A Republican in trouble politically should always grab for a Clinton moment. Amazing. There is no comparison.

November 16. 2017

Pastor David Floyd, (click here) appalled that a president of the United States had the soul-destroying gall to embark on a sexual relationship with a woman less than half his age, told his Alabama flock in 1998 that Bill Clinton had crossed the line and had to go.

As new allegations of sexual advances by Senate candidate Roy Moore on women less than half his age have peppered Alabama voters nearly daily this autumn, Floyd is telling his congregation that Moore is “an upright man” who should be forgiven for his sins and elected to office.

Floyd, who for 34 years has been the pastor at Marvyn Parkway Baptist Church in Opelika, says his evangelical theology has not changed in the past two decades. It’s just he knows Moore to be a more moral man than Clinton was.

“All of us have sinned and need a savior,” Floyd said. “Of course, moral character is still important. But with Bill Clinton or Harvey Weinstein or Bill Cosby, we’re talking about something completely different. You have to look at the totality of the man. That’s why I support Judge Moore. I’ve prayed with him. I know his heart.”...

The Republican Party are lined with extremists. White Supremacists, Pedophiles, and billionaires ready to sell out the country to communism if it will improve the USA economy.

Their constituency is undereducated, but, that fits the stereotype legislator. It is easy to be Republicans because they just have to be smarter than their constituency. Or. At least tricker.

They want laws passed to carry out their intimate love of a child. The Trump Republican will seek and take votes from any pervert in the country and now they expect their favor returned.

This is what they believe and they won't stop until the country accepts their estranged sexuality. 

..."It will likely be DECADES (click here) before this society can have an honest, non-hysterical conversation about kids and sex," a pedophilia advocate who calls himself Eric Tazelaar told me earlier this month over Twitter direct message. Tazelaar claims to be a steering committee member of the North American Man-Boy Love Association, or NAMBLA, and is concerned about the organization's future.

His fears aren't unfounded. NAMBLA, once a visible advocate of pedophilia, doesn't feature heavily into what I call the online pedo-sphere these days. Membership numbers and group activities are difficult to pin down, but based on online research and conversations with alleged former members as well as opponents of the group, both appear to have dwindled to nearly nothing....

Oh, yes, everyone other than the pedophiles doesn't know what real love is.

How many holy men have taken to the airwaves to claim they are sorry for their sins, Lord? How many?

When is this Republican horse shit going to stop!

The southern states have the highest poverty levels, the highest teenage pregnancy rates, the worst record with disability rates, the lousiest rate of union representation and the highest number of churches. When are these people going to be able to stand up to these lousy no goods and tell them to go to hell where they belong!

February 21, 2017
By Thomas C. Frohlich and Alexander E.M. Hess 

For the fourth straight year, (click here) Washington, D.C. is the most literate city in the United States, according to a recent study on literacy. The study, by Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), examined how well Americans used their literacy skills in the nation’s largest cities. Rounding out the top five were Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Pittsburgh.

CCSU ranked the cities based on six categories: bookstores, residents’ educational attainment, newspaper circulation, use of online resources, the library system, and periodical publishing resources. The most literate cities were largely in the Northeast, and they generally had a well-educated and well-paid population...

Republicans hide behind God and they all belong in hell!

The scum of the Earth vote Republican!

The only way to stop the killing is to stop selling the guns. There is no other way. This man was under court order to surrender guns. What good did it do?

November 15, 2017

By Haleigh Pike

Corning, Calif. - Five people have been killed (click here) and multiple have been injured after a mass shooting Tuesday morning in the community of Rancho Tehama, according to Assistant Sheriff Phil Johnston with the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office. 

“It’s a very sad day for us here in Tehama County,” said Johnston as he addressed the media. 

According to Johnston, none of the five people killed were children but one was the shooter, who has been identified as Kevin Janson Neal. Officials are not releasing information about the other four people who were killed at this time.

Johnston added ten patients, including two children, are being treated at Northstate hospitals but their conditions are unknown at this time. In a press conference at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday, Johnston added that some members of Neal's family are missing and they have been unable to locate them.

Johnston said several agencies are on the ground in Rancho Tehama actively investigating seven different crime scenes as the shooting spread across many locations, including the Rancho Tehama Elementary School....

The police were afraid of Kevin Janson Neal. They knew he was a killer and they could not find a way to remove the guns without the wife being dead. Well, that has turned out to be less of an issue anyway.

