The news coming from Italy today is tragic, over 150 dead with thousands injured in the earthquake that hit Italy today. We can only hope more people are found alive and well. I hope all injured will heal quickly.

Could the life and injury tolls been reduced or eliminated?

Gioacchino Guiliani believes so. He works for the physics institute at San Grasso near the city of L’Aquila, the epicenter of the earthquake. Through radon detection he was able to predict this earthquake for over a month. He tried to warn officials but they dismissed his warnings. He even went as far as hiring vans with loudspeakers to warn people but the police made him stop.

I am interested in the potential here to detect earthquakes through radon. I will have to do more research on this.

Radon apparently is found in rocks and ground water. The radon found in ground water apparently does not change much under normal conditions. It does change increasing its emissions from a stage II earthquake because microcracks in the rocks result in an increase in the surface area of the rocks exposing “more of the radon to water, which would cause a greater breakdown of the radioactive mineral. Radon emissions would increase as the radon is washed out of the rock during stage II [Meyer, 1977]. As the water returns during stage III, radon emissions would level off because microcracks stop forming. The newly formed microcracks serve as pathways for more of the radon gas to escape to the surface; thus, radon emissions are higher [Asada, 1982].”¹

Giuliani detected high levels of radon and tried to warn the officials. Was he right in doing so? Or is this science not perfected to a proficient level of accuracy yet?

Read some more about this and tell me your thoughts.²³⁴

1. http://tc.engr.wisc.edu/UER/uer96/author3/index.html [↩]
2. http://hans.wyrdweb.eu/how-predict-earthquakes-or-why-bees-are-dying-frogs-run-away-and-people-get-migraine [↩]
3. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v293/n5830/pdf/293262a0.pdf [↩]
4. http://www.lifeinitaly.com/node/4930 [↩]

“on the word of no one” — Horace

This has always been my philosophy—the philosophy of most thinkers. Like Socrates, I am the gadfly of a deeper truth. I was born with an innate sense of curiosity. You telling me something doesn’t necessarily make it true. I accept no authority of information as THE authority. I am compelled to investigate. And vice-versa my researching something you’ve told me doesn’t mean I believe it to be untrue—it is simply the manner in which I operate intellectually. I have always and will always think for myself.

Moreover, I believe others should do so as well. A little thinking could go a long way to getting us out of the current economic situation we are finding ourselves. Why are we allowing the so-called experts tell us we are in an economic depression that we cannot escape? Was it not other so-called experts who watched idly as we got into this mess through artificial financial prosperity, the hay day for bankers, Wall Street and middle America alike? Why should we accept their predictions, their explanation of reality? Why should we not think for ourselves and improve our situation?

This is exactly what I have been doing. Thinking about what we can do. Here are some of the things I believe will help us get back on track as a nation:

1. Tax according to our current laws — you will pay more than the next guy, if they you make more as you should.
2. Place a tariff on all imports from other countries to encourage new industry within our own country and discourage cheap, disposable crap flooding in from other countries while displacing local workers and exploiting foreign children in unsafe work conditions. This will also create extra revenue which we could put back into the economy.
3. Upgrade the power grids to be more efficient. This will save a gob of money and energy sources while preparing us for the needs of the technology of tomorrow.
4. Invest heavily in science, technology and alternative energy. We should be able to compete in all these areas. The Chinese said they want to be the leader in electric cars within a year—why should we not give them a run for their money? We already have excellent technology and the capability to do this.
5. Raise the standard of living in our own country. We as a society are only as good as the lowest rungs within. If the poor feel as if their well-being matters as much as the wealthiest than they will be willing and anxious to help improve our society.
6. Each of us take what we need and put the rest back into our economy. This means reasonable wages, solid benefits for employees—healthy  less profits for corporations, less waste and mindful consumption all around. No more keeping up with the Jones, no more million dollar wages.
7. Implement as severe punishments for white collar crimes as for other crimes. When someone robs a mini-mart and takes $250—they go to prison for multiple years. Yet, someone who embezzles 100′s of thousands often escape jail time or get reduced sentences. They should pay according to the crime.
8. No more bonuses for failing companies. Period. No more bailouts. No more excuses. And the government should put regulations harshly punishing such policies. And if a company is deemed ‘too big to fail’ — it should be split up into smaller companies with new management.
9. Reduce the number of HB-1 Visas. I know this will be controversial but we can train locally. There are thousands of displaced out-of-work technologically savvy people—why not put them to work?
10. Accept responsibility but refuse to be the donkey to which all blame is pinned. Insist the rest of the world do their part as well. For example, countries like India and China can work on effective birth control to reduce their excessive population. You cannot expect to properly provide for your citizens if you lack the resources and yet you continue to overpopulate and expect the world to help you. Countries must be willing to help themselves as well. And if two countries are perpetually at war and do not wish to stop being at war, as long as they are not harming other countries, we should not interfere.

