"Why are you a Democrat?"

LOTS of reasons:

Like

Quote of the day -- on Republicans, their work and goals

From a Facebook friend:

They shoot down young men in the streets, some handcuffed and shot, some surrendering and shot, some running for their lives and shot, and we sit there.

They pay our workers less than a living wage and we watch, but action is missing. They try and curtail our votes or liberties and we watch TV and sigh 

They insult our intelligence with saying public education does not work, but we were once the envy of the globe through public education. 

They buy up our duly elected officials through a system of graft and payoffs and call it, lobbies.

They Gerrymander districts to disenfranchise our votes and elections and we sleep in apathy. 

They poison our rivers and fresh water supplies, through fracking and no one seems to give a frack.

They overcharge for medical help, and put us in debt to keep healthy and we allow this. They pass anti democratic voting laws to curtail votes from elders, students and minorities. They want white voters only then they can pass laws for holding down the rest.

They rewrite US history to make us more docile, by covering up the fact that dissidence formed our union, and social progress occurred and justice served, through our civil disobedience, as we watch football and allow it.

They disrespect women, and pay them less, and treat them as chattel or call them sluts for wanting birth control covered by insurance, and we nod off.

They disrespect our leaders that have a populous agenda and we watch and shrug. 

They cry foul when wages are raised, and work hard at convincing us 7.25 an hour is a living wage. 

They push us for more weapons in the hands of whites, but beware if a minority is caught with one. 

They send more people to prison over less, than any country in the history of mankind and we scratch our heads. 

They are called the Republicans and Tea baggers, and if they have their way democracy will die, and we will become an oligarchy, with these sick ass greedy monsters like the Koch's in control... Is this America? Or is it time to hit the streets make them see what our powers are, the Powers of the People..

Rise up and let them hear us, or watch them smash us into John Birch, KKK, and ALEC loving fools..

--Robert Barker

Native Americans have had it right all along

Links:  One person CAN make a difference--blog

One person can make a difference--Facebook page

Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

Quote of the day -- and from a surprising source

How cool is this?

I just found it on a friend's page on Facebook.

 

 

Some stats on it:

 

1,800 MPG

Total weight 150 lbs

Load capacity 350 lbs

Electric motor 750 watt

Electric power 20 mph

Electric range 14+ miles

Charge via outlet 1 1/2 hours

Charge via sunlight~ 7 hours

 

And made in the USA.

 

Links: 

 

http://www.organictransit.com/

 

http://blogs.nicholas.duke.edu · Dec 16, 2013
Dean of Duke's Nicholas School

 

http://www.greatfallstribune.com · December 16, 2013
Montana...thinking ahead.

http://www.betterworldclub.com/ · Dec. 16, 2013
Free 24/7 roadside assistance

Three quarters of one trillion dollars, at least, for weapons and killing and attacking other nations--far beyond what any other nation spends, in fact, far beyond what virtually all other nations spend--but we don't take care of the people.

How does anyone think this is sustainable for the nation?

Solar cells, all over commercial buildings, residences, cars--and clothing?

Further proof, I think and hope, that one day--and one day sooner than we thought--we'll be able to have solar cells all over our commercial buildings and homes in order to generate clean, renewable, solar electric power. Then we could also do away with the need for big power companies and, more importantly, electricity from coal-fired power plants, their very dirty air pollution and even nuclear power plants. This article today: Scientists develop ultra-thin solar cells "Austrian and Japanese researchers on Wednesday unveiled solar cells thinner than a thread of spider silk that are flexible enough to be wrapped around a single human hair. The thin-film device, comprising electrodes on a plastic foil, is about 1.9 micro-metres thick, a tenth the size of the thinnest solar cells currently available, the researchers said." One micro-metre is one millionth of a metre (3.3 feet).

