Saturday, December 30, 2006

Saddam Hussein is dead

Does anyone get the Saddam thing? I certainly don't. Of all the corrupt dictators there are in the world, why did we decide that we had to go after this one? I don't get it. They kill him during the Christmas season. People will feel sympathy for him.

And he was found guilty of killing Kurds in for deaths of 148 Shiites in 1982? According to Samantha Power's book, "A Problem from Hell" which won a Pulitzer, we were selling him the chemicals knowing that they might be used to gas the Kurds. All we did was look the other way. We could have elected to not sell him the chemicals, but the chemical companies were worried that it might hurt their bottom line. So they just winked and looked the other way.

Now he's dead. Are we ever going to find out the real reason we went to Iraq and went after Saddam?

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Amen, Amen and Amen

The triple bottom line: The Planet, People, and Profits. Until Walmart does more to clean up it's act, I'm not shopping there!

Fruitcake Lady

What a hoot!! Finally some common sense makes it to the masses!

Friday, December 15, 2006

Vegetarians have a higher IQ

Hmm.... here is a study that shows people who become vegetarians are smarter than average and have better educations than the average person. It doesn't say if one causes the other or if it is a result. Either way, interesting article and I'm glad I'm a vegetarian! Can't stand the thought of eating meat...

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Folksongs of the Far Rightwingers...

A friend sent tme thing. It is too funny!! Folk songs for the far right.

Monday, December 11, 2006

Tom Delay on Hardball?

Can someone please tell me why the Chris Matthews' fill in tonight on Hardball ( sorry, I don't know his name) was interviewing Tom Delay on TV tonight? Why should this crook be given air time to talk to the American public? And that questions were so software and pandering it was embarrassing!

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Bad Me!

I have been soooo busy, I've not had time to keep up my blog. Now that the election is over, and the Republican's have lost some of their stangle-hold on this country, I have to rethink what direction I want to go with my blog. I have been exploring Flickr and Picasa. I have a deadline for major project tonight and need to close for now to get it done. I'm looking forward though to getting caught up on my blog!

Check out this: It puts things into perspective. Especially the China thing. I remember Thomas Friedman saying in his book, " The World Is Flat." If the Chinese education just 10% of their population, that is more people than all of the US. This example shows that nicely. If they education just their top students, that's more than all of the people in the United States. As far as companies outsourcing and our hopes for our children and their futures, that should be a wake up call to our citizens.

Hopefully it will be a slow awakening and people won't ignore the implications.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Is this the future?

The Election

Thank goodness... that's all I can say!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

You might qualify for a tax break

Our Oceans are Dying



I quit eating fish in 1995/96 when I learned about modern "commercial fishing" techniques and practices. The commercial fishing companies drag a huge net on the bottom of the ocean and scrape up every living thing, plant and animal. Then they haul it up on board and sort out the editable from the not editable. They pull up about 5,000 pound of sea life. Out of those 5,000 pounds they keep around 1,000 pounds and throw the rest overboard. The only problem is that by the time they throw it back in, they are all dead. This goes on day after day, boat after boat. There are huge dead zones in the ocean where nothing is growing.

That was nine years ago. My friends laughed at me and told me that I was ridiculous. Now experts are saying that our oceans are in trouble. In about fifty years, the fish populations will collapse if we keep consuming at the current rate. (Jared Diamond predicts this will happen to based on historical studies of societies and unsustainable practices.)

It's not me that's going to suffer. I won't be around then. It will be our children's children that will have to see the consequences of our sins.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Now here's a political ad that would make Karl Rove proud

Oops, wrong party,
but the DEMS are learning. Monkey see, monkey do.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Cyber Law

Here is an interesting application of the Web 2.0 application: Second Life

This sums it up nicely

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Election Day Chaos By Design -- King GW

For those of us who have monitored the electronic voting machine debates for the past two years, it is not a suprise that the news media is just now paying attention to the problem. It's too late to do anything about it. The chaos that will occur on election day is chaos by design. This was no accident. It has been a disaster in the making for several years and when the activists were shouting from the roof tops about it two years ago, the reaction by the public and public official was either, "yawn... oh really, that's interesting, now go away, I have work to do." Or like my husband many thought people who were expressing concerns were "a little to extreme in their views." Nope, just like the issue of terrorism that we knew about for decades and did nothing about it until after the fact, so goes the election process. Unfortunately for our democracy, it may be too late to preserve our democracy, "after the fact."

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Charlie Crist vs. Jim Davis

We watched part of the debate tonight... yawn. It was about as exciting as watching soap. A friend of mine sent me this e-mail about why she was supporting Davis. I asked her if I could post it on the blog. A good summary of the differences of the canidates:

Mary Elizabeth wrote, "From my perspective, the choice is competency versus incompetence. Crist smiles, hugs and waves but does little else. He laughs off his lack of knowledge. It is laughable that he has gotten where he has with so little think power and knowledge. If you dig into his background, and even recently you will be amazed to find out what he as a Secretary twice in the State Cabinet does not know of Florida governance 101. People have voted for the charm glib tongue that will keep us on the Bush path of self destruction. The TV is on in the distance this morning and it is one ad after another smearing, slamming Jim Davis. People who do not question and seek information will fall into the Crist trap of deception and lies."

Learning to Podcast


powered by ODEO

Monday, October 23, 2006

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Jim Davis vs. Charlie Crist debates coming soon

The debates between Davis and Crist are scheduled for October 24, WMFE (PBS) at 8:00 pm wtih Ray Suarez as moderator and October 30, Channel 2 WESH/NBC at 8:00 with Chris Matthews as moderator.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Jeremiah Jaspon -- Looking for a few good athletes

A friend of mine is helping out on Jeremiah's campaign. I've actually met Jeremiah. He's a really great guy, down to earth, smart and compassionate. I hope he wins. He's doing a fund 5K fund raiser soon. Here's info for anyone local.
GO.... J E R E M I A H!


Here is info on the upcoming race!

Jeremiah Jaspon - Running for the People - The candidate for State Senate District 22, Jeremiah Jaspon, is holding a 5K race/fund-raiser in Sanford on Oct. 29.

Come join the fun and help send a good Democrat to the State Senate!

We need:
Participants! Both runners and walkers are welcome. For the runners, this is a competitive, digitally timed race with prizes for the winners. Walkers can enjoy the double-loop course that includes the scenic Sanford Riverwalk and the city's historic downtown.

Sponsors! Several levels of business/corporate sponsorship are available.

Volunteers! We need folks to help with registration and a number of other duties.