These are just some of the things I think about. I think if we did these ten things we could go a long ways towards ending this economic recession and improving quality of life globally. Mostly, I wish to encourage everyone worldwide to think for themselves—to find answers nullius in verba.

I absolutely love Washington State but this past week we have been in the news at least twice and the stories have been hideous. In defense of Western Washington…one of these stories happened in Eastern Washington. A little insight into why this matters is found in the ideological differences between the two halves of Washington State. Western Washington is notoriously more progressive and liberal. We are the tree-hugging, coffee-drinking, human rights activists who almost always vote blue. Whereas Eastern Washington is almost completely opposite. They disagree so much, in fact, that they have even asked to become an entirely separate state. They are loggers and farmers and conservative Republicans. And apparently they are suffering but so are we.

Eastern Washington

The first story was about a Yakima man, recently laid off, who decided to take his 9-year-old daughter with him on a store robbery. You can read the story here but basically he robbed a mini-mart (AM-PM) and while doing so he explained to the clerk how he had been laid off and needed the money to take care of his daughter. She was present for the entire robbery. That girl must have been traumatised to see her father robbing a store right in front of her. Children feel their parent’s stress and they also have their own. They take things personal and he said it was for her—in essence blaming her. This was a tragedy in so many different ways.

Western Washington

The second story was just today. A man in Orting shot and killed his five children before killing himself. Not much is known about this story yet but the mother was not home at the time. She has been located now but can you even imagine her pain? It is so very sad. There is no justification for such an act.

Washington State is suffering. In the past three months we have lost many jobs. Our state unemployment rate is higher than it has been since 1985 and higher than the nation’s unemployment rate. Our governor, Christine Gregoire, kept us in the green as long as she could. We did not begin to see the effects of the recession like other parts of the country until recently. Now it is hitting and hitting hard. Successful corporations such as Microsoft, Boeing and Starbucks are laying off thousands of people and the forecast doesn’t look good for the rest of this year. When people cannot pay their mortgage or put food on the table—they become desperate.

Now, I am not excusing these two men’s behavior. I am simply saying we must stick together in this economic recession. We must help, if we can. Give to food banks. Offer help to friends and neighbors in need. Tell someone who is unemployed about job openings, training programs, educational opportunites. Charge just a little less for your services, for your apartments. Practice soft capitalism. Ask for what you need, not what you need to get rich. Reduce your waste. Give a little back.

It is the small things that matter. It is the small things that add up in both directions.

Some 4,000 marchers were outside the Bank of England in protest for “Financial Fools Day.” “This is about making it shameful to be a banker,” said Annabel Acton, 25, a consultant. “I’ve come here today so we can engage in a peaceful protest and vent our anger against the greed of the financial institution.They are dealers in death…”

read more | digg story

I wanted to share this news story because it is worth sharing. The English have had enough of the greedy banking institutions leeching them poor. It is disgusting that they have gotten away with it as long as they have. I commend all those people standing up for justice—standing against the financial tyranny. I know this would not work in the United States because our government carries big guns and they are not afraid to use them against us (or anyone).

Thank you for having the courage to stand up for all of us who cannot stand with you. The elderly who saved all of their lives and are now destitute. The parents who worked hard to save for their children’s educations who are now scrambling to pay for their children’s college just to keep up in this failing economy. Thank you for standing up against the greed—the corruption. You are doing the right thing—no matter how the media tries to paint it. Enough is enough!

THANK YOU!