4 July 2013 Fire in the mountain

Cassi Creek:  We are close enough to fault lines to undergo an occasional earthquake of low magnitude.  So far, we’ve managed to not hear or feel the ones that have occurred since we moved here.  Still, as with any mountainous region of the planet, earthquakes are possible. 

          There are no active volcanoes in the region that I know of.  There are several areas where hot springs or warm springs reach the surface, indicating some remnant or small pocket of geothermal activity.

Today, this caught my eye. 

http://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=128471&WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&WT.mc_ev=click

“Discovery
Studying Mini Earthquakes Provides Clues to Volcanic Behavior

Researchers explore causes and pathways of volcanic eruptions to better predict major eruptions”

          On this Independence Day, I am greatly concerned about the degree of polarization present among the populace.  The GOP and the allied teavangelists and assorted “Christian” demagogues and ideologues have convinced ca. half the populace that the only acceptable resolution for the nation’ s economic and socio-cultural problems is to eschew education, remove all taxation from the super rich, and to abrogate the social safety nets from supposed freeloaders who are viewed as unwanted outlanders and parasites. 

          This same populace claims to be desirous of “defending and restoring the Constitution.”  However, they are revising history as taught in public schools to reflect their own right wing, racist, and anti-female bias.  The masses are content to be pacified with televised athletics and cheap beer and will almost invariably allow the GOP propagandists to convince them to vote against their own self-interests while placing the blame for the current economic dislocation upon the former middle class and the formerly employed poor. 

          Concurrently, the Democrats exhibit little ability to govern.  Congress is inept, out of touch with the needs and desires of the populace not sedated by the GOP’s propaganda machine.  They are doing next to nothing to block the GOP’s attempts at voter suppression or to block the GOP’s war on women and on the social safety nets.  There is no organized effort to roll back the attempted religious takeover that the GOP encourages.  It is time for an active women’s party and an active atheist party.