Meanwhile, a form of “renewable” energy around the country has been destroying homes and snuffing out lives from the very beginning with little fanfare.

The Lake Delhi dam was built in the 1920’s as a hydroelectric generating facility.   In the late 1960’s, the facility began to show its age and the operator didn’t have the capital to replace or refurbish the turbines, leading to most of the electrical generating capacity going offline in 1973.   Had the Delhi dam been a nuclear facility, the owners would have been required to have a fund set aside for its decommissioning, thus assuring that it would not be left a derelict hulk that endangers the community.

But it wasn’t nuclear, so there it sat, turbines rusting and no power being produced.   Instead, operations of the dam were turned over to the “Lake Delhi Recreational Association,” who apparently had no interest in generating electricity  and was not at all equipped to maintain or repair the dam.  The former hydroelectric dam, which held back a ten mile long lake seems to have sat under the control of the equivalent of a neighborhood association, and received little if any maintenance or inspection.

Although hydropower is a good economic and renewable source of energy, no government subsidies jumped in to repair the dam and thus several private attempts to repair the dam and put it back into service generating power went bust over the years.

Finally in 2008, it seemed that the plant would be brought back online.   It had the potential to generate electricity, but since it was not wind or solar, it took a while to get regulatory approval to even begin the refurbishment for power generation.   Yes, that’s right, the process to just get approval to begin refurbishment takes years!

By 2010, it looked like the plant was about ready to come back online.   Unfortunately, as it was being refurbished it was discovered that the years of neglect had not been kind to the Delhi dam and was in worse shape than anyone could have imagined.   Sediment had built up against the dam, at least one gate was severely damaged by a past flood and the integrity of the dam was called into question.  In 2009, the Federal Government allocated 2.5 million for critical repairs on the dam, in part because of the safety issue it presented.   The state of Iowa came up with another one hundred thousand dollars to begin a dredging and improvement plan last April.

But apparently, it wasn’t enough, because this morning, this happened:

Right now, how much damage this dam failure has caused remains unknown.   Details are sketchy, but officials are already calling it “catastrophic.”    At least a few homes are already reported destroyed and upwards of 700 could be in danger.    At least fifty homes have already reported some level of damage and the flood has also been blamed for extensive power outages.  Due to evacuations, it is hoped that deaths will be avoided.

The dam was not a nuclear facility, however, so don’t expect to read about this on the front page of the newspaper.  In fact, don’t expect to read about it on the second page either.   It may not even make the first section of your newspaper and if you don’t live in the US, it likely won’t make it to your newspaper at all.    After all, it’s just a dam and those fail all the time.   Small consolation to those whose lives have been washed away.

At least it was only water and not coal ash.

Perhaps the leadership of the AVN really is insane enough to believe what they are saying.   However, even if that is so, it in no way justifies attacking people who have just gone through the kind of loss and pain most of us could never even imagine.   Their motive is clear and could not be more callous or self-serving – to try to preserve any credibility they think they still have by going after their opponents, regardless of who they are or how much they have suffered already.

This kind of behavior transcended the issue of bad science and incorrect medical advice.  It shocks and offends the conscious of any person with a sense of decency.  It offends the values of humanity and sympathy.   This is intolerable and just plain wrong. No person who engages in such actions should ever be seem as anything other than a sociopath and a self-serving, callous fraud.

There can be no doubt that this is simply a very dishonest operation run by a very dishonest woman who does not care what she says or does to promote herself. And all this comes from a group which touts itself as being a sympathetic, pro-family and pro-health organization.

It’s revolting.   It does, however, remind me of another post on here a while ago.

Well that’s what truthergirls is all about!   You might think from the look of this young lady that she’s a smart, well connected, cultured and educated woman.   After all, she lives in the hip and happening city of Montreal, she speaks at least two languages fluently, drinks boutique-quality coffee, posts on youtube and she’s fairly attractive.   These would all seem to indicate a hip young woman of the world.

However, looks can be deceiving and stereotypes are often wrong.   It turns out, she’s a complete nutball and has about as much going on upstairs as any overweight 40 year old guy who lives in his mother’s basement and wears an aluminum foil hat.

