Beautiful Sky

One of the things that I love is a beautiful sky.


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The Heart of the Matter: Paper Earthworks and Digital Tides

The Heart of the Matter: Paper Earthworks and Digital Tides

Very interestsing post on the future of print and digital books.

Thoroughly Disgusted With Our Political Parties

I've taken to saying, "The Republicans ruin the government and the Democrats can't govern." They both spend their time demonizing and pointing fingers, tactical maneuvering and planning to stay in power, not working together to govern the country. They talk a lot about bipartisan values and then do their best to destroy and possibility of it. Power is more important than our future to them.

I applaud President Obama's State of the Union Address, his efforts to get beyond the uncompromising and bullheaded and insulting dialogue in Washington but I fear his efforts will go nowhere.

There are more and more independent voters like me, disgusted with the lot of them.

Our country and its citizens don't seem to realize that we are heading for bankruptcy, and loss of power in the world, and a lessened standard of living for most of us if we don't get it together and stop the failures to govern. We will be the losers, all of us that aren't rich. Most Americans still seem to think we can throw our weight around the the world, have unlimited resources and military power and troops, but we don't have that, either. People don't want to see the truth and do something about it.

Can you imagine a parent so bullheaded that if his family were starving and he needed a whole loaf of bread would refuse half a loaf because it didn't fit his full specifications?

Or perhaps the family across the street might offer a whole loaf, but the starving family is so bullheaded they refuse it because it isn't the "right" kind of bread.

That seems to be the way our politicians are operating. If they don't get their way (or a big bribe in the legislation), they won't play, won't support anything, and would rather defeat everything.

History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives.
~Abba Eban

America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter, and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
~Abraham Lincoln

The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, 1 bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party. - John C. Calhoun, Speech, Feb. 13, 1835.

Women Pay More Than Men For The Same Products

"Why It Costs More to be a Woman," by MP Dunleavey, from MSN Money. This is an eye-opening and disgusting article about how women get ripped off by companies who charge them more than they charge men for the same products. Well worth reading. One more way women are discriminated against.

Clean Energy Centers Growing Worldwide, Not in U.S.

Clean Energy Centers Growing Worldwide, Not in U.S.

The US could be a leader in innovative new energy development and technology, resulting in new jobs and cleaner energy, but instead the USA is losing it's leadership and other countries are forging ahead. We will be the losers and end up purchasing the techology from other that we could have developed and sold. It's a shame. We ought to be in the forefront, especially as one of the primary users of energy. 

Click on the above title to read more about this.

Tapping cell phones | Spyware | Mobile Phones | Spy Software - WTHR |

Tapping cell phones | Spyware | Mobile Phones | Spy Software - WTHR |

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This is scary stuff. Protect yourself. Don't leave your phone lying around unattended, for one thing.

Overrated Optimism: The Peril of Positive Thinking

Overrated Optimism: The Peril of Positive Thinking

Like so many other psychological fads, overdoing positive thinking can lead to terrible results when we dump realism for unbridled optimism. this Barbara Ehrenreich piece is worth reading and thinking about.

As someone who was once accused of being negative on the job because I insisted on being realistic, I know how it feels to be pounced upon for looking at a situation with clear-eyed realism instead of unjustified enthusiasm.

Sometimes optimism and good cheer is wonderful; sometimes it's invaluable. And sometimes it's a trap.

For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore | MichaelMoore.com

For Those of You on Your Way to Church This Morning ...a note from Michael Moore | MichaelMoore.com

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Michael Moore's essay is well worth reading and pondering. It echoes thoughts I have had for a long time. I wonder often how some of our people can profess to be Christians, not just because of greed and selfishness, but because of the way they look down on those who have less. We should be ashamed.

Asteroid attack: Putting Earth's defences to the test - space - 23 September 2009 - New Scientist

Asteroid attack: Putting Earth's defences to the test - space - 23 September 2009 - New Scientist

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This article in New Scientist is mind-jarring. Until I saw Peter Garretson's (mentioned in this article as leading a Pentagon exercise to evaluate response capabilties) briefing a couple of years ago, I thought the possibility of an asteroid or large meteor striking earth and doing serious damage was primarily science fiction despite the fact that I had known about Meteor Crater in Arizona since I was a child.

There's not much use going around our daily lives panicked about the possibility of being wiped out by an asteroid collision, but we are foolish if we don't at least make what plans we can to minimize death, and look to the future for both notification of these "near earth objects" and what we might do to protect ourselves.

Asteroid Attack: Putting Earth's Defenses to the Test

It's not just science fiction. Excellent video that accompanies the article above.