"'The total thickness of this device is less than a typical thread of spider silk,' the researchers said in a report carried by online science journal Nature Communications. 'Being ultra-thin means you don't feel its weight and it is elastic,' said one of the researchers, Tsuyoshi Sekitani from the University of Tokyo. 'You could attach the device to your clothes like a badge to collect electricity (from the sun)... Elderly people who might want to wear sensors to monitor their health would not need to carry around batteries,' Sekitani told AFP." This is a pretty incredible discovery and revelation. This can make progess for clean electrical power that much sooner and more likely. As ever, here's hoping. Link to original story: http://news.yahoo.com/scientists-develop-ultra-thin-solar-cells-193214134.html

Another economic race between states

There is an article out today about a "Ballot Initiative Would More Than Double Michigan’s Renewable Portfolio Standard" To an extent, I can see how a bit of a race will be taking place among states--if it hasn't already begun--to get more and more renewable energy and for a few reasons. First, it would be to have technology in the forefront of the state's economy. No state can afford to fall behind on cutting-edge technology. Second, it would be to lower energy costs for each state. Third, it likely add the jobs these projects and breakthroughs bring and finally, to have cleaner air. It's already true among nations--at least it is for those who care to take it on. The US needs to do a far better job of this. Link: http://cleantechnica.com/2012/01/15/ballot-initiative-would-more-than-double-michigan’s-renewable-portfolio-standard/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-cleantechnica+%28CleanTechnica%29

That pipeline from Canada to Texas is all but done

When the question of a Keystone XL company's oil pipeline being brought up in the last few months, I thought it was a "suggestion" or request put on the country. And maybe it was. But first, I learned later (recently) that parts of the pipeline have already been built, however far North that is and that, second, the route it was going to take would be examined but that yes, it was going through. Now, today, there is this news: Sinopec, Total pour $4.5 billion into U.S. shale

(Reuters) - China's Sinopec (600028.SS) and France's Total SA (TOTF.PA) made major purchases into the U.S. energy sector on Tuesday, pouring $4.5 billion into deals to buy into booming production from shale rock formations. (link below). So not only is it going through but 2 foreign companies--and one of them our supposed "arch-enemy"--is going to own and run it. If it has an oil spill on it somewhere here in the States, they'll be the ones seeing to its cleanup. This seems like bad news that just keeps getting worse. Links: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-shale-us-idUSTRE80215S20120103; http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/03/us-athabasca-idUSTRE8020OW20120103

Great, breaking news on solar energy

Check it out: Breakthrough could double solar energy output "A new discovery from a chemist at the University of Texas at Austin may allow photovoltaic solar cells to double their efficiency, thus providing loads more electrical power from regular sunlight. Not only that, but it’s way cheap." And that's not the end of the good news: "Breakthroughs in the solar industry seem to be coming fast of late. Just two weeks ago we heard about researcher Douglas Keszlar at Oregon State University in Corvallis, who is studying the photovoltaic potential of fool’s gold– pyrite – and discovered instead that some more ordinary materials could make improved photovoltaics, especially iron silicon sulfide. Once again, the advantage would be that it’s hyperefficient and cheap." I'm telling you, one day in the not too distant future, we will be able to have photovoltaic cells all over our homes, our office buildings and cars and they will generate their own electricity, far, far cleaner than we create that same energy today and with, obviously, far less pollution and carbon dioxide released. We won't need big, expensive, crushing utility companies any longer. Think about it. As the song says, "It's a new dawn. It's a new day." Link: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-breakthrough-double-solar-energy-output-20111216,0,3897047.story

Quote of the day

"In today's deeply interdependent world, war is outdated and illogical. All regions, and all peoples, are interconnected environmentally, economically, and politically. War, oppression or civil strife in one area inevitably affects people in other parts of the world." --The Dalai Lama

Des Moines and Lincoln (NE) on "Healthiest Cities" List

Yes, you saw it right. Des Moines, Iowa and Lincoln, Nebraska got some more ammunition for the Convention and Visitors Bureau in the last 24 hours. Parents Magazine rated 150 cities in the nation and decided Des Moines is 6th healthiest: It's easy to live in this Midwestern town, which happens to be the home of Meredith Corporation, publisher of Parents. You can drive from the 'burbs to downtown in less than 20 minutes -- even during rush hour. The city also offers free yoga classes at some public parks, daily recess for all elementary-school students, 40 miles of fitness trails, and enclosed downtown skywalks so families can keep active even in bad weather. Lincoln came in at 10: It's gone green. Through its "Cleaner Greener" program, Lincoln installed 13 hybrid buses, maintained 130,000 neighborhood trees, and is close to having a park within a half mile of every house in the city. That's on top of the excellent air and water quality; Lincoln didn't exceed the ozone or particle pollution levels on any day in 2010. And families can feel safe while being outdoors on the city's 128 miles of trails. The crime rate is low and the average commute in town is 17 minutes, so you have more time to spend with the kids. Even with our new Kauffman Arts Center, I just don't think we'll hit the top 10 next year, either. At least, not with that pesky more-than-100-persons-killed ranking we have this year. Last notes: San Francisco was number one, Kansas City didn't even make it in the top 35 though Overland Park--of all places--made it in at 26. Finally, St. Louis was number 11, though. St. Louis? A "healthiest city"? That shocks me. So it goes. Link: http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/the-10-healthiest-cities-for-families-2583271.html

