"It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness." Know one is sure who coined this catchy phrase, but it sure resonates with me today.
I just heard today that a federal judge has stopped a 1200 megawatt coal fired power plant in Georgia. 1200 megawatts is a big plant. That would place it in the top ten in the US if my research is correct. The plant was stopped because the judge said they had not done enough research into alternate methods of removing CO2 (carbon dioxide). Note, that she did not say it was not a clean burning plant or that it did not meet all federal and state guide lines. No, this was one person's decision. Not based on any fact of law or legal precedent, but merely one person's opinion. That's true power, to stop new plants by just saying, maybe there is a better way to clean the air. Maybe there is a better way, I sure hope so, but in the mean time we are about to hit the wall on energy producing capacity in this country.
We don't like nuclear, we don't like coal, and we don't like hydro. Wind turbines kill birds. Tidal current generators kill fish. We all know that oil is evil, but we do like solar as long as the huge solar collectors are in somebody else's back yard, and so far solar is not very efficient.
We do like to turn our food stocks into fuel, such as ethanol form corn. The only problem with that approach is now we can't afford to feed our cattle, and oh by the way, we can't produce enough corn to keep the lights on in Perrywinkle Tennessee, much less a major city. Oh yea, and did I mention that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than it provides. If Iowa were not an early primary state, nobody would consider ethanol from corn as a viable energy source. Politicians may not know how to get us over this energy crisis, but they sure know how to pander for a vote!
Obama says that drilling for oil in the US is not the answer - -it would take to long!
I have an idea, let's drill for oil, build power plants of all types if we have to. Lot's of them. We can do these things while we look for the magic elixir that we all seek. Or we can just stand and curse the darkness rather than have the pollution caused by lighting a single candle.
If God really does help those who helps themselves, then who is going to help us!
And that's all I've got to say about that.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
What Happend to Wooden boats
I know why boats aren't made of wood much anymore, it would be way to easy to set them on fire and get rid of them! Yes it is a boat rave. Hey it is spring so get over it and hear me out. The old joke is that the best 2 days in any boat owners life is when he gets his boat and when he can finally get rid of it. I have only had my boat 2 years and I have already grown to loath it. I swear it seems to smile at my pain.
I went to crank it a few weeks back and of course the battery was down. The battery of course is stored in a spot that is not reachable by the average guy - - OK may be by the average sized guy can, but that ain't me. I finally get it out and on the charger and begin the grueling process of trying to get it to charge. What, you don't know about this! Oh yea now we have smart chargers that won't charge if the battery is to far discharged - - WHAT! Yep, if the battery is totally discharged the battery charger won't even try to charge it. At any rate, after much coaxing and a 1/2 dozen restarts it finally takes a charge. Success at last.
So last weekend Barb and I are going to take a little boat ride. But first I must reinstall the battery in it's secret place. I can do this, after all I got it out didn't I. 3 hour later the battery was in and the boat was cranked. Unfortunately I was now way to hot and sweaty to go for a ride so we decided to wait until later in the afternoon. No problem, life is good.
At 4:00 we decided it was a good time to go for a ride. Barb by now had been wearing her sun block all day and had a decidedly Coppertone smell. The dog (Holly the terrorist) was following her and trying to lick her legs every time she stopped moving. Holly really likes Coppertone. At any rate we are in our bathing suits and ready to go. We haul all our stuff to the boat and board the proud vessel. Part of our "stuff" was the required cleaning supplies to remove the 68lbs of spider poop that was deposited on everything. After some minutes of poop cleaning, I declared that a little spider poop never hurt anyone, let's shove off. You guessed it the battery won't turn the motor over, not even a relay click. My first thought was to burn the damn boat. Barb pointed out that while I had hauled 10 gallons of gas ($40 worth) and filled up the tanks the boat was made of aluminum and probably would not burn. Curses foiled again!
And that my friend is what happened to all the wooden boats!
I went to crank it a few weeks back and of course the battery was down. The battery of course is stored in a spot that is not reachable by the average guy - - OK may be by the average sized guy can, but that ain't me. I finally get it out and on the charger and begin the grueling process of trying to get it to charge. What, you don't know about this! Oh yea now we have smart chargers that won't charge if the battery is to far discharged - - WHAT! Yep, if the battery is totally discharged the battery charger won't even try to charge it. At any rate, after much coaxing and a 1/2 dozen restarts it finally takes a charge. Success at last.
