SWEVA'S P-PATCH

Get Kevin's Law moving through Congress

2010-07-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

For those of you who aren't aware, here's the reader's digest version on Kevin's Law as it's currently stated in Wikipedia.

Kevin's Law was nicknamed in memory of two-year-old Kevin Kowalcyk of Colorado, who died in 2001 after eating a hamburger contaminated with E. coli O157:H7. It was formally known as the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act of 2003.

The bill was originally introduced by Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, as H.R. 3160, in the 109th Congress.^[3] ^[4] This bill never became law, as it was referred to committee but never reported on by committee nor voted on. Versions of the bill have been introduced in each subsequent Congress, but as of April 2010 have never been reported out of committee.

Kevin's Law would strengthen the U.S. government's ability to prevent contaminated meat and poultry from entering the food supply by:
- Requiring the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to identify the pathogens that threaten human health (e.g. Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes).
- Requiring the USDA to establish performance standards to reduce the presence of these pathogens in meat and poultry.
- Confirming that the USDA has the authority to enforce its own standards by shutting down plants that continually breach basic health standards. Courts have held that the USDA does not have this authority in the absence of explicit authorizing legislation.

Corporate meat processors have lobbied against Kevin's Law, arguing that it would increase the cost of food and is unnecessary.

That last part is complete b.s. of course, when we're talking about human lives and what most of the general public consumes on a daily basis. The issue of e-coli in our food is an alarming one, cases seem to be increasing with consistency in the news, and much of the corporate food industry tries to mask it with stuff like ammonia filler in hamburger meat to kill the bacteria.

...and you wonder why friends you might know (yours truly included) are starting to go fully organic and vegan. There doesn't seem to be much left in the world in the way of food to eat that isn't polluted with a potpourri of horrible crap.

It comes as no surprise that companies like Monsanto (the uber evil Death Star of the food industry, you'd be amazed at some of the twisted stuff they do...bad, bad, bad...more on them another time) don't want this bill to pass.

This issue of Kevin's Law doesn't seem to be very well known by the general public, and definitely represents an uphill battle to become law. With many of these issues intentionally hidden from the public, and with the corporate food industry being as big as it is lobbying Capitol Hill, it seems like a seismic shift with public opinion and food-eating habits would be the only way to start bringing attention to the issue.

Here's a link to more information about Kevin's Law for those who are interested. More on this issue and the massive tentacles of its effects later. Kevin's Law is merely a symptom of a massively larger problem with the food industry, and the health of Americans, that weighs in on questions about societal issues like birth defects and possibly even the emerging pattern we've seen with things like autism and ADD.

It goes without saying that you can't put a price on your health.

Oh that looks yummy!

2010-06-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Yum yum...when can I get myself a mouthful of this?

Thanks BP

2010-05-25T01:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you BP, for the wonderful decimated shoreline our children will inherit along the Louisiana coastline. Thanks for propelling our messed up environmental future into our faces...I'll drink an oil slick milkshake in your honor, Daniel Day Lewis style.

Environmental Heresy in the Gulf

2010-05-09T18:49:00.000-07:00

Here it is, America. The path you put yourself on, which resulted in nothing but a polluted, oily, messy future.

Our most vital marshes and wetlands on the Gulf Coast are being destroyed right in front of our eyes...by the greedy subhumans who are (or are part of) Big SpOil.

I hope BP gets sued by EVERYONE on the Gulf Coast. Sue the oily swine out of existence.

We desperately need to get a grip on our energy future, and real quick. We need to determine whether the future of America is going to go green in earnest, or continue on a path that sets itself up for calamities like this.

May our children, grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren find it in their hearts to forgive us.

Meanwhile, God help us.

THE POCKET PISSER: Repent Benedict XVI!!! You and your subhuman swine will be held accountable

2010-04-05T23:30:00.000-07:00

Hey, it's the day after Easter! Today's a perfect day to piss in the pocket of a pontiff. Forgive me if my aim is off this time and I hit an ear or nostril...you know how it is...some days are on target, and some days I'm just not so accurate.

Interestingly enough, my days of bad aim tend to involve folks who are in need of a little extra of the yellow juice...so let's get on with our pocket pisser of the day.

It's hard to know where do I start with this one. First off, the ongoing arrogance and audacity of the catholic church never ceases to amaze me...not that such a realization should be of surprise to anyone who sees outside the veil and vortex of catholicism and has an iota of capacity to think for themselves.

Apparently feelings among church officials have been hurt with respect to the timing of YET MORE accounts of sexual abuse of altar boys.

Gosh my dearest pope, cardinals, and priests - I'm so sorry your holy week and Easter parade was rained upon with this news.

The reaction of the catholic church, and its lack of sensitivity to these latest accounts -- part of an ongoing nightmare for many coming out with their stories for the first time -- literally nauseates me.

Nevertheless, I got one little question here.

Why isn't more being done to expose these predators who were part of the church? Why aren't arrests being made? Seriously, WHY? For those who did the acts, were accomplices, aided, or abetted, explain to me what makes them immune to arrest?

Here's an excellent article by Roland Martin of CNN on the matter.

If this involved Protestants, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, or another religion, there would be arrests, right? So what makes the the catholic church so special, besides its glorious history of hypocrisy, ruling by fear, and persecuting other religions? Oh, and I guess you can add hundreds, if not thousands of accounts of altar boy molestation and sodomy to that list...and those are only the incidents we know about. Sadly, common wisdom would point to acts happening for hundreds of years.

Consider me the latest heretic. I'm sick and tired of seeing these soulless cowards and subhuman swine who pose as false heroes and men of God (give me a break) get away with these acts.

EXPOSE & ARREST!!!

We're beyond damage control and trying to repair credibility. I hope the whole goddam f'n church implodes in on itself and goes up in flames. Rest assured that I'll be doing a victory dance and cooking smores at the weenie roast...with a bottle of the blood of Christ in the other hand...then I'll piss in the pontiff's pocket...that is, if I can find one through the assortment of robes and gold chains.

Copenhagen Summit results: what REALLY happened

2010-02-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

This is a fascinating account of the Copenhagen Summit from Thom Yorke's blog...it's based on his attendance there last December. When you get to his blog scroll down a bit to start at the post where he enters the summit.

For those of you who don't know who Thom Yorke is, he's the lead singer /songwriter of the Britain-based rock band Radiohead (the fella on the right in the photo), and an ardent environmental activist.

I believe, technically speaking, he actually "snuck" into the conference with a press pass he got from a friend (maybe the guy posing in the photo with him?) I don't know.

Rest assured, he had no good news to report...it sounds like it was an apathetic waste of time and that very little -- if anything -- got accomplished.

Still, kudos to Thom for getting his butt into the thing so he could relay a real and unfiltered report on what REALLY happened to the rest of us! I'm sure he'll have a place in the Environmental Hall of Fame, but until I put that list together we'll just refer to him as a hero.

Obama Administration needs to put HSR on the fast track (pun intended)

2010-01-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today, at a stop in Tampa with the Veep (and experienced rail rider) Joe Biden, President Barack Obama spoke to the opening of construction of a high speed rail (HSR) line between Tampa and Orlando, Florida.

The project is being funded by stimulus dollars and will be the beginning, hopefully, of America's successful launch into the world of HSR.

It's a project that has been welcomed and highly anticipated. The United States has fallen behind Europe and Asia in this area of advanced transportation systems. We currently still rely on the use of the old cargo-accommodating rail lines and infrastructure for our passenger trains. Because of the worn mess of infrastructure and current system we have in place, train riding is usually seen as a secondary and often the least desirable option. It's slow, clunky, and ridden with delays.

This would all end with HSR. A new infrastructure would be built to specifically accommodate this new passenger service. Other corridors besides the one in Florida spoken about today have been identified...corridors between Seattle and Portland...Los Angeles and San Francisco...Chicago and Milwaukee...and on the east coast. The site Planetizen provides more information on this.

Let's hope that we see the ball rolling fast on these systems so the public can get a taste, and experience the benefits, of a modern and efficient system.

Sweva the Poet: My Forrest Gump moment

2009-10-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

I have a most unique and bizarre story to share with all of you about the evening of Thursday, October 8.

It doesn't involve mass transit, the environment, or anything in that regard...it involves my being suddenly thrust into the spotlight at Seattle's Richard Hugo House answering questions about a subject I'm least familiar with: poetry.

The questions weren't easy ones either...enough to stump even the most ardent reader and English major...but the pressure didn't end there.

The thing is that it doesn't just involve a spotlight, but a spotlight in front of 60 live in-the-flesh poetry experts and poetry writers...AND a live camera rolling...AND a recording podcast.

I can't think of a more bizarre situation to find myself in...and the kicker? I didn't even know the damn thing was happening in the first place -- I simply stumbled into it.

I'm still figuring out how to spin the story, and it needs some conceptual development. Check back if you can at the end of the weekend, like the evening of October 11. I should have something up then.

Seattle's light rail debut glows while the irony of tragedy occurs in S.F.

2009-07-18T18:05:00.000-07:00

What a day...light rail opened today in Seattle to applause, rave reviews, and much fanfare.

Unfortunately San Francisco experienced the opposite, as two light rail trains collided in that city's system, injuring as many as 50 passengers.

...but I know what you're thinking...good news first, please...

Here's a link to some of the great happenings today in Seattle from Flickr. There's some video of a train arriving, lots of smiling faces, and LOTS of green Sounders FC jerseys...what looks like a happy, festive bunch!

Much of Seattle's history, and the perseverance of its citizens for a mass transit future, can be summed up in this article from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

On a sour note and in a bizarre case of irony, San Francisco's light rail system experienced a collision -- also today -- which injured as many as 50 passengers.

Light rail FINALLY begins its run in Seattle

2009-07-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

After 120 years of failed efforts for a real regional mass transit system, with the last 40 years considering a bona-fide light rail system fraught with political bickering, recessions, budget mismanagement, and seemingly any other sort of unforeseeable delay, it's finally arrived to Seattle.

Light rail makes its debut to the Seattle public this Saturday, July 18.

The system stretches from Westlake Center in downtown Seattle south to Tukwila (see below)...and in December a 1.7 mile segment will open up so passengers will be able to reach Sea-Tac Airport. What opens this year is the initial segment of a larger system that's funded for linking Lynnwood, Federal Way and Bellevue by 2023, with the long-range plan of linking Everett, Tacoma, Redmond, and possibly more areas beyond that.

Moreover, this eventual regional system will work with a current South Lake Union Streetcar...or Trolley (also lovingly referred to as the SLUT...as in "I'm gonna ride that SLUT twice a day, everyday..."), part of a developing Seattle streetcar network (also rail-based) to serve individual local neighborhoods.

The arrival of what is expected to be the new crown jewel of the Seattle transit system looks shiny and new, and will serve as a reliable spinal cord of transport as it winds its way through tunnels, streets, and elevated platforms throughout the city. Tens of thousands of riders are expected to use it every day.

What is hidden to those riders, and probably largely ignored (and I don't blame them), are the 40 years of political battles, indecision between light rail vs. monorail, and mismanaged transit projects in what turned out to be what seemed like an impossibly long wait for a light rail system that screamed common sense.

...but, of course, since that made sense; that would have been too easy...so here the story goes, from the back deck of the house I grew up in on the outskirts of the big city.

When I grew up in the Seattle in the 1970s and 80s, the idea of even considering a light rail system was merely a joke. The objections to the notion were many... it's unnecessarily expensive... we lack a dense urban core... the town was too small... what, are we Manhattan now? The focus was people in their cars and renovation of the I-90 bridge, one of the largest and most protracted national freeway projects in history...a project that spanned three decades.

Of course, as Seattlites turned a blind eye to the idea of light rail, their LESS POPULATED neighbor Portland 150 miles to the south already had one in the works.

The "floating bridge" has been both Seattle's highlight and curse. Floating bridges, floating bridge renovations, sunken floating bridges from November storms (occurring twice), then MORE floating bridge renovations, damned the Seattle native's psyche in my opinion and took the focus away from more important issues that were stalling.

The I-90 renovation turned out to be the focal point of the region for years, and not even close enough to addressing traffic issues...it only got worse. As the 90s emerged, and Seattle's traffic became some of the worst in the country, the light rail joke soon turned into horror that we didn't have such a system in place to save us...a system that went to the polls in both 1968 and the early 1970s, but failed.

