HORROR Edition

BIRTH OF A WHITE SUPREMACIST RALLY
Originally the University of Florida wanted to refuse to rent a venue to white supremacist Richard Spencer, but after he threatened to sue, the university relented. As UF braced for white supremacists coming like a pestilence of cockroaches on Oct. 19, Orlando Weeklyreports that Spencer’s supporters said he wasn’t racist and wasn’t responsible for the violence at their rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, which cost one woman her life. The governor issued a state of emergency for the area on the day of the event and hundreds of police and National Guard were deployed to keep the peace.

The UF event attracted thousands of protesters, far outnumbering the white supremacists. Orlando Weekly wrote that Spencer was “getting boo’d into oblivion” by the crowd. Even Florida politicians like state Attorney General Pam Bondi and Governor Rick Scott condemned Spencer and his minions. You listening, POTUS?
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A NIGHTMARE ON CAMPUS
Cleveland Scene reports, “Despicable fliers encouraging members of the LGBT community to commit suicide were posted around Cleveland State University’s main classroom building [on Oct. 16.]” The fliers, which also said, “Follow your fellow faggots,” were posted on the day that the school opened an LGBT center.

If that wasn’t monstrous enough, in response CSU President Ron Berkman issued a statement that the school is committed to “protect free speech to ensure all voices may be heard and to promote a civil discourse where educational growth is the result.” This unsurprisingly did little to cool the emotions of students and Prezzy Berkman became the subject of calls for his immediate ouster, which led Berkman to release another statement saying he was sorry for not being more sorry, Cleveland Scene reports. (Now if only that plaza of the same name would apologize for clogging the J-ville skyline with its creepy, hollow shell…) Students were not mollified by Berkman’s make-up attempt and continued calling for him to step down.
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ATTACK OF THE ENVIRONMENTALIST REPUBLICAN
Pennsylvania State Senator Dan Laughlin penned a deeply interesting newsy editorial in the Erie Readerabout how his small business dealt with problems with the toxicity of its small flow treatment facility. Frustrated and facing a $10,000 fine, Laughlin turned to an “all-natural approach” to reduce high levels of ammonia-nitrogen, carbonaceous biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform, pH, and total phosphorus in the water: cattails (not to be confused with pussy willows). And it worked!

After much research, Laughlin planted water-loving cattails in sand beds of the treatment pond, which he expected to cure all the toxicity except ammonia. To lower ammonia levels, Laughlin added a ‘live well fish bubbler’ that cost a mere $20. These simple fixes had the added benefit of reducing monthly labor hours from roughly 20 to “virtually maintenance-free.” Laughlin is trying to convince Pennsylvania to adopt this model statewide, and hopes that it can be introduced nationwide. In closing, Laughlin wrote, “We all have an obligation to protect our environment. I encourage other citizens to share their best practices in finding natural solutions to balance our lives with respect to our natural surroundings.” Well said.
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THE GEORGIA COAL MASSACRE
Although there’s been much chatter about the “war” on coal and bringing those jobs back bigly, coal’s decline has less to do with liberals than, well, economics. See, solar, wind, and natural gas power have become lots cheaper, leading companies to switch sources. Athens, Georgia-based Flagpole Magazine reports that the state’s largest utility, Georgia Power, which at one time got about 70 percent of its power from coal, today gets roughly 30 percent from it. The utility has also closed 15 coal-fired facilities in seven years.

Georgia is hardly alone in this trend. Nationwide, coal is way down. In the ‘70s, the industry employed 250,000 people; today only 70,000 Americans work in coal. Since 2010, Flagpole notes, “nearly half the country’s 523 coal-fired plants have been closed or are being phased out.” Even in WEST BY GOD VIRGINIA.