Finally some cooler weather in Georgia. Whew. It's in the 70's and overcast today.

With the return of school I have much less energy to blog. There are some things that I must say about this week however.

It didn't make the newspapers but was reported in Science News that the administration is closing the regional libraries of the EPA. They will save about 3 million dollars by doing this. They will also greatly restrict the access of the public, particularly scientests, to gather information about pollution. The administration says that the information will be put online (eventually) and this will be a great savings. Unfortunately, the research librarians will be gone and along with them, the institutional memory about these documents.

Most people have never done any research in a major research library. I have. Believe me when I say that you can't do significant research without those research librarians. They know the collection. They know what's in what journal. They know who else has done similar research. They know how to manipulate the computers for the best search results. I remember looking for information, any information about a group of pieces by Joseph Haydn. It was a hopeless search in the huge collection at the state university library. Then, I asked the research librarian for that section to help me. In five minutes I had an article that answered my questions. He didn't even go to a catalogue. He just remembered browsing in a book that might have something like I was looking for. He didn't know the name of the book but he remembered it was yellow and what section of books it was in. I found it by the color.

This administration thrives on secrecy. The library closing is not to save money. It is only to restrict access of information that would make it possible to go after big business for destroying the environment. The scientists are alarmed. The public is unaware. The Republican facism continues. Restrict access of the people. Restrict the peoples power. Centralize power with the party. The preznit can use the facism word about the Islamic extemists all he wants, but he is the chief of fascism today.

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT:
The raising of the terror alert and the change in carry-on procedures at airlines was not brought about this week because of a terror threat. It was a political scare tactic. WOLF!!!!! cried the preznit's men. WOLF!!!!! BE AFRAID!!!!!! Even in England where arrests were made for plotting mayhem, they said that the plot was still in the planning stages. There was no immediate threat last week. Officers suspected that the plots were for the anniversary of September 11 atrocities five years ago. Since that is a month away, couldn't we have announced the changes of policy effective this week in order that we wouldn't have the scene of grandmothers throwing away their lipstick and mothers drinking breast milk in front of security guards.

Face it. This was handled to frighten as many people as possible. It was designed to terrify airline passengers getting ready to board. Thousands walked away from their vacations, from their rendezvous with loved ones, from their trips of a lifetime. They put their unrefundable tickets in the trash and went home heartbroken and afraid. At first it frightened me. Was something really happening? I wondered. As I listened to the delighted news crews on every station, it became clear that nothing was happening. I'm glad the police arrested some criminals in England. Guess what? We can't even find missing Egyptian students in our country.

Five years since 9/11. Are airplanes secure? No. Freight is not even scanned. Why planes aren't exploding midair is a mystery if you think we are infiltrated by terrorists. There is no protection plan. Are our ports protected? No. Any plan to protect them soon? No. How's security at our nuclear plants? Could five guys with tommy guns get in and melt down the place? Yes. If you feel safe with the current administration, you just live in a bubble. Homeland security is just a Hitler youth project. March around and show some force. Arrest 7 Christian blacks, wanna be ganstas, and call it Homeland Security. Air condition garbage trucks in IOWA and call it Homeland Security. Let's all get armbands and put yellow ribbons on our SUVs.

People were worried about a score of millions of dollars that might go to poor minority mothers and children in the inner city, so they voted for the current slate of idiots because they said they'd correct that problem. They have limited money to those poor women and children. Those folks are hungry and homeless now. Some are dead. Less to worry about. Meanwhile dozens of scores of Billions has been given to the administrations' cronies for WAR WAR WAR, and Homeland Security, with no accounting. We aren't even looking for the stolen billions.

This administration is a scandal on us all. A Pox on America and the American Dream. Bush makes Ulysses S. Grant look like a great American hero. He makes Nixon into Mr. NiceGuy. He makes Hoover look like a brilliant forward thinker. We have turned a corner in American History and who knows if we can ever go back.

Fascism has indeed arrived in America, wrapped in the flag and carrying the Bible.