I really wish I could encounter someone like this on the street.  My god, it’s just so lame! Sure, I’ve seen my share of “end is near” guys and religious fanatics handing out signs in Times Square, but never someone quite like this…

Decidedly non-skeptical, Larry King has allowed his show to be used by everyone from Jenny McCarthy and her anti-vaccine movement to Sylvia Browne and other self-proclaimed psychics.   His interviews tend to pander to them, even kissing their collective asses.   Whether it be UFO’s or claims of powers to find missing persons, Larry King can’t seem to see reality from lies and lets his television show become the platform for all kinds of bull.   To skeptics… well, we’re lucky we ever get represented on his show.

In this clip you’ll notice James Randi pauses for a moment after Larry King states that Sylvia Browne “described the accused villain pretty well.”   In fact, she had not described him well at all and had said Shawn Hornesbeck was dead, despite his being found alive years later.   This interview was actually done during The Amazing Meeting 5 and as such, I was able to speak to Randi afterward.   He paused because he was waiting for the punchline, so to speak, expecting Larry King to say something more, since his statement was so absurd.   Had I been in that situating, I’m not even sure I would have known how to react.

I can offer another personal story to shed some light on what kind of pandering Larry King is prone to:
Shortly after this, Larry again hosted a “psychic” to defend Sylvia Browne. His guest stated that psychic visions are not always clear and that is why sometimes things like these errors happen.

The show took phone calls and I called in. Actually, I put the number on my speed dial and dialed repeatedly. It took more than 50 calls but I finally got through and talked to one of the producers who screened the calls.

This was how the conversation went. This is paraphrased, because I didn’t know I’d even get through and did not have the ability to record the phone call at the time, but I did take some notes. Therefore, although paraphrased, this is a fairly accurate representation of the call:

Screener: “So what did you want to ask?”
Me: “Well I just wanted to know how she could be so wrong. I mean, she was very speffic. it’s not like it could have been hazy. This is not apples to oranges, it’s like saying you see the Chrysler Building and can count the windows but in fact you see an orange.”
Screener: -chuckles- “Yes, she was pretty far off, huh? But what did you want to ask for your question?”
Me: “Well, I just would like to know if she could explain how a vision could be so speffic and yet so wrong like that. What’s the deal with that?”
Screener: “We really can’t ask her that kind of question, but thanks for calling”

But not anymore. Larry King is now retiring to spend more time with his wife. His 7th wife, by the way, who filed for divorce this year but then apparently changed her mind and then attempted suicide a month later. Yep, seems Larry might want to consider working on that relationship a bit more. Although I’m not sure if being around more will make it better or worse.

Peter Dingle is an Australian media personality and alternative medicine advocate. For those not familiar with him, his style is a little bit like that of Andrew Weil. Although Dingle does have a bonafied Ph.D., his books and lectures have been generally quite fringe and focus heavily on inflated claims of dangers from environmental toxins and modern society.   Some media outlets have stated that Dr. dingle is a “Toxicologist,” but he is not one in the medical sense.  His degree is in “environmental sciences,” and he describes his expertise as being “indoor air quality.”

Dingle is best known for his books, lecture tours and as a frequent guest on Australian daytime talk shows.  He is a regular on the breakfast television show “Wake Up! WA.” He has also endorsed a number of health products such as nutrition supplements and various “natural” remedies.

Recently it has come to light that Penelope Dingle’s death occurred after nearly two years of treatment with homeopathic remedies for rectal cancer that was first diagnosed in 2003.   When the cancer was first found it was likely that it could have been successfully treated by removing the cancerous tumor by surgery.  However, by the time Dingle finally began using mainstream medicine, it was far too late.

Now the local coroner is looking at whether her death is a criminal matter.

Via The Sydney Morning Herald:

The wife of a prominent Perth author and toxicologist would have died “in excruciating pain” after refusing to have surgery for bowel cancer, a coronial inquest has been told.

“It’s one of the most painful diseases you could possibly get, particularly when it gets to the advanced stages,” colourectal surgeon Professor Cameron Platell told the inquest on Monday.

“It’s like torturing someone.”

Dr Platell was giving evidence into the death of Penelope Dingle, who died of her disease in 2005 after opting for alternative therapies over more traditional surgery and chemotherapy.