Then, in the 1990s, voters started to smarten up and adopted a larger vision of Seattle's future...it became apparent that if you didn't pay for something (via tax package or bond issue...oh, and don't mismanage it please), Seattle's operating civilization and transportation systems would implode, literally...not to mention that everyone from California started to move into the region in the late 1980s, spinning growth out of control.

Uncontrollable urban growth, and horrific urban planning debacles like downtown Issaquah were finally managed statewide with the advent of the Growth Management Act in 1990. It became understood that light rail voted in phases in the mid to late 90s was a necessary component of a larger picture of infill development, community-based efforts to curb urban sprawl, concurrency with infrastructure, traffic management, and the effort to save the environment.

You can read more about the protracted history of establishing light rail in Seattle here. Now back to the light rail line, and the fun stuff.

This new light rail system is possibly the most complicated one in the entire United States. Perhaps the most interesting component of this system is how it interacts with a regional bus system that's already in place and cutting-edge with the use of hybrid busses.

When the light rail hits downtown Seattle's tunnel system, which was originally built 20 years ago, it turns into an interesting shared situation with busses...an article from the Seattle Times describes that whole thing:

When light-rail service begins July 18, the trains will take turns with buses inside the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel.

Two-car trains began test runs there Wednesday, at the same time King County Metro Transit buses carried regular passengers. That milestone makes it the only joint bus-rail tunnel in the United States, except for one in Pittsburgh that doesn't have stations.

Transit staff face a challenge to keep all that traffic flowing.

Already, an average 1,080 buses and 54,800 riders come and go daily in the 1.3-mile tunnel. Now, add a train every 7 ½ minutes to the 55 or so buses that arrive in a peak hour.

Signals warn a bus driver not to approach a station platform until the train ahead has departed. Between trains, buses will often enter close together, like a caravan.

"You can have up to six buses on the platform at the same time," said Keith Sherry, a rail operations chief.

Managers predict some backups — when a train forces buses to pause, or when someone in a wheelchair boards a bus — but say the flow should smooth out within minutes. Still, Metro is adding time to the schedule, so a bus that used to take eight minutes to travel the length of the tunnel is now expected to need nine minutes at peak times.

Buses and trains both will stop at the International District station as well as the three beneath downtown — Pioneer Square, University Street and Westlake Center. Buses also stop at Convention Place.

The tunnel gates, which now are rolled shut at 7 p.m., will stay open late. Some light-rail fans think it will be safer and more pleasant to be in the tunnel than on the street, especially at night. That alone could attract new riders, they hope.

"People will take light rail to a sports event, they'll take light rail to concerts and plays, they'll take light rail to Seattle Center with their kids. They won't have to wait at some dark bus stop downtown," said Julia Patterson, a transit-board member from SeaTac.

Before opening in 1990, the $460 million tunnel was envisioned to serve rail someday. Tracks were even laid but were inadequately insulated and were replaced in an $87 million retrofit from 2005-2007. Contractors also lowered the concrete roadway to make boarding platforms level with newer trains and buses.

In case of a sudden shutdown — as happened last week when an alarm tripped by mistake — trains could still operate from Tukwila to the station near Safeco and Qwest fields using a switch south of the tunnel.

The tunnel remains part of the downtown free-ride zone for buses, but train passengers must pay at least the $1.75 adult base fare, even for short hops.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com

CALL TO ACTION - Obama should look at MagLev for America's HSR future

2009-06-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Part of the Obama stimulus package involves several billions of dollars dedicated to HSR, otherwise known as High Speed Rail, which travels more than 110 mph.

While that would be a wonderful improvement, the rest of the world may soon be advancing even beyond their rail wheel HSR reality. There's something new in the works.

It's called MagLev...meaning Magnetic Levitation...and prototypes have already been built in Europe and Japan. It's a train that floats on a magnetic field, and can go nearly as fast as a jet airplane.

Why not look into MagLev as a viable HSR option? It's at least THREE TIMES as fast as current HSR operating in Japan and Europe, and would help unclog our highways and airports.

Plus, there's no moving parts on the train...IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE AN ENGINE. The propulsion system is all in the track and its electronics. The magnetic field in the track essentially "pulls" the train along the track.

That being said, it's more energy efficient, with zero emissions. It has less impact on the landscape, and can work with current transportation corridors, such as our freeway system, to get through the more remote mountain passes, etc...not to mention the opportunity we have that our Japanese and European bretheren don't.

We can start fresh and build it from the ground up, and it will give us a viable transportation option for generations to come...AND, in terms of the trains themselves, the maintenance costs are totally at a minimum, as there are no moving parts...and isn't that something all Americans love? MINIMUM MAINTENANCE COSTS? Helloooooo, politicians!!!

So, IMO the ends justify the means.

If we're REALLY going to go green, why not bypass the rail wheel phase and simply jump into the wave of the future? Then we could really lead the pack and set a new standard.

Here's a video that explains what the MagLev train is all about.

The Worst Education Professional Ever - Part 1

2009-06-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the last couple of years, following a mini-reunion in 2007, I've had conversations with several classmates from my middle school days (it was called junior high back then)...and since my last day of junior high occurred 25 years ago this month, this is as appropriate a time as any to reflect.

When these conversations occur, many stories bubble to the surface...updates on how other former classmates are doing...running into so-and-so recently, and what they're up to...musings on this and that...reflection on those times 25 years after the fact.

In these conversations, old teachers are brought up too. The good...the bad...and the ugly. After 25 years of retrospect, as adults many of us have established a hierarchy in our minds of where the good ones fit in, and we understand why they were good. Their influences are appreciated and in many cases set an example for us to this day.

In most cases the bad, "not so good," or "challenged" teachers are given the benefit of the doubt...it's easy to see, in all fairness, that either they weren't cut out for teaching, and while they may have done some things that they'd get fired for these days, they meant well and were performing to the best of their ability.

Some had bad tempers. For example, there was the one home room teacher who would snap on students and pick them up in their desks...and turn them upside down to dump the student onto the floor...or throw the student across the room in their desk. Sounds harsh? It was...and I even had the privilege of being dumped out of my desk once...but I realize I was probably being difficult, and hold no grudge whatsoever against this teacher. When this man was level-headed, he was reasonable...and fair...and didn't pick favorites...or if he did, he didn't make it obvious.

Then, in these conversations, all roads of discussion seem to lead to a particular P.E. teacher, who we'll refer to as Mr. B. This is where things get REALLY interesting.

Even 25 years after the fact, this teacher represents a point of differing opinions amongst former classmates, and the reason is very simple. Mr. B, who had power and influence over boys and girls in their most critical years of development, played favorites...BIG TIME...and not only did he play favorites, but he bullied those who weren't athletic, focused on using their intellect rather than their brawn, or ~ as I witnessed on occasion ~ called him on his shit.

Mr. B tried to propel his small-time career as a P.E. teacher and coach on the backs of student athletes, and in the process broke the fragile confidence of countless others. He dialed into, and gave only a damn, about the students who could serve his agenda. Everyone else was simply in his way, and you had better stay clear.

God help you if you had no athletic skill...because there was ZERO tolerance if you lacked such abilities. If you tried to stay low and blend in, he'd still find you and expose your weakness. In my case, I was athletic but not at "jock" status (there were several incredible athletes at the school who peaked early), so I was able to blend in the middle somewhere.

Even so, Mr. B still decided that I didn't fit into his larger agenda, and let me know about it...but I knew that anyway, and after some time (and conversation with my folks) decided that I really didn't care what the guy thought, and understood the coward that he was. What's so fascinating about this is that I don't recall doing anything to bring attention to myself with respect to this guy...I pretty much read early on that he was shady, and steered clear. However P.E. in the 7th, 8th, and 9th grade junior high system at the time was mandatory, so sooner or later your path was going to cross with an undesirable teacher such as this guy.

My situation has nothing to do with this post...in this case, I'm simply an observer. I wasn't really affected...but other boys got it far, far worse than me.

I'm here to tell their stories.

...to be continued...

The Trail of Tears: should the U.S. Gov't start a program of returning ALL tribal homelands?

2009-05-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

History provides some harsh lessons that are unacceptable even to this day.

...such as the story of the eradication of the Cherokee and the Five Civilized Tribes from their homelands in what was to become the deep south, to that of modern-day Oklahoma.

History has its harsh moments...and Native American history, in particular, has too many to count.

In addition to slavery, the treatment of Native Americans and the atrocities committed by settlers and the U.S. Government to this very day ~ issues that will eclipse four centuries when we celebrate the 400th Thanksgiving in 2022 ~ are utterly despicable and beyond shameful.

As Americans ~ Native, black, white, Latino, Asian, Middle Eastern or otherwise ~ WE ARE A POORER COUNTRY FOR WHAT WE DID TO OUR TRIBES.

Any way you slice it, the ancestors in the U.S. Government who called the shots on the destiny of tribal America were too drunk with power and greed to do the right thing; to have the vision to care about cultivating a culturally rich and harmonious tapestry of cohabitation and fairly negotiated sharing of the land rights pie between Native Americans and white America.

It's a far cry from the makeup of the United States we should have inherited.

Some of you out there may have heard of the "Trail of Tears."

This is the question that nobody seems to be able to answer: what exactly gave the United States the right, and entitlement, to remove these tribes from their homelands?

...and more importantly, what is the U.S. Government obligated to do to restore homeland rights to these tribes?

Anyone?

Tricky answer, huh? ...makes you squirm in your chair a bit there, huh?

Yes it does indeed...and you BETTER fucking squirm. That's THE LEAST you can do, is ponder the question.

The truth is that the relocation of the Five Civilized Tribes was never going to happen.

That is, until Andrew Jackson became President in 1829, when he made the removal of the tribes from their homeland his first order of business upon entering office. Those efforts resulted in the Indian Removal Act of 1830...which was passed in the Senate, but then determined to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court.

Then Jackson did something that no other President in U.S. history has ever managed to pull off.

HE DEFIED THE DECISION OF THE U.S. SUPREME COURT.

Yep, he went ahead with his plans to remove the tribes anyway...which led to the Trail of Tears, which was akin to ethnic cleansing.

Why Jackson appears on the $20 bill is anyone's guess...we should burn one of those reserve notes everytime it passes through our hands, or at least remove the asshole from the bill altogether. More on that issue another time.

What remains of a Cherokee and Five Civilized Nations homeland is now in modern-day NE Oklahoma.

For me, this is a tough history pill to swallow...and while I'm not Native American, I am working from some extensive personal experience with tribal matters.

However, I can't begin to imagine how descendants of those tribal folks involved in those atrocities and accounts of ethnic cleansing feel...or Native American folks in general, as everything is connected in the Indian World.

Maybe the U.S. Government should try asking them...and doing a bit more than simply apologizing and relegating them to the consolation prize of reservation lands.

Just a thought.

I have a few ideas on how such issues might be resolved in a peaceable, fair, and equitable manner...through some sort of negotiated and gradual land swap program spanning literally decades. Part of this involves the American government, State governments, and the American people redefining, in part, the concept of what land ownership is.

More on that another time.

The point of this post was to beg the question.

A visit to this website, History of the Cherokee, provides more information.

A World that Needs REAL Heroes

2009-04-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

They're everywhere around us...and most of them never get the recognition they deserve.

More often than not their deeds and actions are overlooked altogether. In other instances, their fates remain unknown due to the risks they take...such as Tank Man (left) from the 1989 protests in Tienanmen Square...and don't forget the tank driver who refused to run him over. He's a hero too.

For a very long time ~ for decades, essentially, in the latter 20th Century ~ society put heroes on pedestals that were attached to their feats on the playing field or in the movies.

In nearly every instance, the measure of heroes involved physical feats in the spotlight and statistical benchmarks rather than the feats of everyday bravery, smaller acts of humanity, and accounts of kindness that would go virtually unnoticed.

Then, on 9/11, everything changed and we were humbled.

We took a second look at the definition of a hero. Sadly, it involved the deaths of hundreds of brave and courageous NYC firefighters and police officers, in addition to innocent civilians, to reshape that focus.

I believe the message was delivered and taken seriously.

I think there's real signs that refocusing has held steady since September 2001...at least in my mind.

We celebrated Sully Sullenberger, the pilot who successfully and gracefully landed a crippled airplane into the Hudson River right before Obama's Inauguration Day.