November 15, 2017

By Paige St. John, Frank Shyong and Sonali Kohli

...None of the guns were legally in Neal’s possession, (click here) Johnston said. The two rifles were “homemade” and unregistered and the two pistols were registered to another person, he said.

A signed court order following Neal’s arrest in January for attacking his neighbor shows he was ordered on April 1 to surrender all firearms.

Johnston said deputies were familiar with the gunman....         

Wouldn't increase whom's threat risk? I don't like the precedent. It shows weakness in the USA resolve to such outrageous demands.

November 14, 2017
By Andrew Higgins

Moscow — When President Vladimir V. Putin (click here) in July ordered American diplomatic missions in Russia to slash their staff by 755 employees, the State Department said it would need time to assess the “impact of such a limitation and how we will respond to it.”

Part of that response has now become clear: To make up for the loss of security guards axed in the Russian-mandated staff cuts, Washington has hired a private Russian company that grew out of a security business co-founded by Mr. Putin’s former K.G.B. boss, an 82-year-old veteran spy who spent 25 years planting agents in Western security services and hunting down their operatives.

Under a $2.8 million no-bid contract awarded by the Office of Acquisitions in Washington, security guards at the American Embassy in Moscow and at consulates in St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok will be provided by Elite Security Holdings, a company closely linked to the former top K.G.B. figure, Viktor G. Budanov, a retired general who rose through the ranks to become head of Soviet counterintelligence.

A State Department official in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with the department’s rules, said that Elite Security and individuals associated with it had been “vetted” with “relevant national and local agencies” and would not increase the threat risk....

Russian and American (click here) soldiers in Torgau, near the Elbe River on April 25, 1945

It would appear "The Spirit of Elbe" (click here for Arlington National Cemetery Facebook entry) is only available to the US - Russian relationship when it is convenient to Russian politics.

2 November 2017

...Wyden's remark (click here) was a “direct provocation” that “further damages already strained US-Russia relations,” the embassy said, reiterating that Moscow has never interfered in US domestic policy.

It called on Washington to focus on cooperation, in the spirit of the milestone meeting of the Soviet and American troops on the Elbe River on April 25,1945, during which the American and Russian soldiers embraced each other.

“And we won in that War against the Nazi plague. We won, because our peoples were together. We hope that in our bilateral relations “the spirit of the Elbe,” the spirit of cooperation, including military, will prevail,” the embassy said, noting that both countries need to join efforts in the fight against international terrorism.

“We must find a possibility to pool our efforts,” it said.

What Russian diplomatic hubris doesn't recognize in attacking Senator Wyden, is the very real and dangerous airing of grievances in the Cold War. 

...For their part, (click here) the Soviets resented the Americans’ decades-long refusal to treat the USSR as a legitimate part of the international community as well as their delayed entry into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of tens of millions of Russians. After the war ended, these grievances ripened into an overwhelming sense of mutual distrust and enmity. Postwar Soviet expansionism in Eastern Europe fueled many Americans’ fears of a Russian plan to control the world. Meanwhile, the USSR came to resent what they perceived as American officials’ bellicose rhetoric, arms buildup and interventionist approach to international relations. In such a hostile atmosphere, no single party was entirely to blame for the Cold War; in fact, some historians believe it was inevitable....

But, in modern time, the current President of Russia has sought to heal wounds with Europe.

7 April 2010
By Allen Hall

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (click here) today paid tribute to 22,000 Polish officers murdered on the orders of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin in 1940.

Mr Putin was the first Russian politician to stand by the mass grave in the lonely forest near Smolensk.

For over half a century Moscow laid the blame for the killings on the Nazis - but this was one war crime that they did not commit....

Such gestures of peace to improve relations globally as well were a sincere expression of a new Russia, a burgeoning economic Russia. It is these images of the vacillation of Russian leadership that causes such pause with the issues of Crimea and Ukraine. 

In all sincerity, rather than Russia continuing to look as though it has a problem with "Identity Schizophrenia," it needs to drastically change it's INTERNAL POLITICS to reflect the true nature of peace and future hopes of economic growth and acceptance.

Defaming US Senator Wyden in public is hardly Russia putting it's best foot forward. However, it may be that US Senator Wyden may consider such words a compliment.