Ms Dingle, 40, was the wife of Murdoch University Professor Peter Dingle, a leading toxicologist, author, self-described media personality and guest presenter on the ABC’s Can We Help? program.

The inquest into her death is being held to determine what role her homeopath, Francine Scrayen, and husband played in her treatment, and whether greater regulation of alternative medicines is needed.

In a letter to Dr Platell, Ms Dingle said she wanted to adopt a “holistic” approach to her treatment.

Clearly, Mrs. Dingle appears to have bought the entire thing hook line and sinker, but there has been some question about whether or not her Husband Dr. Dingle may have played a role in convincing her of going with the alternative approach to cancer treatment as well as why he didn’t attempt to persuade her to seek real medical treatment.

For his part, Dr. Dingle claims he had made an attempt to convince his wife to have the surgery, although he has since indicated some regret for not confronting the homeopath treating his wife or trying to get her to get the surgery.

Via Perth Now:

A PROMINENT Perth toxicologist has told the State Coroner he had several arguments with his cancer-stricken wife over having surgery that she ultimately refused.

At an inquest into Penelope Dingle’s 2005 death, Peter Dingle this afternoon told the Coroners Court that he tried to convince his wife to have surgery after she was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in February 2003.

Mrs Dingle, who attempted to treat the cancer with homeopathy and natural remedies, died in August 2005 after suffering a rectal tumour.

When questioned by State Coroner Alastair Hope why he had not booked his wife in for surgery shortly after learning she had cancer, Dr Dingle said he had been unable to convince her and said he had no control over his wife.

Yet there is another side to this story that is especially disturbing. Several media outlets have reported that Dr. Dingle’s role in the death of his wife may have been more direct. In fact, it has been reported that he had agreed to pact to have his wife’s treatment limited entirely to “alternative” medicine, with the expectation that he would write a book on how he had cured his wife’s cancer using homeopathy and alternative means.

Via the Australian:

Giving evidence at Dingle’s inquest yesterday before West Australian Coroner Alastair Hope, her sister Toni Brown said seeing Dingle in 2003 was like watching “somebody being tortured”.

She said she had been told by one of the couple’s close friends that the Dingles had a pact with the homeopath treating Dingle, Francine Scrayen.

Under the pact, they agreed that only alternative medicine would be used and Dr Dingle would then write a book about curing his wife’s cancer.

Mrs Brown said that under the agreement, Dr Dingle would look after his wife’s vitamin and antioxidant treatment and Ms Scrayen would deal with homeopathy treatments and diet.

Mrs Brown said that in 2003 her sister was on a strict diet and lost a significant amount of weight but each time she expressed concern, Dingle and her husband told her the treatment was going well.

It’s certainly a dicey situation, but if Peter Dingle or Francine Scrayen in any way worked to convince Penelope Dingle that she did not need real medical treatment or pressured her not to have the surgery, then the may very well be criminally responsible for her death. A spouse can certainly have a great deal of influence, especially if they use their background or education to try to imply that they know what’s best. For a sick and dying woman, a strong-handed husband may have the power to keep her away from the help she needs.

Of course, what role Peter Dingle may have played is still unproven and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. What is clear is the guilt of the ridiculous practice of homeopathy, which has taken many lives by denying or displacing real medical treatment.

If you have a loved one who has cancer that is treatable but will be deadly without the proper treatment, and if they choose homeopathy, recognize that unless you can talk some sense into them, they’re going to die a horrible and painful death. Argue with them, yell at them, if you have to, cry or beg if you have to, unless you’d rather be respectful and watch them die – because that is what will happen.

Apparently this is not lame enough for some, who find that the sounds just don’t sound enough like ghost voices no matter how high they crank the volume or how cheap their microphones are.   Thus a new device has recently been making the rounds in the “paranormal research” community.  It’s called the “Frank’s Box” and it promises to revolutionize EVP’s by making them even more dramatic and easy to hear.

From “Ghost tech:”

After receiving various messages from computer savvy spirits relaying messages for other spirits who were not so technologically advanced, Frank came up with the idea to create a device that hopefully all spirits could use. His design was apparent to him almost immediately, but the actual construction of the device has led him to create at least 25 different models to date. Each box is unique in design and construction, but is based on the same principle.