Race lovers! Come on out and watch the event. It'll be fun!

For more information, contact Martine McCarthy at 407-376-7696

E
mail her at - dmccarthy1@cfl.rr.com

Visit: http://j7sports.com/

And visit: www.JeremiahforSenate.com.

Click here for more info

The American People's big gamble with the Neocon Pied Piper

American's are trusting the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute and other neoconservative think tanks who have led our country down a dark alley of a huge national debt. They are trusting an economic philosphy that has not been tested and proven to be one that is reliable and will stand the test of time. The neocon's economic philosphy says that national debt doesn't matter. ... Maybe does and the ballooning debt is just a way for the neocons to accomplish their objective which has been to "Get government to the size where you can drown it in the bathtub."


I guess the big gamble has been that American people have gone along with the neocon's world view, gambling that they are economically right....

" Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone... they paved paradise and put up a parking lot"
Joni Mitchell

Republicans will cheat again to rob voters of their right to vote

According to this new information, the Republicans have PURGED many voters from the voter file who might be a student, unemployed, or live at apartments with high turnover rates. According to this report, there was an effort to purge those registered as Democrats, but not purge the ones that are registered as Republicans. They predict that the voting precincts will simply "run out of provisional ballots" leaving many legitimate voters hight and dry. According to this report, this has happened in four key states and that the Republicans will come out on top. Let's see if main stream media covers this or even investigates this!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Why are we silent about the death of habeas corpus?

Doug Mills/The New York Times
Photo by: Doug Mills/The New York Times
Protesters against torture Tuesday outside the White House

Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes, "Bush signed a new law today that impacts the Bill of Rights. The law sets up a system of military commissions for trying terrorism suspects that would allow evidence to be withheld from defendants in certain instances. It also strips the federal courts of jurisdiction to hear petitions from noncitizens for writs of habeas corpus, effectively preventing detainees from going to court to challenge their confinement."

Keith's comments

A good guy in Washington?


Photo by: Chris Maddaloni/Roll Call
Finally, someone who has moral character in Washington who will tell the truth. According to the NY Times, Mr. Trandahl is known in Washington as someone who does the right thing, avoids lobbiest, does not want to be a lobbiest, and is bi-partisan. He will testify Thursday about what he knew or didn't know about the Foley Page scandal.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Bush and the Neocons’ "Bully Diplomacy" has failed to convince North Korea...

Right wing talk show pundits want to blame everyone else but Bush and the neocons for North Korea. They won't admit that the last six years of Bully Diplomacy have gotten us no where except a huge deficit, a quagmire in Iraq, and dictator acts like a rebellious kid in class. Too bad our dear President has not learned that Bully Diplomacy will get us no where. It has cost this country dearly for him to not learn this lesson.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

The problem with the moral authority of Political Right is not just Foley

The problem with the Right's Moral Authority is this: the only moral convictions that matter are their moral convictions. Let's use Al Gore as an example. This man has been fighting for what he believes in since he was a young man in college. A professor introduced him to the idea of "Global Warming" and he as been fighting ever since to try to bring this understanding to America. So what does the Right do? They attack, criticize, ridicule, mock and persecute him for his beliefs. He like so many others who believe that the perserving the environment is our moral obligation to future generations. But acting on those convictions and fighting for that is the object of ridicule by the Right. They preach, "I'm Right and Everyone Else is Wrong." That is why they have lost their voice when it comes to morality. It's not Foley, it's that they are blind to their own sins.

Friday, October 06, 2006

The Crescendo of Backlash is building toward the Bush NeoCons


AP Photo by Ted S. Warren
I can remember in the early 70's seeing protesters of the Viet Nam war on the cover of the front page news in West Virginia where I was living at the time. A young man had cut off the head of a lamb and was holding it up, screaming at the top of his lungs and the blood of the lamb was dripping all over his face, down his arm, necks, cheeks. It was one of the images you don't forget. I wish I could find it. To me it captured the era of Viet Nam war protests.

I can feel the ground beginning to move beneath our feet. Little by little the sleeping giant is awakening. Our children are being sent to their slaughter for what? These people lied, covered up their motives, their profits, their agendas and sold it to the public and to Christians under false pretense. It's going to come back to haunt them. The Christians, or at least the smart ones, are starting figure out that they have been dooped. Wake up America! Wake up!

Oh my god... is this unbelievable or what?

Anyone see anything wrong with this picture... notice the lettering beside Mark Foley's name. Do you think this was an honest mistake by Fox/GOP TV? And it ran more than once... Are the people who really watch Fox/GOP TV really that gullible?

Local home boy and gal--Tom Feeney and Katherine Harris make top ten list of most corrupt politicians





According to the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) , the non-profit, legal watchdog group that is dedicated to holding public officials accountable for their actions, two of our beloved politicians made it to the 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress; Tom Feeney and Katherine Harris.
Funny, I just today in the Orlando Sentinel Katherine Harris was condemning Foley for "not acting Christian." How Christian is corruption? The scary thing about Katherine Harris is that talking to her is like talking to a child. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. At least that is the persona that she likes to project. Either way, do you want her in the Senate? Isn't it scary enough that she was the Secretary of State for Florida? A corrupt Christian Mary Pippins; that's an interesting twist.

Feeney, now he's a different breed all together. All I can say about Feeney is that Clint Curtis better watch his back. I'm sure Feeney’s got a knife and won’t hesitate to use it.

Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT)
Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN)
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA)
Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Katherine Harris (R-FL)

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA)
Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-WV)
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA)
Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY)
Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA)

Thursday, October 05, 2006

A Crisis is brewing but Apple Shares will soar



Here is a perfect example of why people become apathetic. An article on MSN today by John Markman essentially says: The Global Economy is going to crash... i.e. (people dying in the streets from starvation) but in the meantime people will be buying Apple Products. So which is it John, is the world as we know it coming to an end or are the good times going to keep right on rolling? What a whacked out article! Does this guy have an editor?

The Green Festival in DC

Why don't we have this in Florida?

More Web 2.0 News

PBS: Bill Moyers on Capital Crime


We watched Bill Moyers piece on PBS about the Abramhoff scandal. I have read all about it, but it was truly amazing to see it presented on PBS last night. Bill Moyers talked with Thomas Frank, author of WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH KANSAS: HOW CONSERVATIVES WON THE HEART OF AMERICA and Norman Ornstein of the conservative American Enterprise Institute. His book is: "The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)" I won't try to recap the whole thing, but just to say, that THE CONSERVATIVES WHO ARE EVEN OUTRAGED. Our apathy is allowing a culture of corruption to infect all of Washington and it is going to have an impact on our future. It's a lot worse than anyone can imagine and until the public is outraged and demands change, it's not going to stop. That's the bottom line.