So last weekend Barb and I are going to take a little boat ride. But first I must reinstall the battery in it's secret place. I can do this, after all I got it out didn't I. 3 hour later the battery was in and the boat was cranked. Unfortunately I was now way to hot and sweaty to go for a ride so we decided to wait until later in the afternoon. No problem, life is good.
At 4:00 we decided it was a good time to go for a ride. Barb by now had been wearing her sun block all day and had a decidedly Coppertone smell. The dog (Holly the terrorist) was following her and trying to lick her legs every time she stopped moving. Holly really likes Coppertone. At any rate we are in our bathing suits and ready to go. We haul all our stuff to the boat and board the proud vessel. Part of our "stuff" was the required cleaning supplies to remove the 68lbs of spider poop that was deposited on everything. After some minutes of poop cleaning, I declared that a little spider poop never hurt anyone, let's shove off. You guessed it the battery won't turn the motor over, not even a relay click. My first thought was to burn the damn boat. Barb pointed out that while I had hauled 10 gallons of gas ($40 worth) and filled up the tanks the boat was made of aluminum and probably would not burn. Curses foiled again!
And that my friend is what happened to all the wooden boats!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A World of Causes
It is official now. We had long suspected it was the case, but now we have proof! The tide went out this morning along the Gulf coast. If this trend continues unchecked, all the worlds oceans will dry up in 7 years! What will we do? What - -it happens every day you say. You are trying to tell me that this is a natural cycle. How simple minded can you be, there were people there who saw it occur! Go ahead stick your head in the sand if you want, but just remember I told you in time to stop it. If man had only changed his ways, this catastrophe could have been avoided.
I heard on the way in this morning that the water level in Lake Victoria was falling. The "journalist" went on to say that if this trend continues unabated that Lake Victoria would be completely dry in 30 years. Must be that Global warming thing again. The only problem is that the water level in the lake has fluctuated for years thousands of years - -even after "we fixed it" in 1954 with a big dam.
If I had any hair, I would pull it out!
I know the world is warmer. What I don't know is why, or for how long. I also don't know why Mars is getting warmer, but I know it is.
We love causes. I know I do. There is nothing better than a puppy in peril on TV to cause us to rise to the occasion, band together and move mountains to save it. Nothing wrong with that, I like puppies. I just think we should choose our causes with a little more thought.
As a matter of fact, once the "cause" has been declared (in the case of Global warming by non other than Al Gore) it is complete heresy to question it at all. For any scientist, it is a career ending move to even question whether it is man made or maybe something as simple as a solar cycle.
It speaks volumes to our arrogance as humans. Our assumption is that there is nothing "bigger" than us. If anything significant happens one way or the other, man must have caused it. Sharon Stone created an outcry in China recently when she suggested that the earth quake there was a result of "bad karma" because China mistreats Tibet. I bet Sean Penn agrees, maybe even Al Gore.
Maybe that whole bad karma thing is what caused global warming. No that would fly in the face of the undisputed science. We are doing it to ourselves. It is the whole carbon thing. We need to all rush out and buy carbon credits. Just so happens that Al Gore is part owner in a company that sells them, which makes it really convenient since we know they will be the real thing and not some Chinese knock off.
Now Mars on the other hand has got to be karma related to the whole treatment of Tibet thing. Nothing else makes sense scientifically!
By the way, next time you are in Africa please carry a bottle of water to pour in Lake Victoria - - just in case. You know if we all band together we could lick this thing. No tap water please. The best water comes from melting a glacier.
I heard on the way in this morning that the water level in Lake Victoria was falling. The "journalist" went on to say that if this trend continues unabated that Lake Victoria would be completely dry in 30 years. Must be that Global warming thing again. The only problem is that the water level in the lake has fluctuated for years thousands of years - -even after "we fixed it" in 1954 with a big dam.
If I had any hair, I would pull it out!
I know the world is warmer. What I don't know is why, or for how long. I also don't know why Mars is getting warmer, but I know it is.
We love causes. I know I do. There is nothing better than a puppy in peril on TV to cause us to rise to the occasion, band together and move mountains to save it. Nothing wrong with that, I like puppies. I just think we should choose our causes with a little more thought.
As a matter of fact, once the "cause" has been declared (in the case of Global warming by non other than Al Gore) it is complete heresy to question it at all. For any scientist, it is a career ending move to even question whether it is man made or maybe something as simple as a solar cycle.