Refusing to take the spotlight in the weeks following the crash, Sullenberger would ricochet all the attention and adulation directed at him into his copilots and crew, giving them all the credit. He praised the passengers for remeining calm and following protocol. He recognized the ferry boats that arrived as first responders. He expressed regret over injuries one of his crew members suffered and was quick in his effort to take responsibility...but WE weren't going to let him get away with that.

Through all of Sullenberger's humility, however, he was willing to cough up a small furball...recognizing what the actions of he and his crew, and the events surrounding the successful crash landing, meant to the rest of the country.

Sully is as wise as he is humble. He understands that the world is hungry ~ even desparate ~ for heroes. REAL heroes. People who face adversity and take action, no matter what the foreseeable cost...or it can take the form of simple acts of kindness.

In this last week, I've recognized and continue celebrating one of my personal heroes; Marvin Webster, a man whose professional basketball career shot like a star across the sky and whose life was sadly beset by unfair tragedy and ended way too early.

His acts of kindness, attention, and inspiration to me as a 9-year-old kid are what help to define him ~ not what he accomplished on the basketball court ~ although there was much to be said for his accomplishments in Seattle between 1977-78.

I realize I've been gushing about this fella all week, and I will continue to do so...so here it is again.

Thank you Marvin...again.

Then, just today, our beloved Navy Seals rescued Captain Phillips, who was the head of a cargo ship crew on its way to Kenya when Somali pirates took him hostage and held him for the better part of a week.

The only reason we were dealing with one captive was due to his selfless acts that allowed his sailors to go free and continue onward to Kenya while he stayed behind to try to negotiate his release.

These are some of the heroes we hear about, and they're the sorts that we need out there.

We need these individuals of great character and their stories to be known to us to inspire the hero in the rest of us.

More Footage of Marvin in Game 7 of 1978 NBA Finals, his last game as a Sonic

2009-04-11T12:55:00.001-07:00

Here's more footage of Marvin...if you go to the 45 second mark, you'll see his classic jump shot. While he was known more as a defensive player and shot blocker, when he turned up the heat he was unstoppable.

He led the Sonics with the most points in this Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and led the team in what became the franchise's first appearance in the championship series. What an amazing run.

Footage of Marvin in 1978 NBA Finals

2009-04-11T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's a vid that focuses on the Washington Bullets, but Marvin's all over the place...notably just before the 3 minute mark. The 1:50 mark also mentions Marvin's contributions, and after that it's interesting to see the Marlboro Man on top of the Seattle Center cube.

...and the music, dear God. Holy dated 70s porno music, Batman! Where's the first Dire Straits record when you need it?

A Personal Account of Marvin Webster, Always Remembered as a Hero

2009-04-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

I'm stunned and saddened. One of my all-time heroes has passed.

I just found out today that former Sonic Marvin Webster died this last Monday. You can find details here, and here's a second article that expands on his illnesses that most likely contributed to his early passing here. Here's another article from the Baltimore Sun, the newspaper of Marvin's hometown, but I'd advise you to read that after this post if you want to hear good news first.

This is really upsetting.

For those who kept track of the Lenny Wilkens-led Sonics teams of the 1970s, you will know who Marvin "The Human Eraser" Webster is. While the best year of his career was with Seattle (1977-78), it was short-lived and only for one season. Ironically, his departure to New York in 1978 brought power forward Lonnie Shelton to the Sonics, who won the NBA title that following year.

But that's a little history that only a few in the general public are barely aware of, at best.

It really hurts to read the insensitive AP headlines (not surprisingly) that describe how he was found "in a hotel bathtub." Sure, it's true, but it's not like this guy died in the manner of Kurt Cobain...he actually struggled with health issues for most of his life (Hep A and B, I believe), including during his time as a basketball player. He also struggled, appears, with some unimaginable heartache.

Those at the AP show us once again how they have no soul and are interested in selling only newspapers. They'll never understand that these stories involve real people with meaningful lives and admirers who respect them.

I have a different story to tell about Marvin...something a bit more personal. Marvin Webster's one of my all-time heroes and one of the few people in this life that I've ever looked up to.

Uh, literally. As an eight year old kid I looked up to him...and up...and up...as he stood tall at 7'1"...

...but his character stood much taller. In an industry peppered with attitudes, infidelity, and domestic troubles, he was THE diamond in the rough.

Needless to say, they don't make them like Marvin anymore.

Marvin Webster was one of the good guys, and the consummate teammate. Totally selfless and kind. He gave to people, on and off the court, without any expectation of receiving. Putting aside what he accomplished as a pro hoops player, he represented the best of what society has to offer in terms of his off-the-court selflessness and citizenry.

In 1977 my family moved from Oregon back to their native Seattle when Dad switched jobs...and it just so happens that Marvin Webster and his lovely wife were our next door neighbors. It was a difficult year of adjustment for me, as I'd left behind some buddies in Oregon I had built some connections and rapport with, even at the ages of seven and eight. I didn't have any siblings, so I had to go out and seek companionship.

When my Dad figured out who was next door, he introduced himself. The families warmed up to each other and started spending time together.

It's hard to describe what it was like having Marvin next door...the only way I can describe it was that IT WAS LIKE HAVING SUPERMAN NEXT DOOR, LITERALLY...with a uniform and all. Except this Superman didn't wear a cape and tights, he wore a MUCH cooler uniform...and proudly wore #40.

In my world, #40 belongs to Marvin...the way #42 belongs to Jackie Robinson and #3 belongs to the Babe.

We got to know the Websters; Marvin, Maderia, and Marvin Jr. while in utero (she carried him for most of her term in Seattle)...they were very approachable, gentle, and kind. Our two families spent time together and went out to dinner. It was a relaxed hang...nothing was ever forced. We were brought into the Sonics community and spent many days at basketball games sitting with the player's wives under one end of the court.

I developed a personal relationship with Marvin, and his presence served as a guiding light through the difficult adjustments I was making from being the new kid on the block. He wasn't a father yet, so he was able to spend some time and gave me attention. I even opened a Christmas gift from him; an illuminated tracing table is what I recall. I'd stop by their house and visit him on his off days, when he was usually lying diagnolly in their king-size bed resting watching television ~ because that's the only way his long frame would fit on it.

My most memorable moment with Marvin occurred once when he was hosting a Sonics gathering at his home, and my folks were over there as part of it. It's come to be known as the "cherry Coke incident."

During the gathering, which took place one evening, Marvin offered to come next door and check in on me. In an effort to replicate what was known at the time as a "Roy Roger" (not sure if they're called that anymore), I had decided that I was going to attempt to make a cherry coke by melting a cherry life saver in the microwave oven in a bowl...I figured it would melt and I could just pour the contents into a glass full of Coke, right?

Sure...there's the developed and imaginative brain of a kid who's just turning nine.

Needless to say, the experiment failed. The bowl cracked in the microwave just as Marvin came by to see what was going on.

Welcome to signs of fatherhood, Marvin!

He helped me clean up the mess, and I had to settle for a Coke without the cherry in it. My folk's stories have echoed that Marvin went back to the party and entered the room full of Sonics and partygoers, shaking his head. When he explained what had just happened next door, apparently everyone was in stitches and kid antics were one of the focal points of discussions the rest of the night.

The Cinderella story of that year, Marvin and his teammates came within one game of the NBA championship in 1978, when they lost at home in Game 7 to Washington's team, which was then called the Bullets.

Later that same year, we had a heartbreaking day when Marvin and his wife packed their things and left for New York. I remember it vividly; waving goodbye to my hero. I quickly learned one of the ugly sides of the sports business ~ that being traded and moving onto other teams is no fun for some of us ~ notably a young nine year old fan.

Ironically, the Sonics won the NBA Title the following year...but IMO Marvin deserved a ring as much as some of the other fellas, as his emergence the year before ~ along with the great coaching of Lenny ~ gave the team the confidence and momentum they carried all the way to the '79 title.

The Sonics teams from 1977-80 are mostly forgotten due to the emergence of Bird and Magic, and then Jordan, that came afterward.

Since 1979, the Sonics never won another title, though they came close in the 1990s during the Michael Jordan years and the Bulls' reign. The team has since relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.

Now Marvin Webster, one of my all-time heroes, has passed...and way too young at 56. How Marvin carried himself outside of the game, his great character, and the impact he had on other lives won't be forgotten...certainly not to this nine year old kid.

The ripple effect of his inspiration and kindness is what helped propel my own involvement as a basketball player. It's part of what inspired my father to coach hoops.

Marvin was a hero in every imaginable way someone can be a hero. He was quiet and humble. He spent time, cared for, and related to the little guy...the little kid next door...and that was only the beginning ~ didn't end there.

He showed up at birthday parties. He freely and gladly gave autographs to my friends. He checked on me as a babysitter would. We laughed together and were silly. I greeted him at the airport when he came back from a road trip, and then drove home with him. I hung out with him on off days. I sometimes wonder if it was real or just a dream.

That was my time with Superman.

The last time we spoke was when he came back into town when he was with the Knicks, 3-4 years later, when I was starting Junior High and entering my teens. He called the house and asked to speak with me on the phone...the conversation went something like this:

Me: "Hey Marvin."

Marvin: "Wow! Listen to you! You're starting to sound like a man!"

Me: (embarrassed) "Oh no, not really. How are things going with the Knicks?"

Marvin: "Well they could be better. It's been a tough season."

Me: "Yeah, it's tough for the team here too...not like the old days. I miss you."

Marvin: "I miss you too."

The conversation from there is spotty, but it continued for a little more.

I just wish I'd had the opportunity to speak with him again...I had thought of trying to reconnect with him online, but didn't know where to start. I wish I could have told him some of these things in person...and reading his comment at the very end of the article this post is linked to only breaks my heart even more.

I have a pair of old John Wooden special edition basketball shoes that he gave me as he was leaving for New York. I wore them for the first two seasons I played basketball...as a shot-blocking center in 4th and 5th grade.

Boy was he a cool fella. Marvin, you are remembered, and cross my mind every other day at the very least. Thank you. You'll be sorely missed.

Confounded by a bottle of Vitamin Water

2009-03-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

I suppose I'll need to apologize in advance for this post...as apparently I'm slow on the uptake.

I could really use some help here.

So I crack open a bottle of Vitamin Water this morning, the latest item of consumption in my rotating cornucopia of breakfast options.

As I'm drinking it, I notice the recycling label...you know, that triangular arrow thing? I always enjoy looking at the triangular arrow recycling logos...it seems to emit an "Oh yeah!" from me every time.

Next to the triangular arrow recycling logo on the bottle of Vitamin Water was a little text referring to said logo, and it stated this:

"30 may be the new 20, but green is definitely the new black. please recycle."

Huh?

Okay...other than being annoyed by the lack of capitalization (which seemed to be a consistent theme throughout the language on the bottle, WTF?), what is this "black" thing all about?

Again, I apologize for this.

Help me out here...I guess I have few points of reference to go by, at least anything that would be obvious to me...what does it mean when it refers to "black" like that? Black in a fashion sense, as in look-at-my-cool-chic-new-spendy-outfit-while-I-walk-around-Manhattan? Is it a Goth thing? ...or black as in a middle schooler "emo" sense? In a beat generation or Velvet Underground sense? What am I missing here? When was black ever it's own unique fad, besides the clothing folks wear to funerals and the day after the world ends when they lose an election?

OMG, I just saw another saying using black in that sense online just now! "Frugality is the new black." it said... Auuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!! I'm being attacked!

I want to believe that I didn't crawl out from under a rock this morning. I recall the fads of the 70s...I recall bell botton jeans...I recall synthesizers and neon being big in the 80s...and I recall purple and teal being big in the 90s...but black? No idea. All I can think of is when the Velvet Underground emerged in the late 60s and all of Lou Reed's schtick, and I believed their black clothing served as a counterpoint to the hippie movement at the time...or perhaps it's always been around, and always been cool? ...and what would you call that, "permachic?" Did I just invent a new word? Am I losing my mind?

So back to the issue at hand. When was black cool? ...and moreover, when was it cool enough to evoke enough status to make its way into pop culture sayings like that, to the effect that it appears on a bottle of Vitamin Water in the year 2009?

Can someone give me a literal explanation of this? Explain it to me like I'm a 2nd grader...and no, I cannot read between the lines.

Please help, it's issues central in the control room today.

