TexasTowelie
TexasTowelie's JournalLeave Me Alone
A fitting song for this group. I used to crank up the volume and sing since the song is a masterpiece.
Federal Investigators Say Design Flaws Caused the DuPont Accident in La Porte (23,000 lbs. leak)
Federal investigators in Houston on Thursday shared some more details about the incident that killed four workers at DuPont's LaPorte facility back in November.
Investigators say that a design flaw in DuPont's pipes and valves screwed up the ventilation system. Liquids would routinely build up in the ventilation system and workers would have to go in and manually drain the vents, according to the Associated Press. That process of draining the vents would expose the workers to whatever chemicals were trapped inside, including methyl mercaptan, a highly toxic substance often used in insecticides
In the incident that killed four employees, the supply line had been plugged. While workers were trying to unstop the line, the following happened, as U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso explained in written testimony before a Senate joint committee back in December:
Read more: http://blogs.houstonpress.com/news/2015/02/federal_investigators_say_design_flaws_caused_the_dupont_accident.php
Related Threads:
DuPont Chemical Plant in La Porte Where Four Workers Died Reported Recent Violations (Nov. 16, 2014)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107822060
DuPont Says Plant Leaked 23,000 Pounds of Toxic Gas (Dec. 1, 2014)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/107822238
Dallas trial to test whether Allen Stanford’s aides must return millions to cheated investors
File/Houston Chronicle
Allen Stanford, once considered one of the wealthiest people in the U.S., was convicted in federal court in Houston in 2012 on charges he bilked investors out of billions of dollars. Now a court-appointed receiver is trying to recover money from Stanford’s advisers.
WASHINGTON — Jury selection begins Monday in Dallas in the first in a long string of trials that will drag into federal court a parade of powerful and well-connected former consultants to disgraced ex-billionaire Allen Stanford.
Stanford used tens of millions in investors’ deposits to hire influential officials and power brokers — ex-ambassadors, Cabinet members, even the former lieutenant governor of Texas — to build his phony international banking empire. Now, court-appointed lawyers have sued this cadre of well-placed advisers, seeking to claw back the millions in fees Stanford paid them.
The defendants include President Bill Clinton’s former drug czar and former Houston Mayor Lee Brown and former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, now an influential lobbyist in Austin and Washington.
Monday’s trial is the first of many. The defendant is Peter Romero, former U.S. ambassador to Ecuador.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20150209-dallas-trial-to-test-whether-stanfords-aides-must-return-millions-to-cheated-investors.ece
Patrick's push to curb property taxes has Texas cities and counties worried
For three straight legislative sessions, cities and counties have successfully lobbied against attempts to limit growth in their property tax revenue.
But this year, those local governments are worried that their winning streak could end. The senator who led those attempts in 2009, 2011 and 2013 was Dan Patrick, now the lieutenant governor. And he’s made clear that he’ll push for “property tax relief” again.
And again, cities and counties are teaming up to fight the idea. Dallas County says its top legislative priorities are blocking “appraisal caps” and “revenue caps.” Dallas City Manager A.C. Gonzalez said the possibility of such caps is one reason cities feel threatened by the Legislature. The Texas Municipal League and the Texas Association of Counties are both on record as opposing legislative efforts to cap local property taxes.
“This is right up there among all of our top issues,” said Bennett Sandlin, executive director of the Texas Municipal League.
Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/state-politics/20150208-patrick-s-push-to-curb-property-taxes-has-texas-cities-and-counties-worried.ece
Nanotech material at UT-Dallas is revolutionary
Smiley N. Pool/Staff Photographer
Kanzan “KZ” Inoue (right) and Ray Baughman have big plans for superstrong yet light cSilk.
RICHARDSON — Ray Baughman and Kanzan “KZ” Inoue envision humanoid robots with Terminator strength, an ultralight ladder stretching into space and cars that weigh only slightly more than the people inside them.
OK, so don’t expect these mind-boggling innovations anytime soon.
But these local nanotechnology masterminds say we’re about to see a proliferation of products that are lighter, stronger and more versatile than anything possible today, thanks to a partnership between the University of Texas at Dallas and the U.S. subsidiary of Tokyo-based Lintec Group.
Nanotubes, which look like tiny tubes under a microscope, are powder particles 1,000 times finer than a human hair and stronger per pound than steel. They’re transparent and have thermal, acoustic and electrical properties.
Read more and see more photos at: http://www.dallasnews.com/business/columnists/cheryl-hall/20150207-nanotech-material-at-ut-dallas-is-revolutionary.ece
World’s oldest living cat to celebrate 27th birthday soon
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A tortoiseshell named Tiffany Two is now the world’s oldest living cat, according to Guinness World Records.
The petite cat is 26 years old and will turn 27 in March.
The average cat lives to be approximately 15, while in human years, Tiffany Two is estimated to be 125 years old.
The cat’s owner, Sharron Voorhees, 73, submitted medical and grooming records, along with photos to help Guinness verify the cat’s age.
http://www.statesman.com/news/lifestyles/pets/worlds-oldest-cat-soon-turn-27/nj6m3/
Cruz resists US ground troops to fight Islamic State, denies blame for DHS funding stalemate
WASHINGTON – Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday rejected the idea of sending U.S. forces to fight the Islamic State, for now.
