What is it with FEMA?

For FEMA to be a government agency it seems to be littered with such managerial problems.

First the contaminated Katrina trailers…now over 270 fuel tanks with thousands of gallons of fuel which are stored both underground and some above…could be leaking fuel both into the soil and water…causing yet more FEMA contamination problems…but this around the country. 

We could all come face to face with this FEMA problem…as it could become a national problem.  Because those tanks have been placed all around the United States.

How is it that this organization…FEMA could go all these years with a nonchalant attitude concerning these tanks and their possible hazards to us all?

How can it be that they were so irresponsible in the maintainance and care of these tanks?

These tankers store up to 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel or as much as 10,000 gallons in gasoline…and they were placed around the country in various locations during the Cold War.

Can you remember when that was?

It was during the 60’s and we are now nearing the end of 2008.   So, if you do the math that is…huh?

Huh?

Nearly 50 years ago…depending upon when in the 60’s these tanks were either laid in the ground or stored otherwise.

A statement released said that FEMA needed to inspect these tanks for possible leaks of hazardous substances that make local drinking water undrinkable.

Unbelieveable.   And it has been a problem long seen by the FEMA people and other government officials as a looming potential problem.  Yet no attention as been paid to it. 

It is the same “I could care less” attitude that FEMA had when it knew that it was giving out contaminated housing to the Katrina victims…but they could have cared less.  FEMA gave them those highly formaldehyde poisoned trailers knowingly and never looked back.

And we pay these people with our tax dollars?????

This problem can create mammouth and irreversible health issues.   Leaks can lead to higher risk of cancer, kidney damage and nervous system disorders…which they will, of course, claim that the illness could not be tied to the leaks…because maybe your family was predisposed to the illness based upon your family history. 

Yeah, and I guess so…since nobody every told you that there were FEMA fuel tanks buried somewhere near your family home for nearly 50 years.  And you were wondering why everybody was coming down with cancer or some type of serious disorder.

A single gallon of fuel can contaminate 1 million gallons of water.

This is serious business…and we all need to be made aware…and stay on top of this story.

CLICK BELOW to read more on this story.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080812/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/leaking_fuel_tanks

God bless…  www.bsmith101.wordpress.com  pass it on…  ©2008

Perhaps one of the most unacclaimed and least recognized women in the Black Community because of…for the most part because of whom she works for.  

Which really is all the more reason why we should all love her…because really who could stand the guy?   Particularly, if you were as efficient and as dedicated to doing your job well…as Condoleezza  Rice evidently is.

But…

I love her. 

Sorry about the display of the other photos on this page…but the US State Department for some reason…is blocking their display.

I love her stand on Affirmative Action…and that of Colin Powell.

I love her being able to maintain her pure image.

I love her seemingly being a woman of virtue.

I love her intelligence.

I love her abilitly to handle herself well…her ability to walk among men and not cowl down to anyone.

I love her for her brilliance.

I love her for her ability to hold her own in any room…among any group of people.

I love the way she carries herself.

I love that she is a big woman who walks like a woman and talks like a woman…and is not trying to be anyone or anything else.

I love that she is a woman with a good job…and is good at doing it.

And I love…and really love that she is a black woman…an African American woman…who is not trying to portray herself as any other type of woman.She is diligent…steadfast…and doesn’t quibble.  She does what she has to get done.

But most of all I love what she has to say about Denzel Washington.

Yeah…I think I really really love her because she knows who she is and doesn’t take a back seat to anyone on that or anything else…and that she loves black men…handsome, intelligent black men…who love and respect black women…their people. 

And in this case…his wife.

Yeah, I’m happy about Obama.  But I am also happy about you…holding the highest office in America that any woman has ever held, Madame Secretary of State.

Republican…whatever.  Condoleezza Rice, I just love you…and respect you.

You go, girl! 

And you too, Mr. Denzel.

The Bible says…to whom honor is due…  

CLICK HERE to see what she has to say about Denzel Washington… http://www.yahoo.com/s/930559

Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State of the United States of America.

Well….hope you have a beautiful day.     and God bless…  ©2008

Today while out and about, I noticed the gas prices at a couple of places.  It was at $3.99…not much difference from $4.08.

But psychologically speaking. 

It sure looks a lot better.

A couple of days ago I was out at the track.  Sometimes I just like to pull out there and sit in the car and read my Bible.

On this particular day, I ran into an old family and church friend with whom we had grown up with.  He shared with me a book he was reading. 

This book had to be about 2 1/2 inches in thickness.  It was a book on the Masons.

We have all heard of the Masons…but I never knew much about them as most of what they do is secret and kept among themselves.

But what was interesting about this book were the hand signals that were displayed in it.  The hand signals used by the Masons symbolizes some type of secret code…which of course this book explained along with everything else about the Masons.  But I was not about to read all that stuff. 