It was interesting that the minister who ran the US Family Network which had been so instrumental in helping to bash the Democrats and build the right wing allegiance with the Republican party said on air, " We were had..." The Choctaw, and Marianas were conned by Abramoff, Reid, Delay, Norquist, Ney, Scalon, and Rove... and so were the Christians.

Just like Abramoff mocked the Native Americans, Reid mocked the Christians. Neither groups were held in high esteem, only the money mattered.

His next piece is about evangelicals that are becoming green.

Mark Foley, Why a 16 year old? Gay Rights vs. Pedophile

If Mark Foley had been flirting with someone who was 18 years or older, we would have been talking about Gay Rights, not pedophiles. From his public speeches he clearly knew the difference. Why did he target kids? Is there that much of a difference between a "hottie" who is 16 and one who 18, 19, 20, 21 years old or even 29 y ears old? He wanted to go public and say, "I'm a gay man." Great, but that's not the issue. It's not that you are a gay man Mr. Foley; it’s that you are a gay man who seemed to have a thing for kids. We call that a pedophile. It doesn't matter if you’re gay or straight. Adults aren't supposed to mess around with kids. Maybe the folks in rehab will explain that to him.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

The Republican Excuse for everything, ......" I Don't Recall!"

Bob Woodward's book reveals that BEFORE SEPTEMBER 11th... way back in July a meeting took place with Condi and Tenent.

New York Times reported today that "According to two former intelligence officials, Mr. Tenet told those assembled at the White House about the growing body of intelligence the C.I.A. had collected suggesting an attack was in the works."

And "Officials now agree that on July 10, 2001, Mr. Tenet and his counterterrorism deputy, J. Cofer Black, were so alarmed about intelligence pointing to an impending attack by Al Qaeda that they demanded an emergency meeting at the White House with Ms. Rice and her
National Security Council staff."

Of course Condi "Doesn't recall. "

When Dennis Hasert was asked about being told earlier about Foely, what was his repsonse? "I don't reall."

When Scotter Libby and Karl Rove were asked about anyone who might have shared informaiton about Valarie Plame, their answer as, "I don't reall."

Have you noticed also that it is always the source that is in question, never the White House? Any negative report always results in a statement taht itis the sources actions and information is always questionable, never the White House actions or motivation.?

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Meet the Press--Devine Vs Brown/ Russert gets a D!


Russert starts his show: "As Ohio goes, so goes the nation." Russert gave Devine three times more air time than Brown to answer questions on Meet the Press. He clearly was playing to DeWine on today's show! Come on Tim, let's play fair with your interviews. He cut Brown off over and over again and let DeWine drift from one point to another. Are we playing favorites, Tim?

Friday, September 29, 2006

The Ugly Truth

From Pictures of the Week on MSNBC's website and photo by Robert Cohen / St. Louis Post-Disaptch. This horse was in a truck filled with other horses, on its way to the slaughter house. The truck wrecked. Sixteen horses died. Some lived. A vet treated them. The X indicates the horse has been seen by the vet. The ugly truth about how we treat our beloved pets and animials in general.

Definitions of charlatan



Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri condemned President Bush, calling him a charlatan. So I decided to google the definition: charlatan

--A “charlatan is pretender to knowledge or skills that he does not possess; a quack. Yeah...

--A flamboyant deceiver; one who attracts customers with tricks or jokes.Yeah...

--A person practicing quackery or some similar confidence trick in order to obtain money or advantage by false pretenses. Yeah...


Hmmm... Looks like the Al-Qaida leader agrees with the Democrats! Maybe if we dump the Repulbicans, they will be less inclined to want to kill us.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

I CAN'T EVEN WATCH THIS IT IS SO HORRIBLE

I know this is hard to watch. I'm sure the majority of people would rather not see this. But I'm haunted by this. I can't even watch the whole things because it makes me cry. It is undercover video by PETA showing monkeys that are being used to test products and drugs!

I recently read an article talking about the results of the animal rights protesters by these companies. They simply move their operations off shore to places where there are no rules about animal cruelty. These poor terrified animals suffer even worse and are treated worse in these third world counties and are suffering more than here. When they stuff these animals full of drugs, they let them die a slow and painful death... I'm ashamed of the human race.

We have become monsters....

Saturday, September 23, 2006

BlogOrlando



I finally got to go to something like a BarCamp in Orlando. Here are some links from the session. What a fantastic event. Thanks Josh!

Legal considerations
Photo's from event
Session
Attendees
Social Media
BlogZerk

Sunday, September 17, 2006

My point exactly... People's Design Awards gets an "F" for failing...


Being a big believer in consumer choice, I want to find products that are "GREEN" i.e. environmentally friendly that are produced in an eco-friendly way. I looked up the website for the upcoming "People's Design Awards". From a "design” perspective, the website left a lot to be desired and did not speak well the idea of "outstanding designs." And even a bigger disappointment happened when I used the site search engine and tried to find examples of green designs, eco-friendly designs and all I got back was this message: Search Results No documents matching your query were found; My point exactly. We don't even consider the environmental impact in the design process and we should.

Bill Maher on Bush

Robert Greenwald's New Movie: Iraq for Sale

I'm starting to be a big fan of Greenwald. I like what he said in his interview with Newseek. They asked if he thought his movies were balanced. He said, "No, but they are true. Do I have to show something that is a lie and I know is not true just to pretend to be balanced?" His new movie should be an interesting look at Halliburton's war profiteering.

On the Contrary: Good new? Bad news about Oil prices...

Drawing by Christophe Vorlet

I agree with Daniel Akst's article, "On the Contrary": "Anything that reinforces the role of fossil fuels — particularly oil — as the industrial world’s primary energy source is bad, not good. Anything that prolongs the life of the internal combustion engine is a negative, not a positive. Anything that makes it cheaper to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is cause for mourning rather than celebration."

If oil prices go down, we will forget about finding alternative sources of energy.

State of the Union that you won't want to miss

I guess I can rule out ever running for office because I'm sure there are some people who might not think this is funny....
But this is really funny!
HA HA HA HA!!
Noam Chomsky would be proud!
(PS... for those we have no sense of humor, it's a joke, OK?)