“We need to arm the Kurds now, because they are our boots on the ground,” Cruz said from Germany, at the end of a three-day congressional delegation visit to the Munich Security Conference.
He hit the Obama administration for refusing to send arms directly to the Peshmerga, the Kurdish fighters, rather than going through a central Iraqi government. That, Cruz said on CNN, “makes no sense whatsoever,” because the Kurds could defeat ISIS with U.S. air power and arms. (CNN video here.)
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. – like Cruz, a potential 2016 candidate – has called for sending 10,000 American troops.
Read more: http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2015/02/cruz-resists-us-ground-troops-to-fight-islamic-state-denies-blame-for-dhs-funding-stalemate.html/
Man Stole 3-Month-Old Kitten from Minneapolis PetSmart, Later Returned it with Apology Note
MINNEAPOLIS
A man stole a 3-month-old kitten from a Minneapolis pet store, only to return it the next day with an apology note.
Ruff Start Rescue partners with PetSmart on pet adoptions. Its cat intake coordinator, Abbey Lynn, tells KSTP-TV (http://bit.ly/18YcBfW ) a man went inside a Minneapolis PetSmart on Friday asking to look at the cats. When the man was done, a manager locked up the cages and left him alone.
Another employee walked by shortly after and noticed the lock on the kitten's cage had been cut with a bolt cutter.
Ruff Start Rescue says the kitten was returned unharmed Saturday in a box at a Roseville PetSmart with an apology note. The writer said he didn't have money, and wanted to give the kitten as a Valentine's Day gift.
Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article9525800.html
[font color=green]All is furgiven.[/font]
Xerox bungles another privatization contract with the state--this time it is with TxDOT.
KXAN, interviewed the head of TxDOT Joe Weber about the problems they been having with privatization and Xerox, TxDOT director addresses TxTag issues, promises fixes. FWIW:
“Am I happy with Xerox? No. I’m not happy with myself. I’m not happy with TxDOT,” said Weber. “Anytime that the people of the state of Texas are giving us their tax money, they expect us to perform and provide them good services and in this particular case we haven’t. But we’re going to make it better and we’re going to work very hard to make it better. Again, it’s been a very difficult transition in the data transfers, but we’re going to work through it.”
But what about all of the customers still struggling to pay their bill or figure out if they were billed in error? Weber says TxDOT is going to make it right.
“Because as our constituents, as people of the state of Texas who have entrusted us their tax money to build these roads and pay tolls, we owe it to them to make it right. And we are. So be patient with us, we’re sensitive, we’re working very hard. We have some of the greatest people in the staff here working with Xerox and we’re going to make it better.”
The one question the interviewer didn’t ask is why don’t you return our calls?
I knew this story hit a fever pitch when a local GOP lawmaker finally got on board.
“This entire situation has gotten completely out of hand,” said State Rep. Tony Dale. “I wonder how many thousands of dollars of erroneous toll violations have been assessed and collected.”
In addition to the audit request, Dale sent a letter to TxDOT officials asking for an emergency meeting. Dale wants to know just how much money TxDOT has made in violation fines from toll users.
“When a person gets five, six or seven bills in the mail that all have violations attached and they never received a letter before in the first place, that’s unacceptable. It has to change.”
Better late then never. See EOW’s previous post, TxTag/Xerox Toll Issues Continue.
Source: http://eyeonwilliamson.org/?p=14421
[font color=green]After all of the failed attempts at HHSC by Xerox and Accenture (another Xerox subsidiary) when will the minions at the state learn that the public sector and the private sector have different goals? The public sector is there to provide services; meanwhile, the private sector is there to maximize profit. The two goals rarely overlap.[/font]
Houston School Responds To Gay Student’s Viral Video
Earlier this week, a 17-year-old YouTube blogger posted an emotional video in which he recounted how he was forced to leave his high school because he’s gay.
In the video, Austin Wallis repeatedly breaks down crying as he sits with his boyfriend and explains how administrators gave him a choice between going back in the closet or finding a new school. Wallis’ story has gone viral, getting picked up by outlets including Huffington Post, and as of Thursday morning, the video had been viewed more than 170,000 times in the four days since it was posted.
Wallis doesn’t identify his former school in the video, saying he doesn’t want the controversy to reflect badly on teachers who supported him, but the Observer has learned that Wallis attended Houston’s Lutheran High North.
Dallas Lusk, head of school at LHN, sent the Observer a statement from Wayne Kramer, executive director of the Lutheran Education Association of Houston. The association covers three schools, including LHN (Lutheran High North), which has an enrollment of 162.
Read more: http://www.texasobserver.org/houston-school-responds-gay-students-viral-video/
Cross-posted in the Texas Group.
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Gender: MaleHometown: South Texas. most of my life I lived in Austin and Dallas
Home country: United States
Current location: Bryan, Texas
Member since: Sun Aug 14, 2011, 03:57 AM
Number of posts: 112,111