I remind, the land the USA Embassy is built on is sovereign USA land. Russia has no place in "changing the guard" so to speak. It is still yet another Russian invasion.

When is the Clinton Foundation going to sue the Justice Department for harassment?

It won't work Mr. Trump! Anything to discredit and detract and distract from what is important.

This is about the country!

November 13, 2017
By Michael S. Schmidt and Maggie Haberman

Washington - The Justice Department (click here) said Monday that prosecutors were looking into whether a special counsel should be appointed to investigate political rivals President Trump has singled out for scrutiny, including Hillary Clinton.

The department, in a letter sent to the House Judiciary Committee, said the prosecutors would examine allegations that donations to the Clinton Foundation were tied to a 2010 decision by the Obama administration to allow a Russian nuclear agency to buy Uranium One, a company that owned access to uranium in the United States, and other issues.

The letter appeared to be a direct response to Mr. Trump’s statement on Nov. 3, when he said he was disappointed with his beleaguered attorney general, Jeff Sessions, and that longstanding unproven allegations about the Clintons and the Obama administration should be investigated.

Any such investigation would raise questions about the independence of federal investigations under Mr. Trump. Since Watergate, the Justice Department has largely operated independently of political influence on cases related to the president’s opponents....

Anyone can understand the strain a President can be under when his own family is involved in concerns regarding the country, but, it has to go forward. There is nothing that will distract from that issue. Poor judgement, no matter the subject, is not an excuse, it is a concern.

November 13, 2017
By Julia Ioffe

...The next morning, (click here) about 12 hours later, Trump Jr. responded to WikiLeaks. “Off the record I don’t know who that is, but I’ll ask around,” he wrote on September 21, 2016. “Thanks.”...

The media has not failed the American people in regard to the sovereign state of the country. The media and it's members has risen to the occasion and provided a cutting edge validated by the NSA prior to the final results of the election.

The people involved with exposure that has supported the investigation into foreign interference in the 2016 elections have the highest ethical minds in the business. Their integrity is not questioned.

The Putin-Trump project (click here) was an election-season blog funded by the Progress for USA Political Action Committee, which was launched by Internet entrepreneur Rob Glaser, founder of RealNetworks and an early employee at Microsoft.

The Putin-Trump Editorial Director was Bill Buzenberg, former head of the Center for Public Integrity, a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative news organization, and vice president of news for both National Public Radio and Minnesota Public Radio / American Public Media.

In May 2017, Buzenberg and PutinTrump.org moved to Mother Jones, the investigative news organization, which has launched a new project to report on the Trump-Russia ties and foreign influence in US politics. You can find their constantly updated coverage here.

The Center for Public Integrity won the Pulitzer Prize in 2014 for investigative journalism. There is no fault here. It is some of the best America has to offer.

Center for Public Integirty

MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL FUNDERS (click here)

New and ongoing support of $100,000 and above in 2015 and 2016.

• Adessium Foundation
• Laura and John Arnold Foundation
• The California Endowment
• Carnegie Corporation of New York
• Deer Creek Foundation
• Democracy Fund
• Emmett Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Graeme Wood
• Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment
• W.K.  Kellogg Foundation
• Kresge Foundation
• John D. & Catherine T.  MacArthur Foundation
• Omidyar Network
• Open Society Foundations
• Public Welfare Foundation
• Rita Allen Foundation
• Sigrid Rausing Trust
• The Park Foundation, Inc.
• Wyncote Foundation

• Sav

It is currently Monday, November 13, 2017 at 6:42 pm.

USGS (click here)

4:30 a.m. (click here)

High initial casualty reports from Iran's Kurdish provinces

In Iran's heavily Kurdish western provinces, 129 people have been killed and up to 1,000 injured because of Sunday night's earthquake, Iran's ILNA news has reported from its correspondents on the ground.

Most of the destruction occurred in the provinces of Kermanshah and Illam.

Iranian officials in Tehran put the initial death toll at least 61, and more than 300 injured.

Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli emphasized mobilizing "all resources" in a phone call with the governor of Kermanshah, according to ILNA.

Fazli urged all relief organizations to urgently admit and treat patients, while promising to assist the injured.

Iranian Red Crescent workers have been deployed to the affected areas, Iran's state-run news IRNA has reported.

Officials warned of further casualties due to the potentially damaged structures, and the loss of electricity, water, and communications.

Iranian media is describing the event as "the earthquake that shook half of Iran."...