Friday, September 15, 2006

The Question that Tim Russert won't ask Dick Cheney on Meet the Press

One question that everyone tip toes around when it comes to the discussion in the media about WMD. Where did Saddam Hussein get his weapons of mass destruction?
Saddam and Rumsfield in 1983

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Co-President Cheney

Krugman on Colbert tonight said two things that were right on.
1) Bush's press conferences are too painful to watch.
2) Vice President Cheney is really Co-President Cheney.

John Kerry on the Iraq War with Chris Matthews

Kerry was awesome tonight on the Chris Matthews show. Where was that John Kerry during the election? It was the most hopeful thing I've heard on TV in a long time. Democrats can hold their head up high for nominating him to represent us in 2004. He is really making a lot of sense right now and is fighting back hard. See his interview. (Interestingly, his video clip is no where to be found. Only the transcript that I put in the comment section.)

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Jim Davis fights the dark lords of the sugar industry

The Republican Agenda



Congress has failed the American People. They have allowed a Neoconservative Right Wing Political Machine to take control of all three branches of government. They have destroyed the checks and balances that are supposed to be regulate our leaders. There is no oversight. The Republican agenda is a run away train with on conductor on board. Congress has rubber stamped this reckless agenda.

Our Dear President Bush

Karl Rove's Step-Dad Was Gay!

I was listening to Public Radio tonight. "The ArchitectThe Architect: Karl Rove and the Master Plan for Absolute Power " by Wayne Slater is a new book out about Karl Rove. According to this author, Karl Rove's step-dad was gay? How does he reconcile his father's life style choice with his anti-gay bashing that he has used to win the moral majority to the Republican Party?

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Environmentalist go on the attack against Rod Smith

Tough one this one is. So many of my teacher friends like Rod Smith. Hear he panders but they like him because he has a fire in the belly. But I'm an environmentalist and I can't vote for someone who will hurt the environment either. The everglades is a big issue in Florida. If we don't clean it up, Florida's whole eco-system is in jeporady. The sugar barrons are not nice folks from what I read. They are fat cats that like to stay in charge and don't like to be told what to do. Can Rod Smith take money from them and then not bend to their desires, wants and needs? I doubt it!

The Truth about September 11th



There are still a lot of unanswered questions in the minds of many about 9/11. Some believe that the intelligence was intentionally overlooked; out of ignorance or arrogance, or intent, who knows? Others believe it was the result of people who neglected to do their job which led to 9/11. There are lots of conspiracy theorists out there as well. I hope that one day there will be a real investigation into the 9/11 incident.
This video basically says that it was PLANNED by our government, for the purpose of promoting a political agenda through the politics of fear. I do not agree with this video, however, I do think that there needs to be a real investigation into what happened. Hopefully that will occur when Bush is out of office. Until he is gone, they will continue to throw up smoke screens.
I have a feeling though, for the majority of Americans, their minds have been makde up. It is too painful to go back and revisit the tragic event. War cloaks reality while creating myths and myths have a way of lasting for centuries. Our beliefs about 9/11 have been formed and shaped through a political agenda that was thrust upon us by the terrorists and by the Republican party. Were it not for 9/11 Bush would have been a one term president and history would not have been kind.

This week

So I'm taking a corse in Instructional Design and learning to create online course. Here is my lovely graphic that I put together in Inspriration about the "Dying Process." ( the group I was assigned to. We are doing an online course as a service project for a Hospice group in Orlando. Death is that ugly thing that no one wants to talk about.

What is interesting though it the information about the people who are home health care aides: welfare to work or immigrants, mostly women, no insurance benefits, paid around $8.00 and no training that will help them better themselves. There is a 45% to 100% turn over rate. Demand will grow as baby boomers begin to age. Looks like this might be a problem for lots of boomers.

What Women Want When It Comes To Politics

There is a difference between men and women when it comes to political debate.

Men want a lot of fire power and heat.

Women want a lot of light in the room to see who and what is in the room.


Check out Steinem's new radio for women

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Monday, August 28, 2006

Iran and the US Nuclear crisis. Is there more to the story than we are being told?

The article in the Seattle Times says that the United States of America's infrastructure is rotting and we are coming apart at the seams. First of all, I don't believe this. I do believe in the market economy and I do believe that capital investment will rise to the occasion in most cases, unless...


Lately I’ve wonder about the Iran/Nuclear weapon issue that the Neocons and the media throw at us on a regular basis. I have posed this question, "What if Iran knows that its oil supplies are running out and it really is building the nuclear facility for power and not weapons?"

I've wondered something else too. What if Iran hates us so much and it knows the only way to topple us is to cut our legs out from underneath us? They know that the way to do this is be to blow up the oil wells and refineries. It would drive a stake into the heart of our economy. What if Iran's plan is to flip the switch the day before it happens and go to nuclear energy? What if they also plan to hit our infrastructure weakness that is outlined of in this article at the same time? They would have a dependable supply of energy and we would not. They would have an intact infrastructure, and we would not. Millions of people would die and there would be chaos in the streets.


Our response would be to nuke them....


I've read over and over again that the US is the economic engine of the global economy and it is in the best interest of other countries not to derail our economy. I guess the question is how much do hate us? How determined are they to rid our influence on this earth?

I wonder about their motives. Why would they defy the world and build nuclear bomb? Is it just prestige they want? They would do more damage by cutting our oil supply than they ever could with a bomb.

I was at a political hob-knob last week. There were Democrats and Republicans in attendance so we had a unique opportunity to mix and discuss issues with activists from both parties. I met this man who had been in the military and who was a Republican. He was explaining to everyone why we should go in and bomb Iran. He was serious too.

When I argued the point with him and asked him my "what if...” question, he was speechless. He either thought I was crazy or it really made him stop and think. ( I’d like to think it was the latter… )


He switched the subject and started comparing the Iran situation to Germany and Hitler. He said that if we had stopped Hitler before World War II the war could have been avoided. He of course forgot that the American corporations were making money by selling arms to the Germans and were not about to stop Hitler as long as there was profits to be made.

So if our infrastructure is decaying, we can hope that the free market will find a way to fix the problem. That is unless the Neocons have made us so hated in the world that that hatred of us has become our greatest vulnerability in the war against terror.

I believe it is in our nation’s best interest to wean ourselves from oil and to do it as soon as possible…

Mike Brown--X FEMA Director goes after Bush

On Hard Ball, Mike Brown answers Norah O'Donnell's question, "What was your biggest mistake?" Brown says his biggest mistake was playing along with the President and pretending like everything was fine and they were working as a team. He said, "Every day, we are given a list of talking points and told this is what you need to say to the news. The talking points were the spin of the day." He said that it was wrong to follow the talking and he should have been telling the truth, but he was trying to be a team player.