Lincvolt Project update from 1/9/2009

2009-01-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

This is an update on Neil Young's continuing Lincvolt project, which I believe has been ongoing for a number of years now...you can get a better idea of it in the vid below.

It's also worth checking out some of the related videos on this project.

Lincvolt in action

2009-01-14T09:02:00.000-08:00

The Lincvolt Project explained

2009-01-14T08:43:00.000-08:00

The following is the first of a series of three You Tube videos about Neil Young's Lincvolt Project, filmed a few months back in September of 2008. It looks like he's taking time between dates in an ongoing tour to work on this.

It's a little bit exhaustive, but should serve as a good foundation to figuring out some of the mechanics of what the project involves. Auto techies should especially take note...this sounds like innovative stuff!

An Introduction to Neil Young's Lincvolt Project

2009-01-14T08:36:00.000-08:00

The following is a clip of Neil Young on the David Letterman Show talking about, among other things, mainly his project of taking a 1959 Lincoln Continental and converting it from a 10 MPG gas guzzling beast into a hybrid that runs efficient enough to get over 100 MPG.

It's a combination of using a new and experimental generator and blending of alternative fuels...really interesting stuff...we'll be keeping an eye on the progress of this! See below.

Ahhh, it's called the PENNY FARTHING!

2009-01-11T23:32:00.001-08:00

If you read the last post, I thought I was dealing with what was referred to as a grandfather bike.

Apparently they're officially called "penny farthings."

Mystery solved...as penny farthings are all over the internet.

There's a few current makers online who manufacture replicas of the bike, which had its heyday in the 1880s, it appears. You can get one for between $1-3K. Not cheap! The models are backed up with parts too, which is nice.

Apparently they're really hard to ride, and really bumpy. New riders spend much of their initial time not even riding the bike, but learning to mount it -- which is performed only with a running start, and some balance on a peg that's attached to the frame.

How about that? As if we needed to manufacture more situations to make us vulnerable to injury...why not try to mount a penny farthing?

That's what she said...kidding! Nevertheless, you'll probably die trying...literally.

One question remains. What's up with the weird design? Who invented this thing?

Maybe they thought of mounting horses and the wagon wheel, and took it from there...just a guess. I'm sure wikipedia might lend something to that, but I haven't looked yet.

I can see myself getting one of these. If I do, I'll have to bring out the top hat, put on the three piece suit with my pocket watch, and grow out a handlebar mustache.

Right? Uh, yeah...let's have a seance and contact Timothy Leary while we're at it.

The P-cubed Corner -- Grandfather bikes are NOWHERE to be found!

2009-01-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

First off, allow me to explain this...and no, I'm not in the middle of some opium-induced binge.

I've always been fascinated with the City Beautiful movement, which canvassed the period from the early 1890s (specifically the Chicago World's Fair) up to America's entry into World War I.

Blame part of it on my career as a city planner, although I found out more about its significance doing reading on my own than what was presented to me in college...or maybe I missed that day of class from drinking a keg of beer.

This was a period of time when the auto hadn't quite taken hold yet, and our nation was making great advances in train, early light rail, and street car technology. In terms of transportation policy in the States, it was a fork in the road, so to speak.

Ideas and invention flourished. We were still riding the momentum of the course Lincoln had set for us in the 1860s. The telephone had just been invented, and use of electricity was growing.

Style and dress wise, the period is also an assault on the senses. Images of three-piece suits, top hats, handlebar mustaches, and those funny-looking muscle guys in striped exercise outfits with those big round dumbells come to mind. The only recent pop culture reference I can think of to the dress of this period is perhaps a photo shoot on the back of a mid-90s (that is, 1990s) CD by the band Phish (of course, why not?).

It was also the era of the grandfather bicycle...however an online Google search revealed ABSOLUTELY NOTHING on this antique form of transportation. I found nothing on wikipedia either.

I'm totally fascinated by this, which makes the search for a grandfather bike even more intriguing. This item is totally turning out to be an enigma of sorts...but nothing online about it? Nothing?

Let me know if any of you find out or know of any resources available out there.

Don't refrigerate Nutella!

2009-01-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's what I said.

While I'd heard of it before, I didn't try it until I was in Italy a couple years back, when all the b&b's had it. As a breakfast or snack condiment, I'll start out by saying that NUTELLA F'N ROCKS! It's really, really tasty stuff.

For many of you chocolate lovers out there, you'll probably do back flips after tasting it for the first time. However, despite it's tasty flavor, it's a bit tempermental when it comes to storage.

It's one of the misconceptions of our time. If you put Nutella in the fridge, it will harden. Many American folks will probably run into this issue because:

They're new to Nutella. It's more commonly used in Europe.
Assuming they know to buy it (it's very tasty); if they do use it, they get it in the large quantity double pack at Costco.
The first instinct, once one uses it, is to think of it as something like a jam; thus, refrigeration must be required.
What's even more frustrating is that even when you don't refrigerate it, you pretty much need to use it rather quickly; otherwise it will slowly start to harden and crust up on you...and the lid will get this greasy consistency on it, which is probably from evaporation of the liquid inside, I guess?

So here's what to expect when you take Nutella out of the fridge, and procedures in how to deal with it.

When you take Nutella out after it's been in the fridge, it's hard. Really hard.
Put the spoon away, as you're gonna need a knife. A strong butter knife is preferred.
It will be like mining for limestone. You'll have to saw around the sides of the desired piece before trying to extract it.
It may fly out at you. When I dealt with the extraction part of the process, the Nutella wanted to launch itself into orbit.
Once you manage to get it on your bread, don't bother trying to spread it. You'll destroy whatever you just put it on...you now need your handy microwave.
Throw your specimen into the microwave for 30 seconds...don't go beyond that or you might risk "overcooking" the Nutella. You're just trying to soften it.
Hence, bubbling Nutella from microwave = bad. Softened Nutella from microwave = good.
NOW spread it with the knife.
Put the lid back on and secure it tightly.
Uh, maybe place the Nutella back in the cupboard this time.
Thank yourself...and thank you!!!

So there you are...have a Nutella of a day. Good night, and good luck.

The P-patch hits the century mark to end 2008!

2008-12-31T19:23:00.000-08:00

I really didn't plan it this way.

I logged on tonight to post for the last time in 2008, and saw that it was to be my 100th post. Interesting... It's especially interesting that all those landmarks are converging, as the intention of my post involves the question of "why?"

I'm asking myself this as I write this...why?

Why do I blog? Why do I risk putting unfiltered thoughts and other stuff out there in cyberspace, some of which pisses folks off, some of who I know? Why do I post all this crap? ...and most of all, through it all, why does it appear that I bring to this a take-all-prisoners approach?

Before I try to answer that question, I want to explore the definition of something...I want to define what I see as a PERSONAL ATTACK in my blogs.

To frame this question, let's review the landscape. I post to four (4) blogs: The Rant from Boulder, this one (the oldest of the 3 that I manage -- started political, turned somewhat environmental), The Different Stages Music Project (music stuff, gets the most readership of my 3 by a long shot), and The Joyful Left (my youngest puppy, my political dumping ground).

To begin with, most of what might be construed as an "attack" tends to only occur on The P-patch (this blog) and The Left...and as far as I can tell, all of my intentional personal attacks have been politically-based and aimed at public officials, such as Dubya and his junkyard dogs Cheney and Rove.

Oops, another personal attack. Wanna know how I really feel?

Here's a bit on how I feel. The way I see it, it's only a personal attack if I refer to someone by name. That being said, I have been known to post rants, including some recently, that have been interpreted as personal attacks. That's fine; I can't control how my material is interpreted. However, unless I referred to someone BY NAME (that is, USED THEIR ACTUAL NAME IN THE POST), then I'm confused as to how it can construed as a personal attack.

Help me understand this. Factually speaking; if I go on a rant in a post, and it involves a person who I leave vague by leaving out their name, then it could theoretically refer to anyone. Am I wrong?

Everyone carries baggage around, and I'm certainly no exception. Blogging is my brain dump and my therapy...it's a way that I have found that works very, very nicely for my "putting it out there" so that I can be set free of the frustrations in life. Rather than carrying it around town, I can harbor it all in a blog in cyberspace.

That might be something to think about next time you read one of my posts and feel like a rant or complaint I have is aimed at you...that is, even if you're not referred to by name and only interpreting the post as such...because, it really may not be aimed at you. It could be meant to be about someone else.

Understand that this is how I cope...this is like my journal of sorts, and to couch it differently than I intend, water it down, or simply not leave it out there would be doing everyone -- including my readers and myself -- a complete disservice. I MUST be honest about my feelings in my blogs, or it fails to serve the fundamental purpose for which it was intended.

I hope that adds some perspective. I walk around with good intentions, and try to believe that most others walking around out there also have good intentions.

I still love all of you...a happy and prosperous 2009 to everyone! Now let's go grab a beer before the New Year hits and we can't get a table at the local pub!

Holiday pet peeves

2008-12-29T11:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays, everyone...I hope all is going well with ze peeps out there.

The holidays are going well in the Sweva camp too...with plenty of family time. For some of us, the extensive family time during the holidays can be both a pleasure and a loathe all at once.

That being said, I'd like to make a list of a few pet peeves involving family over the holidays...some of these are from direct experience over the years, while others are merely observations.

As usual, nobody is spared the wandering crosshairs of the Swevablogrifle. There is no escape...so if you're offended, deal with it or talk to your therapist about it.

Not pretending to be surprised when opening a gift...or at least taking interest and expressing thanks when you open a gift that you knew you were going to receive, through no fault or negligence on the part of the gift giver.
Getting showered and dressed for wintry conditions to go out somewhere...then someone changes their mind about something (therefore throwing off your schedule for the day) and you don't end up going out after all.
Excessive complaints about crappy weather. Everyone knows the weather is crappy out. We don't need to be reminded of it...and we certainly don't need to be reminded of it excessively for five minutes.
Forcing family to watch crappy Clint Eastwood movies...like Every Which Way but Lose, and THEN Any Which Way You Can after they protested the first movie...that is, AFTER you watched it on your computer that same morning in front of them and laughed at all the funny scenes when they couldn't see what you were laughing at...but the scenes probably weren't going to be that funny to anyone but you anyway.
Hogging the laptop computer to watch crappy movies and blog about pet peeves...when someone else needs to use it for more meaningful reasons.
Intentionally harassing someone and making them lose their appetite. For example, talking about how bloody hot dogs can be as someone (who doesn't often eat meat) takes them out of the refrigerator to cook them...so then they're grossed out and forced to eat only tomato soup.
Family members who listen to the rock band Rush...and then complain about the singers of rock bands other family members listen to.
Lack of appreciation for driving in perilous wintry conditions. Now we're getting serious! If, through conversation, outright complaint, pale-faced fear venting, or otherwise; family mentions braving unpleasant and dangerous driving conditions to see you -- citing specific examples in which they were in peril -- it might be a good idea to take some semblance of interest in their dangerous journey or express some degree of sympathy...or at least make an effort to pretend. ...and who knows...it might help family want to make the effort to actually see you again the following year...just a hunch.
The original details posted regarding this one were too hardcore to leave in this post...so it got transferred to somewhere else. Let's just say it gets the grand prize, as it exceeds the arena of rude and taboo, and ventures into the ridiculously moronic. It's not as if a person doesn't know that they're overweight to begin with...so they certainly don't need to be reminded as such in front of the family as certain gifts are unwrapped. I find it rather shocking that some human beings don't understand how they come across to others.
Oh, here's one more that piped up from across the room. A man declaring that he wants hot dogs for lunch, and offers to make some for the family, but then sits down to write a pet peeves list.

So there it is, our friendly list of holiday pet peeves...feel free to submit comments to add any of your own pet peeves to the list.

Fun with Zoe

2008-12-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

I swear, I'm not usually an Entertainment Weekly reader, but for some reason it keeps appearing next to the hopper...so here I am, plagiarizing the latest from Adam Markovitz.

I couldn't help but get a kick, and a little head scratching, out of this that I saw: the latest catchphrases from The Rachel Zoe Project...and FYI, I don't know anything about the show, I've never watched the show, and don't necessarily plan to anytime soon either.