Missouri: 2nd worst number of smokers per capita, nationwide

The latest study is out from Gallup, on the numbers of smokers nationwide, on a state-by-state basis and Missouri has the 2nd worst (meaning, most) number of smokers as a percentage of the state. Only Kentucky is worse--they're at 29% of the population, we're at 26%. Ugh. Surprisingly and happily, Kansas is on the "lowest percentage" list at only 19% of the population so good on you, Kansas. Links: http://www.gallup.com/poll/150779/Smoking-Rates-Remain-Highest-Kentucky-Lowest-Utah.aspx#1;

On the anniversary of the "Clean Air Act"

This week, most people won't know, is the anniversary of the "Clean Air Act" by Congress, in Washington, of 1990. It turns 21 years old, thank goodness. As we know, our air in the 1960's, at least, had gotten pretty fouled and dirty and awful and we needed to do something about it--we needed to clean it up. So clean it up we did, thank goodness. And, as it turns out, the Act did help us clean our air, some, anyway, and set us on a good, intelligent, healthier and far more sustainable path. Sure, we need to do more about our air and cleaning it and it will have to come from partnerships with corporations but some of those companies have found that clean air is not only in their best interests but that it can also help create both more business for them as well as new technologies and jobs. We need to develop more in this arena--we need to create yet more, "greener" and cleaner technologies and capabilities, including and especially solar power, particularly photovoltaic cells that create our electricity. So in this week that we say "Happy birthday!" to the Clean Air Act of 1990, I am reminded of Oliver in the Charles Dickens story and later, movie and can only tell the US Congress the following: Unfortunately, too many in Congress now think there's too much "regulation". (http://www.iwatchnews.org/2011/11/16/7399/5-questions-william-ruckelshaus?utm_source=iwatch&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=facebook). All I can say is, we don't want to end up like polluted China. Let's not go backward. Let's keep cleaner air and progressing forward. Link: http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/11/16/370028/happy-birthday-clean-air-act-jobs-innovation-saving-lives/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+climateprogress%2FlCrX+%28Climate+Progress%29

Got satire?

At once funny and sick at the same time.

The nation's--and world's?--"save": clean, renewable, affordable solar energy

"And now for something completely different: the success story you haven’t heard about. These days, mention solar power and you’ll probably hear cries of 'Solyndra!' Republicans have tried to make the failed solar panel company both a symbol of government waste — although claims of a major scandal are nonsense — and a stick with which to beat renewable energy. But Solyndra’s failure was actually caused by technological success: the price of solar panels is dropping fast, and Solyndra couldn’t keep up with the competition. In fact, progress in solar panels has been so dramatic and sustained that, as a blog post at Scientific American put it, “there’s now frequent talk of a ‘Moore’s law’ in solar energy,” with prices adjusted for inflation falling around 7 percent a year. This has already led to rapid growth in solar installations, but even more change may be just around the corner. If the downward trend continues — and if anything it seems to be accelerating — we’re just a few years from the point at which electricity from solar panels becomes cheaper than electricity generated by burning coal. And if we priced coal-fired power right, taking into account the huge health and other costs it imposes, it’s likely that we would already have passed that tipping point. But will our political system delay the energy transformation now within reach? Let’s face it: a large part of our political class, including essentially the entire G.O.P., is deeply invested in an energy sector dominated by fossil fuels, and actively hostile to alternatives. This political class will do everything it can to ensure subsidies for the extraction and use of fossil fuels, directly with taxpayers’ money and indirectly by letting the industry off the hook for environmental costs, while ridiculing technologies like solar. So what you need to know is that nothing you hear from these people is true. Fracking is not a dream come true; solar is now cost-effective. Here comes the sun, if we’re willing to let it in." --Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize-winning economist, writer and columnist, The New York Times Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/opinion/krugman-here-comes-solar-energy.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/opinion/krugman-here-comes-solar-energy.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