War is stupid. Earth can change the course of war in seconds. Earth can crush civilization and make generals cry.

I take it there were no seismometers deployed with the troops. Oh, well. Surprise!


August 31, 2017

In Afghanistan, (click here) about 8,400 US troops, most of which are US Army soldiers, are authorized to take part in Resolute Support, which aims to train, advise, and assist the Afghan security forces and institutions in their fight against the Taliban and other terrorist networks.

A new report, however, recently revealed that there are actually about 12,000 US troops in the country. The Pentagon then said on Aug. 30 that about 11,000 US troops are in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, about 4,000 to 6,000 soldiers are taking part in Operation Inherent Resolve, which aims to eliminate the Islamic State. Only 5,262 US troops are authorized to be in Iraq, but the actual numbers have been larger for a while as commanders leverage what they call temporary — or "nonenduring" — assignments like the one involving the 82nd Airborne in Mosul.

In Syria, 500 US special forces and 250 Rangers are working in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The Pentagon is also mulling sending an additional 1,000 US service members to the war-torn country.

A new BuzzFeed News report, however, also said that there are really about 2,000 US forces in Syria — about 850 (including US Marines) then previously thought.

In Kuwait, about 15,000 soldiers are spread among Camp Arifjan, Ahmed Al Jaber Air Base, and Ali Al Salem Air Base. About 3,800 soldiers from the 1st Cavalry Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team also deployed there late last year.

In Poland, about 3,500 soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team are stationed as part of Atlantic Resolve, which seeks to halt Russian aggression. These soldiers will help train local forces and provide security, eventually fanning out to other countries like Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary to do the same.

In Ukraine, approximately 250 Oklahoma National Guardsmen are training Ukrainian forces in support of Joint Multinational Training Group-Ukraine.

In Somalia, about 40 US soldiers from the 101st Airborne division are assisting the central government in training its forces and fighting the terrorist group al-Shabab....

Iran may have known this would occur. Iran probably doesn't have the warning infrastructure it needed to alert others. Perhaps being on good terms with Iran has it's benefits; saving lives, food and water distribution by Americans to help Iranians and stuff like that.

September 2012
By Sayed Naser Hashemi, Leila Etemadjahromi, Neda Nowroozi

In this research, (click here) seismogenic zones of Iran were identified using a GIS-based spatial analysis of the seismicity and active faulting data. Density maps showing the spatial variation of seismicity and active faulting of the Iranian region were prepared. After that, by overlying and combining seismicity and active faulting data layers, the seismogenic zoning map of Iran, showing 5 seismic zones, was presented. A comparison between the seismicity and active faulting density maps indiactes that a good spatial correlation can be observed between these two parameters. It probably means that active faults are the main seismogenic sources responsible for generating earthqukes in this region. The good consistency observed between the seismogenic zoning map presented in this research and the results of the previous works indicates that the spatial analysis techniques can reliably be used for seismic hazard regionalization and identifying seismogenic hazardous zones in seismically active regions....

Putin will have dissolved the USA, as the USSR...

...when Trump finishes defunding the federal government, the USA sovereignty will end.

"Morning Papers"

The Rooster

"Okeydoke"

Trump is always talking about loyalty and momentum. Americans need to pay attention. The ax may fall on citizenship and sovereignty as well.

March 17, 2017
By Gregory Korte

Washington — President Trump's proposed budget (click here) takes a cleaver to domestic programs, with many agencies taking percentage spending cuts in the double digits.

But for dozens of smaller agencies and programs, the cut is 100%.

Community development block grants. The Weatherization Assistance Program. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The National Endowment for the Arts. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. All would be axed if Congress adopts Trump's budget.

Also proposed for elimination are lesser-known bureaucracies like the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education Program, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program and the Inter-American Foundation.

Many of those programs have constituencies in states and cities across the country — and their champions in Congress. "The president's beholden to nobody but the people who elected him, and yes, I understand that every lawmaker over there has pet projects," said Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney. "That's the nature of the beast."...

