Would a person who — as a result of his or her blind adherence to an ideology — sets off an explosion that registers as the equivalent of a 2.1 earthquake, killing at least 15 people, injuring more than 200 people, and incinerating more than 50 homes and businesses, be considered a terrorist?

If corporations are people, my friend, then why are we not terrified by the thought of a lightly-regulated individual (biz-ness) that is focused on the ideology of maximizing profits actually handling dangerous chemicals?

Records kept by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration show that the last time the agency inspected the plant was 28 years ago. In that inspection, dated Feb. 13, 1985, the agency found five “serious” violations, including ones involving improper storage and handling of anhydrous ammonia and improper respiratory protection for workers. The agency imposed a $30 penalty on the company.

Last June, the company was fined $5,250 by the federal Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for violations involving anhydrous ammonia. An investigator reported the violations following an inspection of the plant in September 2011, and the agency later determined that the company had corrected the violations.

Something to ponder on 4/20 — no not for that 4/20 reason — I mean the 3rd anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion that killed 11 people and fucked up the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the largest environmental disaster in American history.

[NYT: Plant Explosion Tears at the Heart of a Texas Town]

[Austin American-Statesman: Death Toll in West Rises to 14]

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I can’t decide. This asshole?

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) says that he is prepared to make “all available resources” available from the federal government to assist in the recovery after an explosion at a fertilizer plant in Texas — but the senator voted against aid for victims of Hurricane Sandy earlier because he said it was “pork.”

Or this one:

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Large Hadron Collider Animation:

We’re following a half-dozen Twitter feeds with varying information, but the Boston Globe is committing to the capture story, “according to an official with knowledge of the investigation”. We’ll see how that pans out.

2:50 am: The FBI is not confirming capture.

3:07 am: Two suspects have been identified by name via police scanners. We’re holding off on the names, but one of them is a philosophy major.

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Something you probably didn’t know about sloths:

Sloths go to the ground to urinate and defecate about once a week, digging a hole and covering it afterwards. They go to the same spot each time and are vulnerable to predation while doing so. The reason for this risky behaviour is unknown, although some believe that it is to avoid making noise while defecating from up high that would attract predators.

Sloths: They’re just like us! Well, when we’re really drunk.

[via Know Your Meme]

We have an informal rule of thumb: Given a nation of 315,698,590 souls (and counting), even an insignificant percentage amounts to millions — or, for easy reference, the Fox News viewership. So rather than waste our time finding SOMEBODY WRONG ON THE INTERNET, we set a high squelch level: Stupid must be interesting. And, if possible, consequential.

However, in the interest of getting out of this week’s horrorshow/catvideo rut, we bring you Oklahoma House Co-Majority Leader Dennis Johnson — (R), of course — who said something you might expect of an (R) Oklahoma House Co-Majority Leader, and which we would otherwise ignore.

In debating in favor of a bill that would repeal a 70-year-old ban on “loss-leader” selling, Johnson, a small business owner, said service and not price are the key to success.

He then said some customers “try to Jew me down.”

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