). The source of the EDB chemical plume? The Massachusetts Military Reservation in Sandwich, who used this EDB beginning in the 1950’s and 60’s in their artillery practice and bombings (which used to shake my house here in Rapp City every weekend until the mid 90’s when the base was finally ordered to stop).

Geez...just look at poor Noman's Island (off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard). It has been uninhabitable by humans for so long, that most people do not even know it is there anymore. Only ghosts and migrating birds call it home now. However, on a much brighter note for humanity, here are some good things:  

The Coonamessett Inn in Falmouth will be hosting a “Star Studded” evening of entertainment, Monday Night Aug. 1st. The event is a fundraiser for the Audible Local  Ledger, a local cable TV show with volunteers who read the daily newspaper to the sight impaired.

This wonderful night will start with piano music and cocktails from 5:30-6:30, followed by Big Band music and professional guest performers and singers from all over the Cape and Islands from 7:30 until.... Call the Inn (508) 548-2300 on 331 Gifford St. and Jones Road, Falouth for more information. Also bravo to the people from the 13th annual Housing With Love Walk, who trekked over sixty miles from P’town to Woods Hole, raising $20,000 for the homeless.

Now this is humanity at its best! Okay, now before I take my leave this week, let me offer a little something to chew on: Are you aware that South Carolina is entertaining the idea of once more seceding from the Union? This is true! It seems some scary people in their state legislature are proposing the secession so that the state can follow Christian Law (instead of United States law). Well folks... about all I can think to say about that is: “OY VEY.”

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Hot Dog... Summer in Rapp City

Welcome to the dog days of summer! Cape Cod is the ONLY place to be in the midst of this massive multi-state meltdown . Aren't we lucky (although in February I actually had a TEN foot SNOW DUNE in my yahhhd). Experts now say expect COLDER winters and HOTTER summers. But don't stand on your head yet. President Bush says don't worry about Global Warming (until he and his team finish, "Studying it" anyway). Speaking of Dogs. I ate a HOT DOG yesterday. I suspended belief in MAD COWS and downed a Red Hot. A Coney Island. A Wiener. A Frankfurter... All BEEF of course. Once in a while you've GOT to live dangerously. Someone said it was a Hebrew National doggie. I am FAIRLY certain those Kosher dogs CANNOT be made from Mad Cows that fall down and go "BOOM," or from the non-kosher BUTTS of the ones still standing. They have to answer to a HIGHER AUTHORITY... Between working (People here WORK in the summer?), gardening, entertaining people who never are able to visit in winter (watch for that column), there's just not enough time for the REALLY Important things in life; Laying in the sun ... and ranting and raving about political injustice and corporation corruption. For instance: Take our President (please). He seems to now be playing Oliver Hardy to Karl Rove's Stan Laurel: "Another fine mess you've gotten us into this time Karl." I'm beginning to think of the whole thing as: WaterLEAKgate. Dubya said this week that if he found a "Leaker" in his office (I pass on the joke there), he would get rid of him. But, I'm confused. So follow along here... The PRESS keeps stating that Bush would "FIRE" anyone who committed a crime, but I can't seem to find those EXACT words by the President himself... anywhere. And I've been looking. Even yesterday's Boston Globe (page one) first paraphrased Bush, saying he VOWED to fire any criminals. THEN they followed that with a QUOTE from Mr. Bush which ACTUALLY said, "If someone in my administration committed a crime they will no longer be in my administration." The reason I bring this up (other than I HATE bad grammar as much as slippery politicians), is that Bush has rephrased his statement a FEW times since 2003. MY favorite was to Barbara Walters just last year: "If someone has broken the law, they will be, "Taken care of." Taken Care of. Hmmmm... (getting the SLIPPERY aspect yet)? I figure what the President means (if anyone can), is that although Rove may get "PUBLICLY" fired, or (ahem), resign, he would still get "PRIVATELY" chauffeured to a luxury retirement, including severance pay, government pension, consulting contracts AND, of course, a BOOK deal. That's being, "Taken care of." As for criminal charges? Yeah right... Ha! I mean how does one REALLY fire a Presidential Adviser? Couldn't Rove just call Bush on a CELL PHONE and still tell him what to do? QUESTION: Mr. Kennedy? Mr. Kerry? Can't a law be passed forbidding contact between Sleazeballs and the President (or is that redundant)? Geez. And I'm still fuming over RIOTS in Ptown on July 4th. I'm GLAD some of those jerks got tossed in the POKEY. MOST of the "troublemakers", were profiled as "Straight males, between 18 to 26," who drove down for the night to party. As a result there has even been talk of canceling one of the BEST fireworks shows on Cape Cod. I say, LOSE THE KIDS. KEEP THE FIREWORKS! And those OTHER "kids" (same age group) who called in the BOMB THREATS to the Nantucket Ferry? I say, throw the book at them! And to paraphrase the famous Soup Nazi from Seinfeld: NO CAPE (and Islands) FOR YOU! EVER Let me leave you, however, with a BIG compliment to ENGLAND for finding the MANIACS responsible for those horrid bombings... And WITHOUT having to invade any countries. Hats off Scotland Yard, and Tony Blair!!!