"I die."
Translation: "I cannot go on living without this gown/bangle/patchwork for poncho."
Catchy? Yes, and so true. Who says fashion isn't a matter of life and death? A-

"You look bananas."
Translation: "Even a monkey could see how hot that is."
Catchy? This goofy gush would've been perfect...if 'Hollaback Girl' Gwen Stefani hadn't claimed it first. F

"Hero dress."
Translation: "This is the one that will save the day."
Catchy? Cute, but everyday use ("That egg salad is totally my hero sandwich?") is tricky. C+

"Witch vibe."
Translation: "I have a good feeling about this."
Catchy? We're definitely getting a witch vibe off this one. Oh look! We're already using it! B+

"You are shutting down."
Translation: "The intensity of your fabulousness is causing my nervous system to fail."
Catchy? Honestly? This one is just plain bananas. We die. A+

I didn't do it! I swear, I'm not into trends!

Now, be off with yourself, I'm off to the mall... to "be seen," baby!

Bush pulling another fast one...again.

2008-11-24T19:00:00.000-08:00

While we were voting on Election Day this year, Bush was trying to seal the fate of terra firma adjacent to some of our most pristine areas straight down the river.

Luckily NRDC is all over it...go to their site to find out more.

Here's an article from Robert Redford on the issue.

Part of the change Americans just voted for in overwhelming numbers was to move away from the failed energy philosophy of "drill, baby, drill" to a more farsighted strategy, emphasized by Barack Obama, based on clean, renewable energy and efficiency. Yet on the very day that we raised our voices for change, the Bush administration dragged us in the opposite direction.

The Bureau of Land Management cynically chose November 4 to announce a last-minute plan to lease huge swaths of majestic wilderness in eastern Utah for oil and gas extraction one month before President-elect Obama takes office.

As its clock runs out, the Bush administration also is trying to open-up drilling all over the Rockies and Alaska, to green-light oil shale leasing, and to weaken the Endangered Species Act. Though sad, it's no surprise, coming as it does from the same crowd that designed a misguided national energy policy in secret meetings with the oil, gas and coal industries.

The BLM didn't just try to slip the audacious Utah lease maneuver past the American people on an historic election day, it actually hid the ball from its sister agency, the National Park Service, and then rejected the Service's request for more time to review the scheme.

Among the 360,000 acres to be auctioned for industrial development is pristine land near Canyonlands National Park, adjacent to Arches National Park and Dinosaur National Monument. This Christmas gift to the dirty fuel industry includes parts of Desolation Canyon, named in 1869 by the explorer John Wesley Powell, which has been proposed for national park status. In fact, the BLM itself described Desolation Canyon nine years ago as "a place where a visitor can experience true solitude -- where the forces of nature continue to shape the colorful, rugged landscape."

Words alone cannot do justice to the beauty of these places, but they do capture the absurdity of the Bush plan. Oil and gas drilling in Desolation Canyon? Industrial development along the meandering Green River? The thought makes one wince.

The Obama transition team already has signaled its opposition to the leases, and said that once in office the Obama administration will try to reverse them. Let's hope that's possible. Utah's eastern expanse is one of America's few remaining wilderness treasures. It's our land, it's our legacy, but will it still be here for our children and grandchildren? We made our wishes about that known loudly and clearly on election day.

We voted to take control of our own destiny by breaking our addiction to dirty fuels. We voted to re-power America with clean energy from wind, solar and geothermal power. We voted to use of our greatest resource, American ingenuity, to build economic, energy and climate security, and to preserve our natural heritage. Yes we did. And yes we can.

------

Robert Redford, an actor, director and environmental activist, is a Trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and is the founder of Sundance, in Utah.

Obama's energy plan

2008-11-19T18:06:00.001-08:00

This is a revisit of an older post...worth, of course, revisiting...considering events that transpired two weeks ago.

Now for the real reason for this post: I simply can't get enough of the Kennedy-esque thinker pose. Oooooooo, he's sooooo smart and cool-looking. Me likey. Me likey good Prez. Me likey and wanty smart Prez.

Me likey and wanty good smart Prez that cares about the future of the planet and leads us to a clean energy future.

Yeaaaah!!!

A crash test dummy deals with a 40th birthday diss

2008-11-19T04:23:00.000-08:00

First, a thank you to all of you who called yesterday or emailed me about my 40th birthday. Thank you.

Otherwise, I guess if my other friends aren't going to acknowledge my birthday, I'll acknowledge the slight.

It's a sign, apparently, of how apathetic I've become. Am I really chopped liver? Or a skid mark on the ground?

I don't usually make a big deal of things, especially days and anniversaries...like birthdays. It seems a bit senseless, stupid, and like a waste of energy.

But this is 40. FORTY!!! ...and the 18th is over. That was yesterday...so something belated is a facsimile at best...I'm also, ironically, feeling guilt over being angry. I really can't believe this is what I'm focused on the day after my birthday. Have I lost my mind?

For some reason, this one hits a nerve. I'm pissed...and I need to vent...and attacking someone directly for forgetting your birthday seems a bit over the top and arrogant, so I'm turning to the blog and unleashing on the cyber universe.

That's just how I feel, and to state otherwise would be lying...and I think I have a right to be pissed. Christ almighty, I turned 40, and two of my best friends didn't acknowledge it whatsoever. No call, no email, nothing.

Ouch.

Normally I'd say it's a sign of how detached we've become, living in different cities, or how busy our lives have become...but there's no excuse to blow off a friend on their 40th, barring being literally incapacitated for 24 hours or braindead...and even then, that would hardly be half an excuse.

I'd at least acknowledge my friend, at the very least, through an email if not a phone call...hell, I even sent out a red alert email telling them I was freaking out about it (something I've never done before), and I still didn't hear anything.

WTF?

Beyond that, I don't really know what to say. I'm shocked, speechless, hurt, and a bit bummed about this.

It doesn't help that I've been wigging out over turning 40, either. I think it has to do with the fact that I recall this landmark birthday for my folks, so now I have a point of reference to that effect.

I'm older than most of my friends, so they probably don't understand this feeling...and I know a few of them who will probably bug out when their day comes. Fortunately for me, though, I'm the one who gets to walk over the bed of coals first while some watch in shared pain and sympathy and others just continue on, unaffected, with their daily business. I'm the crash test dummy.

Unfortunately, it's all part of an emerging pattern...but hey, don't mind me! I'm just another bitter 40-something. Let me know how it feels when it's your turn...and don't tell me you won't "wig out," because YOU WILL...even if you don't want to admit it.

So I have nothing more to say on this...oh yes, I do have something else to say! I was also dissed by the Rolling Stones!

As my 40th approached, I'd been tripping hard over a lost song of theirs from the 70s called "Time Waits for No One," which is off the CD It's Only Rock and Roll. While I own probably over 20 Stones CDs, oddly enough this isn't one of them.

So I scoured the city yesterday looking for this one. I'd seen it countless times over the last 30 years in the bins of record and music stores...but I couldn't find the damn thing yesterday ANYWHERE to save my life...and I checked EIGHT PLACES around Seattle. EIGHT. Silver platters, Fremont, Everyday Music on Capitol Hill, and several places in Bellevue...and I got totally dissed.

...but through all the slights and disses, I'll decide to focus, at the end of this post, by thanking family and friends who were kind enough to remember the big day through phone calls and emails...and to KJ. You're the best. Thank you so much for everything.

Okay...so now I've vented. I'm choosing to view this as a wakeup call...moving on now...I'll get my dirty panties tied out of the knot their in, I promise...

...but I need some time to cool off from this one. This hurts.

It's a GREAT day for the environment

2008-11-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama has just been elected as the 44th president of the United States...unbelievable...that is totally awesome.

Come January, the environment will have the most ardent ally to ever enter the Oval Office...however there's DEFINITELY work that needs to be done before then to hold the Bush Administration at bay on certain issues.

Here's more insights from the NRDC:

Dear supporter-

It sure feels good to be an environmentalist this morning.

Just the sight of people going to the polls yesterday was a welcome reminder that President Bush's unrelenting assault on our natural heritage will soon come to an end.

And if that weren't uplifting enough, there is the stunning outcome of the voting itself. An advocate for the environment, Barack Obama, will be the next president of the United States.

Talk about transformation!

Before I go further, let me remind you that NRDC is a tax-deductible, non-partisan organization and, as such, we did not -- and cannot -- endorse specific candidates.

But I can tell you this: Hundreds of NRDC attorneys, scientists and policy experts have worked night and day for eight long years to stop the Bush-Cheney juggernaut from laying waste to our public lands, national forests, wildlife refuges and ocean ecosystems. Thanks to your phenomenal support, we have succeeded to an extent that few thought possible.

Barack Obama's election is a huge win for everyone exhausted from playing defense. Count us among them. It rekindles our hope that environmental protection may be restored to its rightful place as a treasured American value.

On the most important issues of the day -- from global warming controls to clean energy solutions to wilderness preservation -- President-elect Obama campaigned on behalf of far-sighted policies that NRDC has championed for years.

But hope alone will not turn those promises into reality. It's time to get to work.

For starters, our next president will take office in the midst of an economic cataclysm. He will be faced with monumental challenges and beset by powerful special interests.

We've got to make sure that his New Energy for America Plan goes right to the top of the national agenda -- along with its commitment to creating five million clean energy jobs, putting a million hybrid cars on the road, scaling up renewable energy, and capping global warming pollution.

America's economic and environmental salvation lies in that high-tech, clean energy future. That's why NRDC will be pressing the White House to tackle this do-or-die issue in its first 100 days.

Then comes the hard part: we'll have to move that legislation through the new Congress, where the same old polluters -- Big Oil and Big Coal -- will be lying in wait. They're not about to surrender their stranglehold on our economy without one heck of a fight.

NRDC is building a new and unstoppable coalition -- of green groups, young people, mainstream religious organizations, high-tech businesses, and labor -- that can wage and win this looming battle for a viable economy and a livable planet.

In the meantime, hundreds of NRDC staffers will focus on reversing the terrible environmental damage the Bush Administration is leaving behind in its wake. We'll be working to restore protections for wild forests...safeguards for endangered species...prosecutions of air and water polluters. The list goes on and on.

And that's before we feel the full brunt of new attacks that we know are coming from the White House over the next 80 days. Because lest we forget: President Bush is not gone yet.

His executive agencies are racing to carry out policies that would trigger an invasion of chainsaws into the Alaskan rainforest...expose Greater Yellowstone's wolves to mass killing yet again...and promote massive oil and gas exploration in the polar bear's Arctic habitat.

NRDC is already mobilizing to block these and other eleventh-hour raids on our natural heritage. Rest assured, we will not rest in our defense of America's environment until the last Bush official leaves the White House and turns off the lights.

In the weeks ahead, I will be reporting to you in more detail on our action plan for the final weeks of the Bush Administration and the first critical months of the Obama Administration.

But I can share one key element of that plan right now: You. Again and again, you've helped us defend the environment against the most withering attacks in modern American history. And we are far stronger today for having endured and prevailed.

NRDC is emerging from the Bush fiasco with the most potent combination of grassroots activism, courtroom power and legislative clout ever assembled by one public interest organization. It is an operation driven by your unwavering idealism and your unflagging support, which you've maintained even in these difficult economic times.

That idealism and support will soon be put to the ultimate test.

Come January, we will be granted a fleeting moment of opportunity -- a matter of months -- for turning environmental promise into legislative reality. We must strike swiftly if we are to defuse the twin crises of fossil fuel addiction and global warming -- or the Earth we leave our grandchildren will be unimaginably different than the one we now know and love.

It's a tall order. But the last eight years have prepared us like nothing else could. NRDC is ready. I trust you are, too, because we'll need you there with us more than ever before.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

P.S. The next 80 days are absolutely critical, as we fight off this president's last-ditch attacks on the environment and gear up to advance a visionary agenda in January. In all my years at NRDC, I can't remember a time when your gift would accomplish more. Please consider making a donation today.

The UofA /ASU challenge: Can the Panarchy and Christaller Theorems be symbiotic?

2008-10-10T06:45:00.000-07:00

Can the Panarchy Theory and Christaller's Theory successfully be applied to work together? It might be a bit of a brainmelter...but I thought I'd throw it out there.

A totally random question, huh? A little background on this...

My landscape architect colleague Kimmus over at The Spadefoot Toad brought up a theory in one of her comments on this site a few days back, and I wanted to respond with a friendly challenge of sorts. So this is it.