I'm not surprised. Bush's strategy has been to spin the media and sell the American people an illusion that is filled with deceit and corruption. Paul O'Neil and others in his administration who have fallen out of favor with the neocons revealed after leaving the White House that Bush only listens to a small core of people. He is responsive to them, and everyone else gets marching orders. That is the way his administration works. Clinton, on the other hand, listened to all points of view that were relevant before making a decision.

When I hear Bush speak, I think of Jimmy Swaggert. He seems so shallow and unprepared. He relies on “feel good” statements that are supposed to persuade the faithful to follow blindly along. I keep waiting for the alter call and for someone to pass the plate around and ask for donations. Well actually, they do. They collect money through the RNC.

I acutally heard some Republican whining on the news today saying, "The Democrats are trying to politicize this war," referring to the war in Iraq. Can you believe that Republicans are complaining politicizing the war in Iraq? Bush is in the White House because their whole strategy for the 2004 election was to politicize the war.
They are such hypocrites

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Hope a lot of millionaires by this electric car!

Electric cars!


Look ma' no gasonline
Photo Credits: Bruce Whitaker

So far 100 have been sold and paid for with cash. The price tag, $100,000. But it's good that people are buying these cars. Let's hope they sale a lot more. Maybe then it will "trickle" down to the average person and more cars will be built that use electricity instead of gasoline. The next step would be to find a way to make electricy without coal. We have the ability to do it! Let's make it happen!!


Hurricanes-- Oh my!


Let's see how wrong they are! This is the five day forecast for this hurricane. Needless to say, when we see this, everyone's anxiety goes way up, including mine.

Senator of shame


An unidentified senator placed a "secret hold" on legislation introduced by Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., and Barack Obama, D-Ill., that would create a searchable database of government contracts, grants, insurance, loans and financial assistance, worth $2.5 trillion last year. The database would bring transparency to federal spending and be as simple to use as conducting a Google search.

... Now the bill is in political limbo. Under Senate rules, unless the senator who placed the hold decides to lift it, the bill will not be brought up for a vote.

I don't care if this Senator is a Democrat or a Republican, let's hope they can smoke him/her out and fire them!

Burning Man


I'm not sure I really get this... looks like a guy burns a bunch of gas burners and then gets people to contribute to offset the about of CO2 he has created. It's an "art exhibit."

There are three ways to participate in CoolingMan 2006:

Option 1: Plant a Tree (or take other direct action to reduce GHG)

Option 2: Purchase GHG Offsets to Support Renewable Energy Projects
Option 3: Donate to Fund CoolingMan GHG Offsets

I guess it draws attention to our CO2 waste, but it's a little weird too.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Congress has failed the American People

Congress has failed the American People!

Congress has failed the American People!

Congress has failed the American People!

Congress has failed the American People!
Congress has failed the American People!
Congress has failed the American People!

Congress has failed the American People!

C o n g r e s s h a s f a i l ed t h e A m e r i c a n P e o p le !
Congress has failed the American People!
Congress has failed the American People!

Congress has failed the American People

We went to see the movie, "Why We Fight" last night. It was very well done and points out the close ties of the military-industrial-complex with Congress. The bottom line was the wars are manufactured because it is good for business. It was striking when they showed the halls of Congress just before the Iraqi war. This is where there is supposed to be debate, which is the foundation of democracy. Congress was silent. Only the Senator from West Virgina, Senator Byrd, had to courage to speak out and decry this war. What was absent was the debate, the questions, the search for the truth. There was no debate... we went to war. Congress failed the American people. They did not do their job.
Some Senators want to shine a spot light on the money/contractor issue. It has been blocked by a "secret" member of Congress. No, they don't want the American people to know who Congress really works for....

Friday, August 25, 2006

Katherine Harris, the new American Taliban


I read this interview with Katherine Harris. (see link) I acutally met her last week at a political hob-nob. After reading this interview, I wonder how in the world she is able to get up in the morning and get dressed without someone telling her what to do. She has NO ORIGINAL THOUGHTS WHAT SO EVER! She is one of those spoon-fed Christian/politicians who has checked her brain at the door. She is like a baby bird who has been fed so much religious-political propoganda that she has nothing to offer but her notoriety to the offfice.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Bush says DEMOCRATS make the world less safe?

If you google the headline in the Orlando Sentinel, you will see other headlines but our paper, has on the cover of today's paper: Bush says DEMOCRATS make the world less safe. But then when you go to their website, you can't find it. I think this shows the partisan nature of this newspaper. Drop a bomb like this on the front page- an accusation like this and then make it difficult to follow up on it.

No Orlando Sentinel and Mr. Bush, I would have to disagree, Democrats do not make the world less safe, YOU, Mr. President, have made the world less safe. And your "FEARMONGERING" is growing old!

This is TRUE ROVIAN politics. Take what is negative about you and blame it on the other party!

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire

Info about companies and organizations
trying to do good things...

Kilowatt Ours

Great Video! I saw this a couple of weeks ago and it definately had an impact on my behavior. I'm now turning off the lights when I leave the room. Well done and not too discouraging.

Florida Lags behind in Green Building

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel/August 14, 2006 is behind in adopting more sustainable growth practices, known as "Green Buildings."
Some new groups are starting to emerge:
Florida Home Builders Association and Florida Green Building Coalition are on beginning to agree on standards for Green building.

Muslims in London

Photo Credits: Andrew Testa for The New York Times

A Hizb ut-Tahrir rally in London Saturday expressed anger over the war in Lebanon and the investigation of a terrorist plot by Islamic radicals.
Doesn't this photo say it all? How in the world do you get Hizbullah out of the hearts of the Muslims. So much for Bush's "War on Terror."

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Now that's talent!

Thomas Friedman-War on Daddy's Dime

Friedman hits the nail on the head again today in his op-ed piece.

"Yes, thanks to $70-a-barrel oil you can have Katyusha rockets and butter at the same time. When oil money is so prevalent, why not? Hezbollah and Iran are like a couple of rich college students who rented Lebanon for the summer, as if it were a beach house. “C’mon, let’s smash up the place,” they said to themselves. “Who cares? Dad will pay!” The only thing Nasrallah didn’t say to Lebanese was, “Hey, keep the change.”"

He argues that cutting oil prices will hurt Iran's ability to pay for wars. We are funding their wars with our driving habits.

War leaves Israelis bitter...

