Saturday, November 1, 2008

A tipping point?

The next three days may determine whether the American dream can survive. Will our children live in a world where the future looks brighter than the present? Or will the empire fall into barbarism. Looks like the Republican party is halfway there already.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Finally

Someone has thrown the gauntlet and challenged Americans to take the lead again. Will we fall into the darkness of a failed empire? Or will we accept the challenge to use our real resources, our brains, and energy, and will to create a new society based on renewable energy. The oil giants and their puppets in Washington DC are trying to wring every last drop of obscene profit from American greed and laziness. Will we continue to fund their party? Or will we accept Al Gore's remarkable challenge and move forward despite the hindrance from our so-called government? I believe we can do it. The science tells us that the possibility is real. The need is real. Some will say it can't be done. They used to say that man would never fly.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Who needs oil?

So Saudi Arabia has kindly consented to increase oil production by 300,000 barrels of oil per day! Doesn't it stick in your craw that our country has to crawl to a brutal repressive regime and beg them to please give us more oil?
It seems to be incredibly hard for people to realize that oil is a limited resource. It's like the little kid who always sees daddy getting money from the bank. The kid doesn't realize that somehow that money has to get into the bank, and that it won't just keep coming out forever.
It's way past time to work very hard and seriously on safe alternate energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Solar energy already powers nearly every living creature on this planet. Biology 111 teaches every freshman that the sun provides the energy that plants convert into chemical energy which provides power for plants and animals alike. A blade of grass can do it. Why can't we? A world run on renewable energy would have to rely on a hodgepodge of sources. People who live in geothermal areas, would be set up to use geothermal energy. Iceland is ahead of us on this one. People who live in windy areas would depend on windmills. And everyone could use solar systems to some extent.
Would it be a disadvantage to rely on multiple systems to create useful energy? Only for the big corporations who have a stranglehold on us now. The corporations who are posting record profits year after year (Bush administration years) and who are quite happy with the current energy crisis. For the rest of us, we would be much better off if we were more independent of the big power grids. As it is now, any infrastructure failure, or damaging storm, cripples us and leaves us without resources for basic survival in many cases.
The thing is, it will have to be done. We will run out of oil. We will adapt to new sources or most of us will die. Could that be Mr. Bush's plan? Invade Iran and start world war 3 so people will die and the oil will last longer? Interesting hypothesis. So far the evidence doesn't rule it out.
Let's just take our money and resources and put them into alternate energy research and development. Who needs their stinking oil anyway?

Saturday, March 22, 2008

The second amendment: Read It!

"A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the People to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
This is one sentence. The authors could have put these ideas into two sentences but they wanted these two ideas to be joined. The first clause is a modifying clause. That means it significantly impacts the meaning of the sentence. So, yes; we do have the right to keep and bear arms, but they have to be regulated! Doesn't it make sense that guns should be at least as well regulated as automobiles? So guns must be registered, and people must be vetted and trained in the proper use to protect themselves and the free state.
Look at Switzerland as the prototype. All adult males participate in military service, all own weapons, and weapons are registered and tightly controlled.
The constitution does guarantee the rights of citizens to own and bear arms. It doesn't promise that any damn fool can do anything he wants with them.