The fact that she's a UofA student with a big brain, and that I'm an Arizona State alum having pickled my head with too many drinks shouldn't matter, of course.

Here's what she brought up: The Panarchy Theory. Here's a little of what she had to say about it:

"The Panarchy is a representation of the ways in which a healthy social-ecological system can invent and experiment, benefiting from inventions that create opportunity while it is kept safe from those that destabilize the system because of their nature of excessive exuberence."

"Modern democratic societies are clearly vulnerable to the same process but they have invented ways to diffuse large episodes of creative destruction by creating smaller cycles of renewal and change through periodic politcal elections. So long as there is an attentive and literate citizenry, the painful lessons learned from eposodic collapses of the whole societal panarchies can be transferred to faster learning at smaller scales."

Here's the theory I bring up: Chrisstaller's Theory. It's one of the central principles of economic geography, and was a focal point of my studies at ASU. It's a theory based on what location and the marketplace bring to bear on issues such as city growth (see extensive details below or go to the link, also provided below).

So, again, the question I have is this: what is the best example we can think up in which BOTH theorems would apply and work together successfully?

I'll give Kimmus the first crack at this, since she's the student and I'm having to work over the next couple of days on indexing.

So here's a protracted report on what Christaller's Theorem is about...and I've also spelled it out here on this site. Keep in mind that this is REALLY heady stuff, so if you're not into giving your brain a workout, don't invest your time here.

Christaller's Central Place Theory

Introduction

Central Place Theory (CPT) is an attempt to explain the spatial arrangement, size, and number of settlements. The theory was originally published in 1933 by a German geographer Walter Christaller who studied the settlement patterns in southern Germany. In the flat landscape of southern Germany Christaller noticed that towns of a certain size were roughly equidistant. By examining and defining the functions of the settlement structure and the size of the hinterland he found it possible to model the pattern of settlement locations using geometric shapes.

Assumptions:
Christaller made a number of assumptions such as:

All areas have
• an isotropic (all flat) surface
• an evenly distributed population
• evenly distributed resources
• similar purchasing power of all consumers and consumers will patronize nearest market
• transportation costs equal in all directions and proportional to distance
• no excess profits (Perfect competition)

Explanation of some terms: Central Place, low order, high order, sphere of influence:
- A Central Place is a settlement which provides one or more services for the population living around it.
- Simple basic services (e.g. grocery stores) are said to be of low order while specialized services (e.g. universities) are said to be of high order.
- Having a high order service implies there are low order services around it, but not vice versa.
- Settlements which provide low order services are said to be low order settlements. Settlements that provide high order services are said to be high order settlements.
- The sphere of influence is the area under influence of the Central Place.

Details of the theory

The theory consists of two basic concepts:

• threshold
-- the minimum population that is required to bring about the provision of certain good or services.

• range of good or services
-- the average maximum distance people will travel to purchase goods and services

From these two concepts the lower and upper limits of goods or services can be found. With the upper and the lower limits, it is possible to see how the central places are arranged in an imaginary area.

Arrangement of the Central places/ settlements:

As transport is equally easy in all direction, each central place will have a circular market area as shown in C in the following diagram:

However, circular shape of the market areas results in either un-served areas or over-served areas. To solve this problem, Christaller suggested the hexagonal shape of the markets as shown in D in the above diagram. Within a given area there will be fewer high order cities and towns in relation to the lower order villages and hamlets. For any given order, theoretically the settlements will be equidistance from each other. The higher order settlements will be further apart than the lower order ones.

The three principles in the arrangement of the central places:

Christaller noted three different arrangements of central places according to the
following principles:
1. The marketing principle (K=3 system);
2. The transportation principle (K=4 system);
3. The administrative principle (K=7 system).

1. The marketing principle

The following diagram shows the arrangement of the central places according to the marketing principle. There are ___________ orders of central places. (note: There can be many orders of settlement.)
(a) First order service center providing first order services
(b) Second order service center providing second order services.
(c) Third order service center providing third order services. The different orders of settlements arrange themselves in a hierarchy.

Generally speaking lower is the order, larger is the number of settlements and
higher the order, greater is the area served.

If the arrangement of the settlements is according to the principle k=3, the theoretical number of settlements will progressively divides the previous order by 3 as shown in the following table:

Cumulative total Actual number
7th order 1 1
6th order 3
5th order 9
4th order
3rd order
2nd order
1st order

One high order central place is serving three (including itself) of the next lower order central places. The relationship of the market area between a lower order center and the centers of the higher level can also be indicated by the value 3.

2. The transportation principle

Christaller pointed out that the marketing principle is an awkward arrangement in terms of connecting different levels of the hierarchy. As an alternate arrangement, Christaller suggested that central places could be organized according to what he called the transport principle.

The traffic principles states that the distribution of central places is most favourable when as many important places as possible lie on one traffic route between two important towns, the route being established as straightly and as cheap as possible. The more unimportant places may be left aside. According to the transport principle, the central places would thus be lined up on straight traffic routes which fan out from the central point.

When Central places are arranged according to the traffic principle, the lower order centers are located at the midpoint of each side of the hexagon rather than at the corner. Thus the transport principle produces a hierarchy organized in a k=4 arrangement in which central places are nested according to the rule of four.

The following table shows how the k=4 principle can be interpreted:

Level of hierarchy Equivalent number of central places dominated by higher order center... equivalent number of marker areas dominated by higher order center
1. Metropolis 1 1
2. City 3 4
3. Town 12 16
4. Village 48 64
5. Hamlet 192 256

3. The administrative principle

Christaller’s other suggested organizing principle was based upon the realization that from a political or administrative viewpoint centers it was unrealistic for centers to be ‘shared’. Any pattern of control which cuts through functional units is potientially problematical. Christaller suggested that an arrangemnt whereby lower order centers were entirely with the hexagon of the higher order center would obviate such problems. Such a pattern is shown in the following diagram. All the six lower order centers are fully subordinate to the higher order center which, therefore, dominates the equivalent of severn market areas at the next lowest level.

Evaluation of Central-Place Theory

The following passages are some of the evaluation of Christaller’s central place theory.
Can you summarize the ideas?

The pattern of cities predicted by central place theory may not hold because of the failure to meet initial assumptions.
1. Production costs may vary not only because of economies of scale but also by natural resource endowments (i.e. not a homogeneous plain)
2. Transportation costs are not equal in all directions
3. Rural markets (initially households) are not evenly distributed
4. Non economic factors (culture, politics, leadership) may be important but not evenly distributed
5. Competitive practices may lead to freight absorption and phantom freight (other forms of imperfect competition)

What are the advantages of central place theory?

The theory does a reasonably good job of describing the spatial pattern of urbanization. No other economic theory explains why there is a hierarchy of urban centers.

Heilbrun wrote: "A hierarchy is by definition a systematic arrangement of the classes of an object." In this case the object is economic centers, large and small. The central place hierarchy provides a description of the relationship between a central place--higher order place--and its tributary areas--lower order places. Once this hierarchy is pointed out, anyone can see it.

(An aside: There is a hierarchy of towns in North Dakota--and make no mistake about it, the four cities top that hierarchy. Hierarchy has become a dirty word in some academic circles, but with central place theory, hierarchy is as natural as the ecological spread of vegetation. The question is--will there be a stable long lasting relationship, or a ‘dysfunctional' one? In biology, if one species dominates too much, it ends up killing itself off. The cities need the ‘export dollars' provided by people in small towns, and the small towns need the specialized services provided by the cities. A strategy which helps both of them develop--in which state level development resources are shared--seems to be reasonable and wise.)

Central place theory does a good job of describing the location of trade and service activity. (It also does a good job of describing consumer market oriented manufacturing.) Trade and service activity has an increasing relevance as the U.S. economy shifts from manufacturing to services over time. Small-town community economic developers can secure quite specific, relevant information about what kind of trade or service enterprise will likely work, and what kind of enterprise will not likely work in a given small community.

Christaller's model will never be found in the real world because:

- Large areas of flat land are rare, with the presence of relief barriers channeling transport in certain directions.
- Government intervention can dictate the location of industry.
- Perfect competition is unreal with some firms making more money than others.
- People vary their shopping trends, not always going to the nearest centre:
* People or resources are never perfectly distributed.
* Christaller envisaged each centre with a particular function whereas they have many which change over time.

• Application to Economic Development

Applying the central place theory, many studies have been done regarding to establishments and retail viability. For instance, in his article, Shonkwiler (1996) summarized important knowledge already established by other researches.
1) Average transportation costs per purchase are lowered by multipurpose shopping trips.
2) The consumer might find it desirable to shop at multiple locations on a single trip.
3) Not only population but demographic characteristics, socioeconomic structure, potential expenditures, and shopping behavior are the most important factors to explain spatial clustering.
4) Although a major tenet of central place theory was that producers tend to locate as far as possible from competitors, firms may recognize the advantages of agglomeration and the benefit of centrality that result from adjacent location.
5) The development of central places depends on factors such as transport costs, expenditure shares for relevant goods and the cost characteristics of stores.
6) Planning commissions continue their efforts on industrial recruitment while the pursuit of other development strategies such as retail-sector expansion may be overlooked.

Moreover, in his statistical analysis of rural retail business, Shonkwiler (1996) concludes, “retail business interdependencies exist and minimum demand threshold values for various retail sectors are sensitive to the presence or absence of other type of retail firms.”

Additionally, in his regression analysis to rural communities, Mushinski (2002) concludes “incorporating explicit geographic interdependence between establishments in a place and sources of supply and demand in neighboring areas” exists, and is “particularly significant on the supply side.” Moreover, “outlying establishments tend to reduce the number of establishments in a place, which underlines the importance of spatial competition in retail development.”

Central Place Theory in Australia

Walter Christaller Central Place Theory" states that the central place (Melbourne) provides the hinterland with goods and services that are of high cost where as low cost necessities would be supplied by local markets in the hinterland. High cost goods would be sold in larger cities because the thresholds for these goods would be high enough to sustain a store. Low cost necessity goods like bread and milk would be sold at small markets in the small towns surrounding the central place. In light of this theory we can see that population distribution would decrease as you made your way out of the central place and then begin the rise again as one became closer to the next central city. At the midway point between the two central cities you would find the least expensive land. This land was often used for purposes such as farming and grazing.

Christaller’s theory, however, does not hold in Victoria for several reasons. To begin, there were only few supporting cities located around Melbourne like Bendigo, Ballarat and Geelong (all to the west). There were no other central cities either, the nearest would be Sydney which is over 900 kilometers from Melbourne. There were however, a multitude of small cities caused by the gold rushes of the mid and late 1800s. This caused Melbourne’s hinterland population to fall dramatically as it reached the outback.? This would lead us to believe that Melbourne could be sketched as a central city with several concentric circles, each one holding less and less population. This concentric circle concept is altered by the fact that Melbourne is sitting on the rather large Port Phillip Bay.

The largest factor contributing to the non-conformation with the Central Place Theory is the actions of government officials in Melbourne. After the initial railroad entrepreneurs fell into bankruptcy the government was forced to buy them out and make a go of it themselves. However, these government officials found they could use the railroad to line their own pockets. The scheme went as follows; First, the officials would trek out into the bushland and purchase cheep grazing land. Then, they would build a railroad line out to their once inexpensive land. This caused land prices to soar. The more wealthy middle and upper-class citizens would purchase the now subdivided land and build their own houses. Public transportation made it possible for these citizens to reach the outer suburbs. Reasons for this were threefold: transport time in and out of the city was now very small. Train transport was much faster then omnibuses and trams; they provided exact schedules which made it possible for passengers to rely on them for everyday transport; the price of a ticket was within the budget of its upper and middle-class passengers.

This caused a ring of unused land between the central station (Flinders Station) in Melbourne and the final termini of the railroads. The unused land stayed unused because the lower-class
workers still had to be within walking distance of their work and the mid and upper-class preferred to either be in close, upper-class, suburbs like St. Kilda, Windsor, Brighton and Kew or in the far out suburbs of Frankston, Pakenham and Whittlesea.

This situation, however, fixed itself over time. Lower-class workers became more wealthy due to government intervention in the case of workers rights and to the rise of unions. This new found wealth allowed them move out of walking distance and into the previously uninhabited band of land between the outer and inner suburbs. Another factor leading to the settlement of the inner area was that the railroad made an allowance for special worker trains that cost less and where directed right to the factory areas.