Here is a quote from the paper today. ( Baltimore Sun/Orlando Sentinel-John Murphy)

Polls released this week reflect Israeli frustration. Fifty-three percent of the people surveyed in the poll commissioned by Maariv newspaper said they think Israel should have refused the cease-fire terms and continued to battle Hezbollah.

I don't live there but it would seem to me that ending a war is better than fighting a war
.

Donna Brazile please go away!


Thanks to Mrs. Brazile the Democrats have adopted a new proposal that aims to create an "inclusion program" for gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders and disabled. Why do we keep listening to losers like Brazile? Gore ran one of the worst presidential campaigns ever. Brazile was his campaign manager. Now she is going to screw up our chances to appeal to any disgruntled moderate Republicans with this. Do us a favor Ms. Brazile and just go away!

I'm not against these people, I just think that Clinton has the right idea, "don't ask and don't tell." I don't think it is necessary for people to go around and wear a button that says, "I'm gay." Who cares. That's your business not mine. Mainstream America is not ready to openly embrace this lifestyle. Most people do not want to persecute someone that lives an alternative lifestyle, but they don't want it shoved in their face. Anyone who remotely considered voting for the Democrats but strongly feels an aversion to the gay, lesbian issue will hold their nose and vote for the Republicans.

What a moron Brazile is! Please Democrats, stop listening to this out of touch, out of sync strategist! Dump her!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Green Council

Business Week has a Special Advertising Section titled: Green Buildings: Comes the Revolution. Green construction use to be the frindge. Now it is becoming mainstream. According to this section, 40% of the energy we consume comes from construction.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Sanford, Florida needs bike lanes

I recently took a new job in Sanford, Florida so I'm getting to see lots of places in Sanford that were previously unknown to me. Sanford is not one of the the "high income" parts of Orlando. There are lots of nice streets in the city but also lots of poverty too, all mixed together. That can hurt economic growth.
One thing they could do to make the area more attractive would be to make bike lanes. There are some really quaint places that would be quite "hip" if they had bike lanes. That would be one simple thing they could do for urban revitalization.

Colbert Report-- word of the day

I love Colbert's word of the day to describe the current state of affairs in the electorate here in America: dumb-ocracy....
David Gergen was his guest today. I have never seen this man laugh before. His comments were quite enlightening. Too bad comedy is covering the news better than the news covers the news. What do you expect in a dumb-ocracy....

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Tara's Blog

If you've never read Tara Hunt's blog, it is inspiring and compelling. I found this wonderful example of how Blogs and Vlogs are reaching out to a multi-generational audience. There is so much wisdom out there that our seniors have to share. YouTube might be one way they could connect. Recently I read about and organization that had seniors read letters by troubled teens and develop a pen pal relationship. It was called, "Elder Wisdom Circle." The elders helped the teens with their struggles in life and offered them hope. Maybe the next step is a video pen pal opportunity for youngsters who need a guiding hand to connect with the seniors who need to share their wisdom.

Friday, August 11, 2006

Reflections about Cheney and his unusual remarks about the Lamont vs. Leiberman race



I received via e-mail an article about Dick Cheney losing his grip on reality and being a threat to Democracy because he is quoted to have said that those who voted for "Democrat Ned Lamont in the Connecticut Senate primary, claiming that these votes would encourage "al Qaeda types" to think that "they can break the will of the American people." I also watched the movie Flightplan staring Jodie Foster last night. The movie made me wonder about Cheney and I wondered if we were like the passengers on the plane who thought that Jodie Foster had lost her mind and needed to be locked up.

What I see are two possible scenarios: either Cheney is either wrong and is grasping for power, or he knows something we don't know and is like the mother who refuses to give up when everyone else has written her off. That is the dilemma that we face as citizens. We don't know who's right. What if he's right and there are worse thing brewing that we need to defeat at all costs? What if he is wrong and the anti-war folks are right, that Cheney and the neo-cons are war-mongers that want to dominate the world and are ready to throw Democracy overboard if necessary to retain power. What if, what if, what if... that that is our quandary.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Romney uses the National Guard for his political agenda

So let's see if we can connect the dots.
The news story brakes that terrorist were planning to simultaneously blow up 10 aircraft heading to the U.S.
Romney, who wants to be president, calls out the National Guard. Of course this makes the prime time news. Chris Matthews interviews him on prime time TV. Romney uses the bad news and his repsonse as a opportunity to introduce himself to the American people. He get's free air time because he called out the guard; he showcases his ability to lead the fight against terror for free. He gets good footage to use in later political ads. And we are supposed to feel safer because he called out the National Guard to protect us after the fact? The only thing missing in this "staged event" was the voice over that said, "Vote for me."

...He reminds me of
Bill Frist who tried to hog the spot light during the Terry Schiavo debacle.
It hurt my stomach to watch him.

God of War or God of Peace?

All of these right wing Christians that are so PRO WAR need to ask themselves this question: Is the Christian God the God of War or the God of Peace? A God of Death and Destruction or a God of Reconciliation? How did the church let the party of war become their shepard?

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Can Democrats get their MoJo back? Lieberman vs. Lamont will tell the story!

I have this love/hate thing going with Lieberman. He has done some really good things for the environmental issues that I care about, but he has done some really bad things that I totally disagree on the consumer protection side. He seems to side with big business more than he does with the worker. But he has also stood up for environmental things I care a lot about.

That being said, I still thing I would like to see him defeated. It would send a strong signal that it is time for a change in this country and the Democrats were getting their MoJo again.

The Problem with Deep Ecology

I read this wonderful article in an ecology magazine about this man, Doug Tompkins, who sold is Multinational Corporation and purchased land in Chile, and started this wonderful park, Pumalin Park. He spent a huge amount of money trying to preserve this area. It is supposed to be one of the most beautiful places in South American and worthy of preservation. Tompkins and his wife are to be commended for what they have been able to do with their wealth in terms of trying to preserve the environment.

Much to my dismay, I read in the New York Times on Sunday that they are now having fight big electric companies who want to build a dam for electricy and bury much of the land he has fought to preserve. Now, instead of investing in his goal of land preservation, he's going to have to invest a fortune in fighting off the electric multinational companies. If he is successful, it will only hold them at bay for a while, until he dies, or until the money runs out. It's a never ending battle and it seems like we always lose in the end. People want electricity and are willing to sacrifice what ever it takes to get it.

I'm not going to condemn these people, because I prefer not to do without electricity myself. But it would seem to make sense to invest in alternative sources of energy so that we would not have to bury in water, some of the most beautiful natural places in the world. In my humble opinion, it is the government's responsibility to get the ball rolling. Once it is "profitable" then the markets will jump in and take it from there. But there needs to be leadership in order to make that happen.

