2 news stories about massive wildlife deaths in Arkansas. Connected?

(Update Jan.5, 2011: Scientists struggling to explain massive worldwide wildlife deaths)


One of the first stories that caught my eye this morning was about a massive fishkill along the Arkansas River. Weird thing about it is only one species of fish died, the drum.  Of course, this happened a couple states downstream from where the river runs through my hometown of Wichita, KS - nevertheless, it makes me wonder what the cause may be.

Minutes after coming across that story, however, I'm accosted by another headline from the Washington Post about wildlife dying in droves in Arkansas.  In what seems like an aviary version of the ill-fated ABC drama FlashForward, more than 1,000 blackbirds just seemed to have dropped dead.  (Edit 4:20pm CST, 1.3.2011 - although initially reported to be 1,000 redwing blackbirds, the numbers have been changed to 4,000 to 5,000 birds.) 

Could it just be coincidence?  Hardly likely.  Reason suspects a connection.  And why drum but not small-mouth bass?  Why blackbirds but not robins?  Such large numbers dead, but only a single species in each case.  How is it possible that 5,000 birds of only one species died together in one little section of Arkansas?  Thousands of fish die in one section of the Arkansas River, but only ONE species of fish. 

It's all very weird.  I'd like to thank TV News Lies for bringing both stories to my attention.  I hope they'll pass along a connection to the events if one is found.

The meat of the argument for more regulation of industry

Industry does not care about you. Industry is not concerned about your well-being. Industry does not worry about your family's safety. Sounds kinda like the first verse of "Head Like a Hole" by NIN, doesn't it? Well, you could replace every "Got Money" with the word "Industry", because they're one and the same. All industry wants is to bilk you for every cent it can.

That is all. That is everything they want. They want everything. They don't care what they have to do to get it. They don't care who is affected.

We need MORE government regulation of industry. Not less. Regulation is there to protect YOU. To protect me. More importantly, to protect my family.

Case in point: For the past 8 years (read: most of the Bush Administration), much of the ground beef you've consumed has had ammonia in it. Only, the people selling you the crap you were eating didn't have to tell you what they were putting in it.

I urge you to read as much of this expose by the New York Times as your stomach can handle.

Of course, this bastion of progressive journalism isn't alone in exposing ways the Assholes of Industry hide thier poisoning of the world for profit. The Washington Post recently did a piece on how 20% of the 84,000 chemicals available for commerical use in America are kept secret in order to protect industry's "trade secrets". You don't get to know what they are because someone might lose a buck. Nevermind being able to track how they affect the population.

I have to go for now, but I will pick this blog up and finish soon. More to come later.

Don't even think about leaving a comment defending Industry or your beloved Free Market Principles unless you've read both pieces in their entirety.