So that's it...how 'bout that for some easy reading? Let me know your thoughts.

THE POCKET PISSER -- Mobile Tech Dummies (MTDs)

2008-10-02T07:16:00.000-07:00

It's the new public enemy #1...you might say I've finally had it.

Today we're pissing in the pockets of the Mobile Tech Dummies (MTDs) of the world.

After hearing about the train conductor in Los Angeles who was text messaging 22 seconds before a head-on collision occurred with another train, it reminded me of the reason why I limit my use of mobile technology...and why my annoyances with MTDs is more justified than ever before.

You might say the definition of a train wreck has been retooled with the alleged carelessness exercised by the erroneous behavior of that conductor, if in fact he was not paying attention while text messaging. The evidence is there.

To begin with, I seldom text message. It's not my thing...but I understand why other peeps do it. It's a good way to perform quick communique without having to speak to someone, or a way for co-workers to send quick reminders in the middle of an office meeting (which may or may not be a good thing). I get it. I'm not into it, but I get it.

Now let me tell you what I don't get. I don't get it when I see peeps living their lives through their mobile devices...and that's totally a perception issue...because, literally, there are some out there who seem to have their device popping off every second, or they're busy sending a message.

I don't get that...I don't get those MTDs walking around, their heads down and both thumbs clicking like mad on the gadget. I've nearly been run over by them on the streets because they weren't watching where they were going...one time I decided not to alter my course, and let one bump into me just to prove a point.

My next step, when that happens again, is to swipe the gadget out of the MTD's hands and launch the stupid thing into orbit.

So, if you haven't figured it out by now, I hereby DECLARE WAR ON MTDs!!!

Now let me tell you what is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE. When it comes to operating equipment such as any sort of vehicle, the line must be drawn there. Many laws have popped up all over the country to this effect...but that doesn't mean that the laws are being followed. In my state, where talking on your phone while you drive is illegal, I still see it happening on the road everywhere I go...and it's usually the driver serving all over the road in front of me.

Oh, that also applies to operating trains, my dearest train conductors of the world (monkey train conductors are exempt, of course).

So for those of you who are curious, or clueless, here's 10 of Sweva's helpful list of MTD ettiquette:

Turn your gadget off in the movie theater, or put it on buzz.
Don't be rude to your family, friends, and sig other...when out on a date or at dinner, turn the thing off.
Take it outside when you're in a restaurant.
Keep it down on public transit...listening to someone talk about their life story on the bus into the city is BEYOND ANNOYING.
Turn it off when you go to bed...unless you're really anticipating a call, or maybe it has an alarm device on it.
Leave it at home when on vacation, or if you must have it, keep use to a minimum...I'm always puzzled how someone lying on a beach vacationing feels compelled to remain so connected...better yet, go out of the country, where you may not be able to use it anyway...which goes back to what I first said...in leaving the stupid thing at home.
Follow the flight attendant's instructions and turn it off on the plane.
Don't phone or text while driving.
Don't phone or text while operating a locomotive.
If you can't follow any of these suggestions, I'm guessing your consideration for others is completely out the window...so you might as well have the stupid gadget surgically attached to your face, because it's all we know of you anyway.

So what's the moral of the story? Chill out on the technology...seriously. The same way you wouldn't get in on a mortgage that's too high, and the same way you'd get away from a job that's ruining you...don't let it run your life. It's a device...a tool...not your God.

Hope that helps! Text away...but keep it out of my path, or you'll get the hose turned on you and you'll end up with a busted gadget (see the future of your device pictured above, following your encounter with me on the street).

Oh, and you'll probably want to send your pants to the cleaners.

The Legacy of John Muir

2008-09-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

I've intended for quite awhile now to do a feature on John Muir. I'm actually amazed at myself for not having showcased him sooner.

I guess I had to work my up to it...so here he is, in his unshaven glory!

For those of you who don't know, John Muir (1838-1914) is universally considered to be the Godfather of the modern environmental movement in the United States, and his legacy has transcended international boundaries.

An avid conservationist his whole life, it was Muir's vision that was instrumental in shaping protection for pristine areas up to this day. Having attempted to approach several government officials and Presidents on the matter of conservation in the late 19th Century --- with a focus on the Yosemite Valley --- he finally got the attention of a young and gregarious president, Teddy Roosevelt, who had been an avid outdoorsman his entire life. The events that followed gave birth to the expansion of the National Park system as we know it today.

Muir also founded the Sierra Club, which has grown into perhaps the most politically influential environmnetal advocacy group in the country.

Muir led a fascinating life. He once walked 1,000 miles from Indiana to Florida. He would have walked all the way to South America from the United States, had he not contracted malaria. The illness required him to recover in San Francisco in 1868...an interesting turn of fate, as historical events reveal.

When he was in California, he sought out a site in the mountains he had heard about known as "Yosemite." Upon his visit to the place, he commented: "No temple made with hands can compare to Yosemite."

His study and fascination with the Yosemite Valley (more like an OBsession, but in a good way) continued over the next few years, and as a practicing geologist he was the first to conclude that glacial action shaped the valley, which flew in the face of prior theories that it had been formed by a cataclysmic earthquake. The scientific community rallied around his theories, which were validated over time. Muir also studied the Sequoias near Yosemite and put their majesty in the national spotlight.

In the late 1880s, Muir's push for Yosemite as a National Park began in earnest. Following the example of Yellowstone National Park (the first national park in history) Muir believed that federal control of the site was necessary to ensure its preservation and elimination of exploitation. While Congress responded to Muir's pleas for preservation, 1890 legislation saw it fall under State control, which was encouraging but only a partial victory.

Muir's efforts to establish Yosemite as a National Park culminated in 1903, when he visited the site with an outdoorsy, independent-minded President, Theodore Roosevelt. Muir joined Roosevelt in Oakland to travel by train and stagecoach to the site. While traveling to the park, Muir told the President about state mismanagement of the valley and rampant exploitation of the valley's resources. Even before they entered the park, he was able to convince Roosevelt that the best way to protect the valley was through Federal control and management.

After entering the park and seeing the magnificent splendor of the valley, the President asked Muir to show him the "real Yosemite." Muir and Roosevelt set off largely by themselves and camped in the back country. While circling around a fire, the duo talked late into the night, slept in the brisk open air of Glacier Point and were dusted by a fresh snowfall in the morning. The experience made a lasting impression on the president, to say the least.

Years of long and exhausting efforts on the part of Muir paid off in 1905...through pressure from the Sierra Club and with enthusiastic support from President Roosevelt (who also had a high approval rating at the time, and thus the voice of the people), Congress transferred Yosemite into a National Park in that year to safeguard it forever.

I've only just begun to touch on the enourmous shockwave Muir has laid on the land of this country, and the generations he's inspired. After all, where would we be today without his vision and persistence?

Here's links to his published materials through Google books...they might also be available at Amazon:

More about John Muir online:

There's lots to be learned about, and from, this fascinating and influential figure in American history...he's more than likely solely responsible for this blog existing in the first place.

Face the Hole

2008-09-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

Okay...I'm not much of a TV person, but this program looks pretty funny. Unfortunately it looks like a British program and not something syndicated in the States.

It's probably good two or three times, and then turns into more of a novelty item than anything else...is anyone out there familiar with this program?

San Francisco garage goes completely green

2008-09-30T07:07:00.001-07:00

Check out this article from CNN about a garage in San Francisco that's modifying hybrid vehicles to allow them to run completely on electricity.

This is yet another example of a growing plug-in movement in the country.

Get on board with a local organic farm

2008-09-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

If you want to further your attempt at being carbon negative, another way is through your eating habits.

In the last year I have tried out participation in programs with local organic farms...it's the way George Washington and John Adams ate...it's the real deal!

While it started a bit trial and error and as a learning experience, it has ended up being very rewarding. I'm still doing it, and have been since February...so that alone should say something.

Just so you don't have to go through some of the issues I went through, allow me to impart some advice to you when you're considering one:

Depending on where you live, you should have several to choose from in your area. While the idea of doing a little up front homework online might make you scratch your head, finding out your options in what is available to you will certainly pay off.
A farm that knows what they're doing should have a website that's easy to navigate.
You should be able to determine if they're certified organic...and if they're not, they might explain why on their website...most that aren't will claim that the certification costs money, but I don't know the validity of that. If they don't explain why they're certified organic, then ask. If it seems hokey from there, then move on. FYI - The better organic farm I've gone with in the last year was certified AND more affordable.
You shouldn't have to pay more than $30 a week for a produce box. I currently pay $28 per week...that's $4 per day. That might seem like lots of money for veggies, but remember that you're getting the FRESHEST POSSIBLE stuff that you can't find in most grocery stores...and you're supporting a local organic farm, so there's something to be said about pride in purpose.
When you pick up your veggies, it's already put together for you, and you'd be surprised at how much you get in a box...I can assure you it's more than enough to keep a household of two fed for a week, and we can't always finish everything!
When given the option, get on board with a several week or seasonal program, which should usually offer a discount. It's all about long-term savings, and you worry less about when you pay.
A farm that cares about its clients should allow you to modify options on your produce week to week.
A good and reliable farm should have drop-off locations near your neighborhood.
I'd suggest going with a weekly pickup, rather than bi-weekly, as some farms allow. It will provide you with fresher produce, and you won't ever wonder: "Is THIS the week I pick up my box?"
Mark your pickup days, and when your program expires, on a calendar...as it then becomes a "happy errand" that's part of your weekly routine.
Be courteous to your pickup spot and follow the etiquette; if you can't show up during the prescribed pickup times then alert them as such...don't be noisy...and return your boxes disassembled (per requests), for example. Just use common courtesy and common sense.
Offering to be a pickup spot might sport you some free produce...but I'd try out the program first.
Don't be taken aback if the produce has dirt on it. You need to wash the stuff no matter what...remember this is organic stuff!
Don't expect the produce to look "pretty." For example, apples won't be shiny because they won't have the gross waxy stuff on their skin...remember this is the REAL DEAL!
Eat fruit quickly...it can go bad fast...but remember you're getting more the following week!

I can assure you, that through my own experience going with an organic farm totally rocks. It saves time perusing around the grocery store, and you're ensured of the FRESHEST PRODUCE POSSIBLE.

To further educate yourself, you may read up on organic farming. It's worth a try, and you might be surprised at the benefits! S

Random thoughts...about "toilet seat perusing"

2008-09-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

So let's say you're in the market for a new toilet seat, and you're diligent and want to do your homework...so you go to a place like Home Depot to look at the selection.

How are you REALLY expected to "try them out" so you know which one to get?

An old friend pops up...sailing around the world!

2008-09-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

Today I received an email response (to an email I actually sent erroneously) from an old buddy from my days in Tempe, Arizona. It turns out he's in the middle of a sailing expedition around the world.

Hey, why not.

Here's his blog chronicling his sailing adventures; I guess you'd call it the official Captain's Log: ~ The Blue Water Log Of The Yacht Barraveigh ~

All aboard! Sorry, that's a train...what do ship captains say? Ahoy matey! Anyway, it was good to hear from Whitey, who appears to be going by Cap'n Bobby as the, um, captain.

As buddies we've been out of touch for years, but we go way back...let's just say we were hanging out before Cobain pulled the trigger...which was also before everyone kept in touch online.

He was good to me. He let me crash at his place repeatedly when I'd had too many. We had many interesting conversations, including a philosophical discussion about "what constitutes a speciesist?" in which we decided that we "favored mammals" over all other species. He helped me problem solve when I ran into college-related financial crises. One of the good guys.

I also recall that he let me store my belongings at his place over the summer (piled up in the entryway room, mind you) for virtually nothing, except for the price of one of my good kitchen knives...hey, maybe it's on the boat with him!

I can't imagine the numerous friends I would have had the luxury of keeping in touch with using the net. Keeping in contact with Whitey was one of those casualties. It's good to be back in touch!

As I thought about it, I recall Whitey mentioning that he always had a dream to sail around the world...it's a fluttering memory, but it's familiar. At any rate, it's what he's been doing over the last 3 years...read all about it at ~ The Blue Water Log of the Yacht Barraveigh ~...and you'll get more out of it if you start at the beginning and work your way forward.