Franks spirit receiver starts off with a standard white noise generator which is fed through a random voltage circuit of Franks own design. The random voltage is linked to an AM radio receiver which reacts to the voltage by tuning to a specific spot on the radio dial. This is known as voltage tuning and is a common function of late 80s and early 90s radio receivers. Though various radio stations are turned in for a split second every so often along with regular static, the devices also allows the spirits to interact with the device and create their own vocals through the receiver and for lack of a better term, talk through the device.

A newer version of the box simply tunes back and fourth through the AM band which Frank is calling the Sweep method. At first, he believed that the random voltage design is what allowed it to work but after using the sweep method, he has since changed his mind as it seems to do a better job.

Alright, I realize most self-proclaimed paranormal investigators don’t know the first thing about science or technology, but honestly! If you want human voices it seems like a broadcast band would be the place to find them, but could anyone really believe that randomly tuning from one radio station to another is going to get you anything other than bits and pieces of speech that is not paranormal at all?

If you tune fast enough, what would sound like “Iowa police arrested two suspected…. American consumer confidence was up…. A minor accident on I-95 has …. deadly riots for a second day in… personal debt continues to rise” will become “I’am’A'dead’person” Is this not obvious?

Just when things seemed like they could not get any lamer…

Actually, what it was made of was polyurethane foam over a steel structure.   Although the church is known as the “Church of the Solid Rock,” the Jesus sculpture was made of about the cheapest material around.   In addition to being very cheap, it’s very very flammable.

Perhaps they were just expecting god to protect the sculpture.  If that’s the case, he didn’t.   It was hit by lightning.

The cheap, buttery-looking, highly flammable foam burned away in a few minutes leaving only the chard steel frame. It almost looks better afterward. I think I’ve seen classier sculptures being sold in the garden section of K-mart.

Nothing angers me more than idiots who don’t know what they’re talking about walking around and talking like they have some kind of authority

Well, “Rick” let me first assure you that there’s no reason to worry about the nuclear plant at Chalk River, because there is no such plant. There is a research and isotope production reactor there, however. You know why it was allowed to run without the mandated triple-redundant cooling system? Because the reactor is quite important to producing medical isotopes and shutting it down would create a shortage.

Of course, it was shut down anyway when it sprung a leak and hence the world now has a shortage of medical isotopes. This wouldn’t be a big deal if either of the two replacement reactors built right nextdoor to it were online, but because of people like yourself, they’re not. It also would not be a huge deal if other countries had built more medical research reactors, but again, anti-nuclear groups have managed to stunt that, so now we’re reliant on mostly 40 year old reactors.

Pat yourself on the back, idiot.

Finally, repeat after me “I replaced the old cloudy water with new clear water.” That is how you say “nuclear” just like “new clear.”

Yet in some cases, the abuse and exploitation of children reaches a point where it makes me wonder how people get away with this.   Of course, this is allowed primarily because it’s wrapped in religion.   Still, this video is just sad.

The Falcon-9 is designed to be human rated and is complete with the Dragon capsule, designed to carry cargo and eventually humans to Low Earth Orbit.   The rocket also can be configured as the Falcon-9 Heavy, which consists of three core boosters and is capable of lifting 28 metric tons to LEO, putting it ahead of the mighty Russian Proton rocket, the current most popular heavy lift ELV, and exceeding the capacity of all current ELV’s with the exception of the ultra-heavy configuration of the Atlas-V.

SpaceX also hopes to make the Falcon-9 considerably cheaper than other rockets.   The vehicle is intended to be partially reusable, with stages being retrieved after parachuting back to earth.  If the design meets projections, it may set a new standard for the economics of heavy lift vehicles and possibly help reestablish the United States as a major player in the commercial satellite launch business.

Today the first Falcon-9 lifted off and sent its payload, a test version of the Dragon capsule into low earth orbit!

First time trials of rockets are certainly not assured successes and SpaceX has spent some time testing the design on static test stands and dry runs for launch.    This flight is the culmination of years of development and an enormous step in making the Falcon-9 a cargo and human-carrying rocket we can rely on.