I hope Tompkins can win, for now....

Monday, August 07, 2006

Mike Thomas-Sentinel Columnist- owes Orlando an apology

Manatee photo featured on the front-page of the Sentinel August 1st, 2006
So here's what I don't get:
Mike Thomas writes a moving sarcastic commentary about the Manatee death and the 'whodunit' mentality that plagues our nation. Red Tide, which is fatal to all marine life, is becoming more prevalent up and down the coasts of Florida. It is the result of nature but escalated by man's short-sighted use of the ocean and rivers as a sewer and garbage can for every chemical known to man. He sarcastically ridicules the our tendency to tip toe around the issues by saying that it's natural and we "aren't certain" what is causing the problem even though everyone knows that we are feeding the algae with our industrial waste that ends up in the oceans and waterways.

I applaud him for his piece in the paper Sunday, but here's the disconnect that I don't get. This man voted for Bush, promoted Bush and encouraged others to vote for Bush and all things Republican. Has he looked at the voting record of some of these politicians? The Leauge of Conservation Voters has. Bush is the first president that has ever earned an "F" on his report card from them. I'll bet a ton of politicans who are currently in Tallahassee and Washington that Mike supports are right there with Bush and have supported is destructive policies. He criticizes but he supports the very same people who are trashing the environment. H-E-L-L-O! Whether we like it or not, our vote does count in some ways because we elect or reject the people who will decide whether or not protecting the environment is a priority.

Billions of dollars are now being pumped into the Green Movement on Wall Street. The argument that it's “ jobs or the environment” is no longer valid nor ever was valid. Like it or not, Mike, you helped make this situation worse by promoting the amoral Republicans that are currently in office. Everyone is saying: "The Democrats should apologize and say they were wrong about supporting the war." Maybe the people who supported Bush should do likewise and say they were wrong about supporting this President.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Pat Robertson Part 2

I wonder if Pat Robertson, with his new found religion on Climate Change will buy one of these electric cars by Telsa? Only one grand. That is probably chump change for him. He made millions off of all the poor saps that he convinced that Global Warming/Climate Change wasn't real. Pass the hat, Pat needs your cash to preach his new revelation. Too bad you can't get a refund for bad preaching. Would it be sour grapes for the environmentalist to say, "I told you so... ?"

Friday, August 04, 2006

Pat Robertson is converted to believe in Global Warming?

I heard that Pat Robertson now believes in Global Warming. I guess this is like Saul on the road to Damascus when the Lord says, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" Saul becomes Paul and one of the most important figures in the early Christian Church. Pat Robinson is going to become an evangelist for Climate Change now?

I am going to find it really hard to forgive this man for the arrogant pious dogmatic venom that he has spewed in the name of religion, mocking and vilifying people who sincerely tried to warn about Climate Change. Pat Robinson's 700 Club convinced his followers that they could live patriotic excessive lives and suffer no consequence what-so-ever....

Mel Gibson

I wish they would quit already with the Mel Gibson thing.
Who cares!!

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

We have altered the oceans

More bad news.... the animals in our oceans are dying from toxic algae that is a result of our factory farming. Experts warn, we have about ten years to modify our way of life or global waming will be beyond our control.

Babes on Bikes

Girls just want to have fun! Here's the URL for the Bobbies.

Pew Internet Survey

New Apps

One of my favorite blogs to read is HorseCowPig. I've learned a lot about the new Web 2.0 world by readingTara's blog. Here is a post of some of her favorite new Web 2.0 apps.

Barcamp Orlando/Barcamp Earth

I want to see a Barcamp Orlando added to this list.

Conservatives Withouth A Conscience

I've been listening to the book on tape, "Conservatives Without a Conscience" as I commute to and from work. I wish they had picked a better reader. The person reading it almost puts me to sleep! But the content is interesting. If I had time, I would much prefer reading it vs. listening to this guy drone on and on.... zzzz.

But that being said, John Dean is not happy about this new conservative agenda for the country. So far, he says that we are going to loose our democracy if they continue to get their way. These people are not about personal freedom, and do not represent true conservatism, but are a modern phenomena and will drive a stake into the heart of our democracy if left unchecked. This guy is a conservative Republican too.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Democrats prospective for the upcoming election

I had the opportunity to meet a lot of Bush/Christian supporters recently. You would think that with all the bad news, they might begin to have a change of heart. The only problem is they don't watch the news or they watch Fox News. They live in a bubble and are clueless about what is happening in the world. As far as they know, he's still doing a great job and have not heard otherwise. That's a problem folks. That's why one of our fore fathers said something like, " For a democracy to work you have to have an informed electorate." That' why we are in trouble. People care more about celebrity gossip than they do their civic duty. I'm going to work in the upcoming election. Granted, it my former youth, I would not have considered doing this at all. During the Viet Nam war, when it was popular to protest ( OK, I was shallow ), maybe, yes, I might have. But there are tons of Baby Boomers that are clueless about the world at large and they have no excuse. What happened to our generation? We got caught up in materialism...

Watching in Horror

I have been vacationing and back to work so I needed to take some time off from my blog. I'm watching in horror and disbelief at the events unfolding in the Middle East. Is this the outcome of the Neocon Fanatics in government? War is OK, if the end result gives us what we want. Would someone please impeach this President? I don't think we can take much more!

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Sen. Specter preparing bill to sue Bush

Boy, it just keeps getting better and better.

Monday, July 24, 2006

Rice's "Suprise" Visit to Lebanon

Israel's objective in bombing Lebanon is to get Hezbollah out of Lebanon. How can you militarily remove something that lives in their heart?

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Lieberman's Ploy- Maybe we need to rethink our anti-Liberman position.