But those hand signals are the exact hand signals used by the rappers.  You’ve seen them in the music videos and at the music award shows flashing all kinds of hand signals.

Well, those hand signals come directly from the Masons.  Along with some other things called the hidden hand and the claw…which are all shown in this book which is full of pictures showing everybody and their brother using and flashing these various hand signs from generals to Presidents past and present.

But besides those hand signals, I couldn’t help but notice how much this person whom I had known for many years was taken with that book.  So much so that as I looked at that book and how thick it was…I couldn’t help but think that if it had been the Bible he probably wouldn’t have even opened it.  And here he was all goo-goo gah-gah over this book about the Masons as if it were some kind of wonderment.

Not to mention as he continued on and on…he eventually got around to mentioning how the Bible is a piece of manipulated junk.  Where of course we now had to go into a detailed conversation because I just could not allow that to go unchallenged.

But what made me feel bad for him was…that you cannot read all kinds of doctorine because it will confuse you.  And he was terribly confused…and I could clearly see it and definitely hear it.

There is no doctrine which has not pulled bits and pieces from the Bible…that in of itself should speak volumes for the merit of the Bible.   That everyone wants to draw from it…does ring a high degree of significance on its behalf.  

And the fact that they do pull from the Bible…and create all kinds of religions to fit whatever they want to do, practice and/or preach and teach…is indeed a fact.  From the Mormons to Catholicism, the Church of Scienctology, Islam, all those Eastern Religions etc…etc…all have taken wing from some section, practice or statement and/or statements found in the Bible.

As I listened to him, this person who had grown up in the same church I had, I just felt bad for him…as he talked to me getting excited as he told me how he spent $20 for some other book on something else.   He was getting all excited as though these books were leading him to some new found form of enlightment that gave him some strange form of euphoric ecstasy.

I don’t read many books…but I do spend time every day with one very special book which means an awful lot to me.  I search it out for understanding, wisdom, peace, guidance, even correction etc…etc…and it does that much and more for me.

Happy reading…and be sure to look out for my book, “THE BISHOP’S WIFE.”  

Remember I will tell you when and where you can purchase it just as soon as I straighten out my problems with the publisher.  I recently informed them that it would cost them more money than it would cost me if I had to take them to court.  I just don’t want to have to fly all the way to Florida to do it…but I’ll go if I have to.  And in Florida…in small claims you can sue for up to $5000…now that is a real incentive for all the aggravation that Xulon has caused me.

But I would really rather work it out…and I have them in the palm of my hand…it is not the other way around.  And if you would like to read that story you can check out my very first blog…under the section entitled “Self-Publishing.”   The story on how Xulon Publishing was planning on taking me for a ride…all the way to the bank. 

I’m finding myself having to take 3 to 4 showers per day with all this heat.  Can’t stand to get over-heated and sweaty.  But just imagine if we couldn’t shower as we would like to. 

People around the world are faced with exactly that…and even some right here in the United States.  People in the mountains of West Virginia have contaminated water…all of it…even their drinking water.  I saw once on PBS where somewhere in those mountains the water faucets in some mountain towns poured out mud.  That is right…mud…and they ran the  faucet to prove it.   Through the kitchen sink faucet and bathroom faucets…through all their plumbing. 

I couldn’t imagine living that way…or being forced to.  And even though bottled water seems pretty cheap…imagine trying to buy it for your everyday useages.  You won’t think it so cheap then…I am sure.  Imagine trying to buy enough water so you and your family could bathe with it…much less drink it, wash clothes and dishes with it…etc…

There is something about not having something which makes you desire it.  And you have a tendency to desire it all the more when it is not readily available to you.   

If we didn’t have fresh water…we would be desiring a cool drink of water.  And would be willing to pay any price to get it.  (kind of sounds like our current gas prices)

There are people who for one reason or another whose water or electric and/or gas may be shut off…meaning that if they have bath water it is ice cold.  And if they don’t have water, they can’t bathe or flush the toilet or have drinking water. 

We are blessed…but being blessed does not mean that we should not consider other people.  Consider them…and lets seek to make this a better place for all people.

I respect and love you.   Lets consider this planet and all that we are doing to ruin it.  Some day someone will look back and say-

“How come they didn’t do something?”

It’s a good time to think about trying to preserve this planet for those who will come after us…and for those suffering right now because of what we have already done. 

Thank you for reading.      ….God bless…and have a beautiful day.

These hot flashes are really getting the best of me.

I used to hear women talk about them…but never paid much attention to what they were saying.   But I understand now.   

They make all of this heat all the worst.   And ooooh….my nights.

My Chinese teacher told me that Chinese women do not get hot flashes…it has to with something they either eat or take…which I guess amounts to about the same thing.

Ni hao ma?

Yes, I do take Chinese…or rather took it for a few semesters.

And I just said ‘hello and how are you?’    Pronounced  “knee how ma?”  

Now, that was easy…wasn’t it?   ©2008