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Mad Cows, Chickens and Fish!

I am MAD.  In probably every sense of the word.

I admit. I watch Jay Leno on occasion.

He does a segment called "JayWalking" (asking questions of average people on the street), and I finally realized exactly why so many folks in the heartland can't see the problem with putting the Ten Commandments all over government property and schools. Commandment really does sound a lot like AMENDMENT! Right?

The following three questions were asked of three separate visitors to California all stopped on the street. I shall paraphrase for space, but not for general content.

Question: Can you name the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights?
Answer: Don't sleep with your neighbors wife.
Question: What is the second amendment to the Bill of Rights?
Answer: Don't kill anybody?
Question: Do you know the first three words in the Declaration of Independence?
Answer: In the beginning?

 That is MADNESS!
As if the above answers were not enough to make you shudder, notice that all were answered in question form as well.

I worry a lot about this country.

Why just this week some VERY famous person (A Senator from NY perhaps?), said that our esteemed President reminded "them" of Alfred E. Newman ....Of MAD Magazine fame.
"What, Me Worry?"

But we'll talk about the absurdities of power, war, peace and Karl Rove another time.

Meanwhile, TODAY I am worried about my food.

RED TIDE has finally subsided on Cape Cod (my home), as well as other east coast areas, and my beloved steamers, clams and quahogs are safe again. That is a VERY good thing.

Unfortunately, most of the country (including us) are still under advisement to eat only ONE freshwater fish a month, like trout, to stay ahead of pollution from Acid rain, Mercury and/or PCB's. No sitting on the dock of my pond fishing for dinner anytime soon (Sigh).

And, speaking of other edibles, I read an alarming report yesterday from a newsletter I receive about infectious diseases around the world.

I quote from the Manila Times July 9th 2005: "The BUREAU of ANIMAL INDUSTRY announced 8th July the detection of a low-risk flu strain in ducks in Calumpit, Bulacan, but said there is no cause for alarm, since the strain is not fatal to humans and animals."
I not quite sure where Calumpit is (somewhere in the Philippines) but don't order the duck. It may not kill you, but there is no assurance you won't throw up.

I worry even more, and (this makes me very MAD), that in Hong Kong this month a leading scientist/virologist studying Avian Flu (H5N1...which experts say could wipe out as much as 1/3 of the worlds population in the near future) says the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture is preventing him from further studies.

"They are trying to stop me, trying to stop my investigation," said Guan Yi, whose group published a paper in the prestigious journal NATURE on the 6th of July, describing the latest sequence data isolated from dead geese. He says, 6000 migratory birds have died near Qinghai Lake in western China; All, probably from catching the virus from a single domestic bird from a nearby commerce center.

What worries ME most, according to this source, is that these new rules make it harder for Chinese farmers, scientists, reporters, and officials to communicate suspected outbreaks. In a brand new rule guide, Rule #4 states that, "...No other entity except for the Veterinary Bureau can disseminate information on animal diseases. The final rule warns that "legal action will be taken against a person who defies these laws."

This is NOT a good thing folks. Not a good thing at all.
In defense of his government (Kind of like our version of a White House Press Secretary), an Agricultural minister said NATURE and its sources jumped to the wrong conclusion. He added that since none of the WRITERS had collected samples from the birds, the conclusion, "Lacks credibility."
What? What did he say?
Hmmmmmmm..... sound familiar? Global warming, WMD's, Karl Rove...

And speaking of MAD, why just worry about China, when right here at home we are currently testing 67 "Cattle of interest" in Texas for signs of MAD COW Disease. Most of these are siblings, offspring or herd mates born about the same time as a cow found to have tested positive for Mad Cow last month.

Positive results would spur more trace-back testing similar to that being conducted now,
said USDA spokesman Jim Rogers, adding that another 38 animals were also being screened: results pending.

HEY....No hurry fella's. It's just that we humans who eat infected beef can develop a variant of the brain-wasting Mad Cow known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and end up without a nervous system.

Between worrying about Chickens and Cows and Fish (OH MY), I am nervously contemplating a future of bean and soy shaped steaks. Even turkey burgers (the leaner burger) as a substitute for beef may be off the menu soon too.

It's a weird world when PIG is the healthiest meat you can find.

We here in Rapp City (a tiny hamlet on Cape Cod), are, however, stocking up on dried beans, rice and lots of boxed brownie mix. We have multiple gallons of bottled water and at least 10 boxes of powdered milk (to wash down the brownies of course).

It's certainly is a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad world!

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