Evidently the right wing anti-environment groups are upset with Liberman for moving the environement agenda forward with the "early reduction" program.
This is from the TCS website: All such schemes are Trojan horses for Kyoto-type policies. Credits awarded for "early" reductions are assets that mature and attain full market value only under a mandatory emissions reduction target or "cap." Consequently, every credit holder acquires an incentive to lobby for emission caps.
Unsurprisingly, credit for early reductions originated as a brainchild of the Green Left. Senator Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.), Environmental Defense, and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change championed early credit legislation during the 105th and 106th Congresses.
On Valentine's Day 2002, the Bush Administration naively resuscitated Lieberman's ploy. President Bush directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to "enhance" the "measurement accuracy, reliability, and verifiability" of the Voluntary Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Program (VRGGP), established under Section 1605(b) of the 1992 Energy Policy Act.
More from their website:
Case Against Credits
Several free market organizations -- the Competitive Enterprise Institute, American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform, American Legislative Exchange Council, Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens for a Sound Economy, Consumer Alert, Frontiers of Freedom, National Taxpayers Union, Small Business Survival Committee, and 60-Plus Association -- have repeatedly warned the Administration about the political and economic perils of early credit programs. Not once has any Bush official attempted to rebut their arguments.
However, EEI and its member companies spend millions of dollars on campaign contributions, and in politics, money talks. Unless conservatives on Capitol Hill quickly weigh in, Lieberman, Pew, and Environmental Defense may achieve under Bush-Cheney what they could not under Clinton-Gore.
So is there more to this guy than we are seeing on the news?

Advocates promoting action to curb climate change are accused of promoting energy poverty and energy suppression


At the risk of soudning like a broket record, if you haven't checked out the website, Exxon Secrets, it is definitely worth your time to investigate the website. I've been having fun listening to "spokespeople" on the news make their claims about this and that piece of news. Then I go to the website and check out more of the unknown facts about that person, who is paying their bills and the political positions of those organizations. It's interesting to see the connections. You can also find out who the largest donors are to these organizations.

For example: I found out that the American Enterprise Institute gets lots of money from Exxon. So does the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
They use word like "energy poverty", "energy suppression", “anti-growth”, “anti-American” when they describe the environmentalism’s agenda. They promote the idea that government intervention of any sort will be bad for the economy. I don’t know about you but I’m wondering how someone who makes $26,000 dollars an hour (the CEO of Exxon) can even begin to understand the average person’s needs.

It’s too bad that we can’t get the two opposing views to sit down and have a real conversation.

American Enterprise Institute says environmentalists are "ANTI-AMERICAN"

Here is a quote from their website, "As Greenpeace has been trying to reinvigorate its radical environmental agenda, and it has been willing to distort the facts in order to send an anti-American, anti-capitalist message."

So let me see if I have this rationale of the American Enterprise Institute correct: destroy the environment equals pro-capitalist, pro-American and pro-patriotic vs. trying to live in harmony with the environment and develop sustainable practices is anti-capitalist, un-American and un-patriotic. And these people are major contributors to the current Republican regime….

Saturday, July 15, 2006

What the Competitive Enterprise Institute Whats You to Believe About Global Warming

To sum it up: They want you to believe it's a hoax and that only quacks believe it. And they are willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars they have received from the oil-industrial-complex to confuse you with "disinformation."

What's at stake? Oil profits. Did you know that Exxon's CEO makes roughly $26,000 an hour? Global demand for oil is up; oil exploration can't keep up with the demand. Consumers want alternatives to oil and Al Gore refuses to pander to the oil industry. CO2 in large quantities is harmful and major contributors to the excess CO2 are fossil fuels. So the
CEI with a huge infusion of cash from the big oil giants does the industry's biddings. They buy off reporters, scientist, and other experts off to spread their "disinformation propaganda" and try to confuse the consumer. Manufactured consumer confusion is "good for bizzness", keeps the public eye off of their backs.

Let’s hope that the public wises up and keeps their eye on the ball. It’s time for new sources of energy!

Exxon Secrets--Follow the Money

What a powerful website!

Secret Money goes after Gore and tries to discredit him

GW or King George is rebuked-Sweet

Thank you Leonard Pitts for this wonderful editorial on King Geogre II.

Thomas Friedman Educates Me About Middle East

In my last post, I criticized Israel for over reacting when two of their soldiers were kidnapped. Thomas Friedman's editorial in the Orlando Sentinel today titled: "The Kidnapping of Democracy” gives me a broader perspective. He points out the reason why this war we are watching on TV is happening and explains the underlying reasons for war. He writes, “This is not a conflict about Palestinian or Lebanese prisoners in Israel. This is a power struggle within Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq over who will call the shots in their newly elected “democratic’’ governments and whether they will be real democracies.”

OK, OK, I didn't have all of the facts when I formed my opinion.

The bottom line in his editorial is this:
The radical groups who were “democratically elected” continue to behave as though they are street gangs and are being funded by Syria. Syria and Iran do not want democracy to flourish or modernism to take hold. These groups intimidate anyone who speaks out against them, or kill them. They hold a timid majority hostage. These groups fail to govern, and are using their offices as an excuse to spread fear and terror.

Here is a quote:
"But the roots of democracy are so shallow in these places and the moderate majorities so weak and intimidated that we are getting the worst of all worlds. We are getting Islamist parties who are elected to power, but who insist on maintaining their own private militias and refuse to assume all the responsibilities of a sovereign government. They refuse to let their governments have control over all weapons. They refuse to be accountable to international law (the Lebanese-Israeli border was ratified by the U.N.), and they refuse to submit to the principle that one party in the cabinet cannot drag a whole country into war."

In summary: The fight is not about two soldiers but about whether governments or street gangs funded by extremists will rule.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Israel Doesn't Want Peace

All of this bombing and killing because two soliders were kidnapped? I agree with Syria's ambassador on CNN tongiht who said, "This administration (GW Bush) lets Israel do ANYTHING IT WANTS TO DO and doesn't say a word about it. But Hesbolah does one thing wrong and Israel can act irresponsibly and its OK!" I actually agree with Condoleezza Rice for once. Israel should use contraint. Too bad she didn't say that weeks ago. This two solider rampage is just an excuse to kill Hesbolah.

Health Industrial Complex are Fat Cats

One out of every six citizens in the US do not have health insurance in the United States.

Many who do have insurance have such huge medical debts from a major medical condition that they have had to file bankruptcy according to a Public Watch Dog pulication called, The Lowdown.

The United States Healthcare system is ranked number 37 in the world. A total of 16% of the economy goes to the Health Industrial Complex.

Americans pay an average of $6,200 per citizen for health care each year. Other industrial countries pay an average of $2,300.

CEO's earn on average $28,000 an hour.

Did Israel Over React Just a Tad?

Headlines read: Israel launches offensives in Gaza and Lebanon over the capture of Israeli soldiers. Excuse me, but that was so uncalled for. Can you imagine if the United States went to war because of "one solider"? Don't you think that maybe they over reacted just a little bit? Ever heard of "diplomacy"? Giving an ultimatum and then driving a TANK through the neighborhood to make a point is supposed to accomplish what? This whole affair was so unnecessary in my humble opinion. I don't get the impression either side really wants peace.