Notes on a Sunday newspaper

1) Missouri River flooding is on the front page of the NY Times today, albeit in South Dakota; 2) a Kansas City native, one Elmer Lower, passed this week. He was once president of ABC News, 1963-74. Who knew? 3) Dan Peck, a founding member of the group "America" passed this week, too, in his hometown of Farmington, Missouri 4) Depressing headline of the day: "US Report Finds Security Deteriorating in Iraq with Corruption Unabated" Once again, thank you George W. Bush and Company; 5) At the same time, we--the US--is considering selling Iraq 36 F16 fighter jets, too. Man, we're stupid; 6) Grover Norquist is either the devil incarnate or one of his chief minions, without doubt; 7) Finally today, there is an article in the op/ed section showing that the Rethuglicans Republicans unleashed a torrent of possible laws for industry and corporation this week (their overlords), that would strip the EPA, the Clean Air Act and other environmental laws of their gths. (Look for it under the headline "Concealed Weapons Against the Environment, if you're interested0. Enjoy your Sunday, y'all.

My own "Solar Power Day", Part II

There is an article out today, just now, on Germany's mastery of clean, "green" solar power and the fact that they both get "percent of the country’s power from renewable sources like solar panels and wind turbines" already AND they're challenging themselves, as a country to "reduce national greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent between 1990 and 2020, and by 80-85 percent by 2050." I'm telling you, folks, not only do we need this and need it badly, but the country or countries that dominate clean energy, particularly solar power, are the ones that will dominate the planet for at least decades to come, if not the next century. We need to be on this. Have a great weekend, y'all. Link to original post: http://www.causecast.org/news_items/9862-germany-plans-to-switch-to-renewable-sources-for-all-electricity-by-2050?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+causecast%2Flatest_news+%28Causecast+-+Latest+News%29

We need clean, green, renewable energy, folks--and here's why

We need clean, green, renewable energy--and as soon as possible, badly, for the following reasons: --First, the country who masters this (particularly--almost solely--photovoltaic cells) will rule the next several decades, if not the next century; --Second, because we're throwing away a TON of money and giving it mostly to the Middle East AND IT'S BANKRUPTING US; --Third, because we have a lot of enemies in the Middle East; --Fourth, we need it so we can have much cleaner air, water and soil; --We need it so we get out of burning fossil fuels and fowling our air, water and soil; --We need it so we get out of coal mining which is so bad for the miners, even when they aren't killed; --We need it so we stop--and as soon as possible--"mountaintop removal", particularly in West Virginia but all over Appalachia; --We need it so we gain more independence from power companies; --We need it so we more our citizens into more, better, cleaner and smarter employment; --We need it so we also have clean, "green" electic transportation that is also run on solar power so it is also far less polluting; --It really would create a great deal of new work for the country and they really would be much cleaner, smarter jobs for a lot of us. Those are the bare minimums. The benefits of this one move, for the country, would be so vast it's almost dazzling that we don't all realize them and why we need to make this happen. It would be far more beneficial than, by comparison, President Kennedy's challenge to get us to the moon within a decade, as he challenged us so many years ago. We need to do this. Have a great weekend, y'all.

Learning and unlearning, again and again

PBS showed an archive film clip of the late, famous and renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith from some time ago, on economies, of course, and on housing bubbles and bursts. What he had to say was interesting.

Mr. Galbraith pointed out that there were virtually always about 20 years apart, to paraphrase him, because we never seem to learn our lessons, permanently, anyway, on housing and costs and prices and markets.

Naturally, the obvious thing to point out is that this is so unfortunate, first, and that you would think we would learn.

Sure it’s true but that’s not where I’m going with this.

Where I want to go is to say that I hope that, with the environment and our air, land and waters, as to polluting and not polluting, hopefully we will know better and permanently learn this stuff, as a people, all over the planet.

With our environment, we can’t keep “learning and unlearning” this stuff.

We have to have clean air and clean soil and clean water all the time, naturally (no pun intended), as a matter of course.

We don’t get “do-overs” on clean air or water or soil.

In order to live, we have to have these things all the time.

And we know this.

Just ask the people in China who are trying to live with filthy air or waterways.

These things are not luxuries. To repeat, we must have them.

So, as a country and as a world, we can’t be going through cycles of caring for our world and then not, for a period of time. Even our own generations, let alone future ones, are far too dependent on all that is around us to make those mistakes.

We have to be good stewards, so to speak, at all times.

It’s as the old saying goes, we don’t inherit our world from our ancestors—we borrow it from our children.