It speaks volumes to our arrogance as humans. Our assumption is that there is nothing "bigger" than us. If anything significant happens one way or the other, man must have caused it. Sharon Stone created an outcry in China recently when she suggested that the earth quake there was a result of "bad karma" because China mistreats Tibet. I bet Sean Penn agrees, maybe even Al Gore.
Maybe that whole bad karma thing is what caused global warming. No that would fly in the face of the undisputed science. We are doing it to ourselves. It is the whole carbon thing. We need to all rush out and buy carbon credits. Just so happens that Al Gore is part owner in a company that sells them, which makes it really convenient since we know they will be the real thing and not some Chinese knock off.
Now Mars on the other hand has got to be karma related to the whole treatment of Tibet thing. Nothing else makes sense scientifically!
By the way, next time you are in Africa please carry a bottle of water to pour in Lake Victoria - - just in case. You know if we all band together we could lick this thing. No tap water please. The best water comes from melting a glacier.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Passing of a pet
My friend Rick, recently had the grim task of consoling his young son Jordan, who was coming to grips with the loss of a pet. Jordan and his sister found a lizard in the back yard last week, and like good youngsters everywhere they adopted it. Jordan soon realized a lesson that many of us don't learn until we are much older. That lesson is that if you love something, you must often set it free no matter how much you want to keep it. With watery eyes, Jordan set his new pet free after a couple of days.
That might have been the end of the adventure, but I am sad to say for Jordan that it was not. He was on the lookout for his little pet and sure enough, a couple of days later he found him again. Jordan once again took the little critter into his care. As an adult it occurs to me that any lizard that allows itself to be caught twice, might not be in the best of health. Mr. Lizard I guess was not as he soon died.
Jordan wanted to have an official burial. His dad agreed to this, but was soon left with a problem as Jordan had decided that only a metal coffin would do. As the lizard was doing what dead things do, Rick went looking for a suitable container. I provided an Altoids box, painted for the occasion, and the funeral was on. With many tears, Mr. Lizard was placed in his coffin, which by now had to be placed in a zip lock bag to protect the innocent. Services were planned. Graveside services will be held today at 4:30.
This story, or one like it, has been played out many times across our country this very day. It is how our children learn values and learn how to live as adults. Some fathers have always flushed the lizard down the toilet, while others have looked for the metal coffin. My concern is about the ratio. I am afraid today we have a lot more "flushers" than we had 25 or 30 years ago.
Were Norman Rockwell here today he would have been moved to paint this scene, and we would all have understood what it meant when we saw it in the "Saturday Evening Post". We would all have smiled and felt comfortable. The scene takes me back to a time when we all felt closer to each other. I really miss that time, but the ritual of Mr. Lizard's funeral gives me hope. We need a lot less flushers.
If you are not old enough to remember the "Saturday Evening Post" you have really missed something. It is not to late to enjoy Norman Rockwell however, and we should all do so lest we forget how life once was in our country - - at a simpler time.
That might have been the end of the adventure, but I am sad to say for Jordan that it was not. He was on the lookout for his little pet and sure enough, a couple of days later he found him again. Jordan once again took the little critter into his care. As an adult it occurs to me that any lizard that allows itself to be caught twice, might not be in the best of health. Mr. Lizard I guess was not as he soon died.
Jordan wanted to have an official burial. His dad agreed to this, but was soon left with a problem as Jordan had decided that only a metal coffin would do. As the lizard was doing what dead things do, Rick went looking for a suitable container. I provided an Altoids box, painted for the occasion, and the funeral was on. With many tears, Mr. Lizard was placed in his coffin, which by now had to be placed in a zip lock bag to protect the innocent. Services were planned. Graveside services will be held today at 4:30.
This story, or one like it, has been played out many times across our country this very day. It is how our children learn values and learn how to live as adults. Some fathers have always flushed the lizard down the toilet, while others have looked for the metal coffin. My concern is about the ratio. I am afraid today we have a lot more "flushers" than we had 25 or 30 years ago.
Were Norman Rockwell here today he would have been moved to paint this scene, and we would all have understood what it meant when we saw it in the "Saturday Evening Post". We would all have smiled and felt comfortable. The scene takes me back to a time when we all felt closer to each other. I really miss that time, but the ritual of Mr. Lizard's funeral gives me hope. We need a lot less flushers.
If you are not old enough to remember the "Saturday Evening Post" you have really missed something. It is not to late to enjoy Norman Rockwell however, and we should all do so lest we forget how life once was in our country - - at a simpler time.
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