62 Departments - Lawsuits need to be filed

Department of Agriculture

Water and Wastewater loan and grant program ($498 million)
McGovern-Dole International Food for Education program ($202 million)

Department of Commerce

Economic Development Administration ($221 million)
Minority Business Development Agency ($32 million)

Department of Education

Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program ($2.4 billion)
21st Century Community Learning Centers program ($1.2 billion)
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program ($732 million)
Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program ($190 million)
Teacher Quality Partnership ($43 million)
Impact Aid Support Payments for Federal Property ($67 million)
International Education programs ($7 million)

Department of Energy

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy ($382 million)
Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program: This loan fund finances projects that combat global warming.
Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program: Helps finance fuel-efficient vehicle research. "The private sector is better positioned to finance disruptive energy research and development and to commercialize innovative technologies," the White House says.
Weatherization Assistance Program ($121 million)
State Energy Program ($28.2 million)

Where is the end of the petroleum industry subsidies? Amazing, cuts to every technology that will provide better quality of life for Americans, but, no cuts to petroleum industry subsides. Did they increase them under Perry?

Department of Health and Human Services

Health professions and nursing training programs ($403 million)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ($3.4 billion)
Community Services Block Grants ($715 million)

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Community Development Block Grant program ($3 billion)
Section 4 Capacity Building for Community Development and Affordable Housing program ($35 million)

Department of the Interior

Abandoned Mine Land grants ($160 million)
National Heritage Areas ($20 million)
National Wildlife Refuge fund ($13.2 million)

Department of Justice

State Criminal Alien Assistance Program ($210 million)

Department of Labor

Senior Community Service Employment Program ($434 million)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration training grants ($11 million)

Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development

The Global Climate Change Initiative ($1.3 billion)
Green Climate Fund($250 million)
Strategic Climate Fund ($60 million)
Clean Technology Fund ($171 million).
Emergency Refugee and Migration Assistance Fund ($70 million)
Center for Cultural and Technical Interchange Between East and West, the Honolulu-based nonprofit has a mission of strengthening relations among Pacific Rim countries.

Department of Transportation

The Essential Air Service program ($175 million)
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants ($499 million)

Department of the Treasury

Community Development Financial Institutions grants ($210 million)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Geographic watershed programs ($427 million) like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ($40 million) and the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Initiative ($14 million) Removal of guarantees for clean water under the Clean Water Act is a hostile act against Americans.
Fifty other EPA programs ($347 million) including Energy Star, Targeted Airshed Grants, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program, and infrastructure assistance to Alaska Native Villages and the Mexico border.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Education ($115 million)

Independent agencies and commissions

African Development Foundation ($26 million)
Appalachian Regional Commission ($119 million)
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board ($11 million)
Corporation for National and Community Service ($771 million)
Corporation for Public Broadcasting ($485 million)
Delta Regional Authority ($45 million)
Denali Commission ($14 million)
Institute of Museum and Library Services ($231 million)
Inter-American Foundation ($23 million)
U.S. Trade and Development Agency ($66 million)
Legal Services Corp. ($366 million)
National Endowment for the Arts ($152 million)
National Endowment for the Humanities ($155 million)
Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. ($175 million)
Northern Border Regional Commission ($7 million)
Overseas Private Investment Corp.($63 million)
U.S. Institute of Peace ($40 million)
U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness ($4 million)
Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars ($11 million)

"Good Night, Moon"

 The waning crescent

24.3 days old

28.2 percent lit

October 30, 2017

By Stephanie Pappas

The Old Testament Book of Joshua (click here) may contain the oldest known reference to a solar eclipse recorded by humanity. And it occurred 810 years ago today (Oct. 30).

If so, this poetic reference firms up the dates of the reign of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses the Great (also called Ramesses II), according to a new paper published in the journal Astronomy & Geophysics.

The text in question is in the 12th and 13th verses of the 10th chapter of the Book of Joshua. According to the King James version of the Bible, these verses read, "Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. … So, the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day."...                           

Just because Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says it, doesn't mean it is the truth.

November 3, 2017
By Jeff Tollefson

From warmer temperatures (click here) to more extreme weather, melting glaciers and rising sea levels, humanity is fundamentally changing the planet by pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, US government scientists said on 3 November in their latest assessment of climate science.

The average global temperature has increased by 1 °C since the start of the Industrial Revolution, the 600-page report says — adding that the last 115 years comprise “the warmest period in the history of modern civilization”. The analysis warns that temperatures could increase another 4°C by the end of the century, with dramatic consequences for humans and natural ecosystems....

The USA scientific brain trust, including students, are leaving the country. Americans should be ashamed of themselves to tolerate such alienation of scientists. All these Americans are part of the USA national security in finding methods to protect citizens with accurate information related to the climate crisis. They are leaving.

Lies about the climate crisis have to end and the truth told to end this exodus.

June 8, 2017
By Chris Weller

If you are an American scientist, student, teacher, or business person working on climate change solutions, France would love for you to stay awhile.

Following President Trump's June 2 decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement — a multi-country pact that acknowledges global warming poses serious threats to humanity and the environment — the French government has created an outlet for people from all countries who still want to fight climate change.

The website is called Make Our Planet Great Again.

Researchers, teachers, and students can apply for a four-year grant that allows them to continue their studies or instruction, fully financed. The site also provides information on how to move to France by obtaining a work visa and residency permit....

McConnell needs to stop lying to Kentuckians.

October 9, 2017

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt (click here) told coal miners in Kentucky on Monday that he will move to repeal a rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from existing power plants, assuring them, “The war against coal is over.”

Speaking at an event in Hazard, Ky., with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Pruitt said his agency will publish the new proposed rule Tuesday.

“Tomorrow, in Washington, D.C., I’ll be a signing a proposed rule to withdraw the so-called Clean Power Plan of the past administration, and thus begin the effort to withdraw that rule,” Pruitt said....

The government in general needs to stop lying to the coal communities as they continue to bemoan the old industry. The retraining puts coal miners into good jobs. There is no job in the USA that is going to pay $60 to $70 thousand dollars again, especially in an industry laced with danger. If former coal miners are unhappy about the loss of their high pay, then join the rest of the country in demanding the return to good wages for work.

May 20. 2017

...The rate of production statewide in 2016 (click here) is the lowest since 1939, according to the report. In Eastern Kentucky, however, where quarterly production fell 21.6 percent, the production rate is the lowest since 1917.

That was near the end of a decade when the construction of railroads opened the way for explosive growth in the coal industry in Eastern Kentucky, with companies building wholly owned towns such as Lynch, Wheelwright and Jenkins for the workers needed to run their mines.

In Harlan County, for instance, the population tripled from 1910 to 1920, according to Miners, Millhands and Mountaineers, former University of Kentucky professor Ron Eller’s account of the industrialization of the Appalachian South....

Coal jobs have been destroyed over the years due to mechanization. Let's begin with 1937 and the invention of the coal shuttle cart. It was the beginning of the end of coal jobs. Employees probably believed the company was being good to them.

Mechanization of the Coal Industry in Appalachia (click here)

May 1997

...Safety was a major problem. In the early days, the detection of methane gas and low oxygen content was done, oddly enough, by the use of canary birds. Later on, the flame safety lamp was developed to detect a low percent of oxygen or an accumulation of combustible gas. The coal seams, then, were the thicker seams of coal which were mined by the proverbial pick-and-shovel methods. The coal roof supported the slate overhead and this was the roof support method prior to the use of mine timbers.

One of the typical working places for hand loading in those early days was where the rail was placed into the working face and a small mine car was installed. The coal was loaded by hand into the mine car. Any rock partings that existed were carved out and separated in the workplace before the coal was sent to a preparation plant. In later years, wood timbers were used for roof support. These consisted of vertical posts and what were called cross-bars were used to support the slate overhead. These methods were the best that were available at that time but still required much improvement.

Then, along came machinery which lifted these heavy wooden cross-bars to the roof and allowed the legs to be placed under these cross-bars to support the roof. The use of this heavy equipment for roof support became more sophisticated year after year. Heavy hydraulic equipment was developed and it diminished the amount of manual labor required. The timber, that was used in this method of roof support, required that many trees be cut. Handling the timbers was a tremendous job as was delivering them to the working place underground. At times, the weight of the slate roof, although supported by timbers and later, steel cross bars, was heavy enough to bend even the steel cross bars. When the slate would fall and a passageway was necessary, removing the slate became a difficult and challenging job. In the late 40's, steel roof bolts, which were similar to toggle bolts that you use around the house, replaced timbers. The steel bolts would penetrate the roof overlying rock. The laminated slate would be bound together by these roof bolts....

McConnell brags about 6900 coal jobs still in Kentucky. That is a minor amount of job compared to the new employment sector. It is an old argument because the majority of Kentuckians and Americans in general do not realize there will never be large numbers of employment in coal again. It is the sign of the times and Kentuckians, probably for the first time in awhile, are feeling the pain of low wages just like the majority of Americans.