Here's an excerpt from one of his posts on April 27, 2006:

"Whenever I pull into a new anchorage I have a little procedure. Once the anchor is down, and I'm sure I'm not dragging, then I shut off the engine, put on The Police's De Doo Doo Doo, De Daa Daa Daa on the outside speakers and then I do a naked back flip off the stern rail. That's my thing. Mine. Don't copy it. This time there was a human watching from the pier. I couldn't tell if it was male or female. Pretty far away. I did hear them call their friends over though. This island was a prison colony. Not much for entertainment and they must have been hoping for an encore. One's all ya get."

Here's one more excerpt from May of 2006:

"My first stop was Paquera where I met my taxi driver Lecho and his family to take them sailing (remember the previous 12 hour trip to Tamarindo to pick up the outboard and his kids and I scooped melons off the road?). Only thing that was strange about this sail outing is that it was a different family. Different wife, different kid. When they went to the head I asked him what was up. 'Shh, I have 3 families.' I guess a taxi driver can pull that off."

So there it is...one of the more interesting blogs I've run into recently.

So since Whitey set sail in December 2005, it would seem to me that he's missed quite a bit back here in the States...heck, I still hear trickles from things I missed after 3 weeks in Peru last month. Something is recalled in the news or something, and you think: "Oh, we must have been in Peru during that."

Anyway, here are some thoughts about what he's missed, most of which he's probably better off:

McDonald's ushering in the healthy menu in the fast food industry (merely in response to the documentary Super Size Me)
The new Batman movie...sorry Whitey, it was really good
Carbon Footprint Obsession Disease
The new Radiohead CD In Rainbows, and the following tour in which they kept track of their carbon footprint.
The new Rush CD Snakes & Arrows, and their world tour that followed...I KNOW he's bummed about that
My obsession with Neil Young
The deaths of Tim Russert, Bernie Mac, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright
The rise of Barack Obama, the primary drama that ended in the defeat of the Clintons, and the surprise of Sarah Palin
McCain explaining how he knows how to use "THE Google"
Crocs (and Croc beads)
Computer hard drive size expanding into terabytes
The first AND second issues of the iPhone
Wide use of wiki technology (depends on his online access and usage)
Gene Simmons Family Jewels
Seedless watermelons? Maybe not.

...but what would YOU rather be doing with your apathetic life? That's the REAL question. S

GM charges up the Chevy Volt

2008-09-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, this looks reassuring...it looks like we're about to turn the corner, hopefully, toward an electric car revolution.

Read up on the GM Chevy Volt for the details. Apparently there's some sort of buzz with folks on the waiting list mentioning that they're disappointed that it doesn't look "futuristic enough."

Whatever, peeps, chill out! The design looks fine with me...but I'm not exactly what you'd call a car junkie. If it in fact gets the 2 cents per gallon that GM's advertising, that works for me.

As I say to car dealers and essentially anyone's ear I get for a second or two on this issue: "Wake me up when you get a plug-in."

The only question about this that remains unanswered is the price tag...I'm guessing it will be painfully out of reach to the average driver and most American consumers.

Hey, cool dashboard!

Like most new products, it will probably take some time for consumer confidence to rise. We might need to wait out a few issues of these new vehicles before they're affordable anyway.

Still, the news is reassuring that we're ACTUALLY heading in the right direction. S

The Zornskin Watch

2008-09-15T07:40:00.000-07:00

This is your one-stop-shop for His Zorness!

There's lots of goodies here, but definitely SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST for a MUST SEE movie of Zorn during his years as the Seahawks QB...you gotta love a lefty with a Dutch Boy haircut throwing the pigskin.

You even get commentary from Snoop Dog and can evaluate Zorn's singing abilities in a milk commercial!

Have a zany, Zorny day!

Latest headline from 10/05: Timing Turns Out Perfectly for Zorn, Randle El
Past headlines, in reverse chrono:

09/28: Redskins hand Cowboys first loss
09/22: Turnovers, field position help Redskins win
09/15: Zorn gets his first win!
09/08: Zorn goes mountain biking with Dubya (very amusing)
09/07: another article on the bike ride
09/05: First week loss to the New York Giants
09/04: Zorn's future begins now
02/10: Zorn plays viola and speed skates
02/09: The Redskins hire Zorn as head coach

Seahawks Ring of Honor inductee, #10 Jim Zorn, is in his first season as a head coach in the NFL with the Washington Redskins.

He's a childhood hero admired by a bunch of us who grew up together in Seattle in the late 70s, when he was the Hawks QB...and threw passes to FG kicker Effren Herrera in trick plays such as the one in 1979 against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday Night Football...and then a few years later in another pass he overthrew the receiver and it went through the uprights...and then to everyone's horror he conducted -- with blissful and clueless passion -- the Seattle Symphony.

How can you not like a guy like that? We absolutely love this guy. We even attempted just over 10 years ago, in the infancy of the internet, to form a movement to have his #10 retired by the Seahawks. Who knows, if he comes back to Seattle to be a head coach, that might tip the scales and warrant a new review of that possibility.

For now, however, the first head coach stop is in the "other" Washington. We wish him luck!

I'll keep this post up-to-date with the latest on how he's doing there...and I'll try to update this post weekly with the results from each game as the season progresses. I might even throw in a little Zorn trivia.

Look for the link in the margin to reach this post. You gotta love a lefty QB who's name begins with a "Z." S

The ZornSkin Watch for 2008

09/04 -- Giants 16, ZornSkins 7 - L
09/14 -- ZornSkins 29, Saints 24 - W
09/21 -- Cardinals 17 at ZornSkins 24 - W
09/28 -- ZornSkins 26 at Cowboys 24 - W
10/05 -- ZornSkins 23 at Eagles 17 - W
10/12 -- Rams at ZornSkins
10/19 -- Browns at ZornSkins
10/26 -- ZornSkins at Lions
11/03 -- Steelers at ZornSkins
11/16 -- Cowboys at ZornSkins
11/23 -- ZornSkins at Seahawks (Zorn's Seattle homecoming!!!)
11/30 -- Giants at ZornSkins
12/07 -- ZornSkins at Ravens
12/14 -- ZornSkins at Bengals
12/21 -- Eagles at ZornSkins
12/28 -- ZornSkins at 49ers

THE ZORNSKIN'S 2008 RECORD: 4-1

ZORN'S LIFETIME RECORD AS AN NFL HEAD COACH: 4-1

2008 NFC EAST STANDINGS

New York Giants. . . . . . . . 4-0
Washington ZornSkins. . . . 4-1
Dallas Cowboys. . . . . . . . . 4-1
Philadelphia Eagles. . . . . . 2-3

See #10 Zorn here in all his glory during the fledgling days of the Seahawks! I like how they also ranked the Zorn to Largent passing combo ALSO as #10 of all-time...this is classic stuff!

Guayaki proves "carbon negative" can flourish with industries

2008-09-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

You might recall my post some time back about being carbon negative, in which it received some interesting responses.

it's a concept that's been on my mind for quite some time, however it's been challenging to find the time and the method by which to approach it, as it involves literally EVERYTHING we do in all sectors of our existence and living.

So when I put that post out there; while thoughts shared on the subject from other bloggers and environmentalists were encouraging, they were probably skeptic, at best.

Even the main theme of the post, from my end, involved questioning whether or not it was possible. I believed that is was, and have maintained that position...however, as a geography major with a background in urban and environmental planning, my knowledge of how carbon negative works on a nuts and bolts level is minimal, if nonexistent.

I simply don't have enough of a science background to prove anything works (or doesn't work)...I can only go after the theory with what I know.

...but wait! Ah ha!!!

I now have some REAL INFORMATION to support the theory that carbon negative can work...and it directly involves a company and their process of manufacturing.

The company is called Guayaki, and they make herbal beverages. I chatted with a couple of reps for this company last night at Seattle's September Green Drinks event. As I read a flier from them, I noticed the equation of their carbon output in their manufacturing process (below).
Correct me if my math is wrong, but I'm seeing a carbon negative result in that process.

My conversation with a rep named Hailey brought up another variation on this theme. She mentioned that we can't think on a level of just neutralizing our carbon footprint. We need to go beyond that and think along the lines of "rehabilitating," as she put it in perfect form.

What she's talking about involves turning the corner in our own minds and how we live our lives...a sort of "paying it forward" approach.

Meaning, in other words, not just "trying" to go CARBON NEGATIVE, but fully embracing it.

I tasted the beverages that they offer, and I have to say they're really tasty with a smooth flavor. Think of it as a step up from the Arizona Tea line that you see on the shelves in grocery stores...this stuff is also available in those same stores too.

I'm very encouraged by this. This company is worth a deeper analysis to see how others can follow their example. S

Innovation on the high seas

2008-09-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Noodling around the web today, I bumped into this article...it expands on my post some time back regarding solar powered watercraft.

ENN: Solar Powered System Helps Reduce Ship's Emissions - Innovation on the High Seas

Encouraging stuff...at least someone out there has the foresight to develop this! S

Sarah Palin, our illustrious environmental steward...NOT!

2008-08-31T22:28:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting read regarding the record of environmental stewardship for our new GOP Veep: Sarah Palin On The Environment.

Good information to have...before her being cast into the national spotlight in the last few days, I'd only heard about "the Alaskan governor who supported drilling in the ANWR."

...so here's the poop...not just more of the same from the GOP. This one is worse than the status quo, folks. S

Obama the urban planner

2008-08-31T19:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a clip of Obama in Toledo, Ohio responding to a question about rebuilding cities.

I believe this is the closest I've heard Obama speak to this particular subject...not too shabby!

I'd imagine that his days of being a community organizer in Chicago, and dealing with the city on such related matters, exposed his brain to many issues that crossed over into the planning realm. S

Video of Barack Obama's acceptance speech for the Presidency of the United States of America

2008-08-31T06:09:00.001-07:00

Obama: "ENOUGH!!!"

2008-08-29T10:03:00.001-07:00

Here's the full transcript of Obama's acceptance speech last night, in front of nearly 90,000 spectators and a World audience.

The portions of his speech involving energy policy and the environment are highlighted in green. S

Barack Obama's speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, as prepared for delivery Thursday night at Invesco Field at Mile High stadium in Denver:

To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation.

With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.

Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest — a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours, Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next vice president of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night

To the love of my life, our next first lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia — I love you so much, and I’m so proud of all of you.

Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story — of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.

It is that promise that has always set this country apart — that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.

That’s why I stand here tonight. Because for 232 years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women — students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.

We meet at one of those defining moments — a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.

Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay, and tuition that’s beyond your reach.

These challenges are not all of government’s making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush.

America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.

This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.

This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he’s worked on for 20 years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.

We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.

Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and independents across this great land —

ENOUGH!!!

This moment — this election — is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On Nov. 4, we must stand up and say: “Eight is enough.”

Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we’ll also hear about those occasions when he’s broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.

But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush 90 percent of the time. Sen. McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than 90 percent of the time? I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready to take a 10 percent chance on change.

The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives — on health care and education and the economy — Sen. McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made “great progress” under this president. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisers — the man who wrote his economic plan — was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a “mental recession,” and that we’ve become, and I quote, “a nation of whiners.”

A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud autoworkers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know.

Now, I don’t believe that Sen. McCain doesn’t care what’s going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn’t know. Why else would he define middle class as someone making under $5 million a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than 100 million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people’s benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?

It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care. It’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.

For over two decades, he’s subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy — give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is you’re on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps — even if you don’t have boots. You’re on your own.

Well, it’s time for them to own their failure. It’s time for us to change America.

You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.

We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was president — when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.

We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job — an economy that honors the dignity of work.

The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great — a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.

Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton’s Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.

In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships.

When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.

And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She’s the one who taught me about hard work. She’s the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she’s watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.

I don’t know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as president of the United States.

What is that promise?

It’s a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.

It’s a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers and play by the rules of the road.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves — protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who’s willing to work.

That’s the promise of America — the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper.

That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am president.

Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.

Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.

I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

I will cut taxes — cut taxes — for 95 percent of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle class.

And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president: in 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

Washington’s been talking about our oil addiction for the last 30 years, and John McCain has been there for 26 of them. In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Sen. McCain took office.

Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stopgap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.

As president, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll help our auto companies retool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I’ll invest $150 billion over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy — wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and 5 million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.

America, now is not the time for small plans.

Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don’t have that chance. I’ll invest in early childhood education. I’ll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I’ll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American: If you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.

Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don’t, you’ll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.

Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.

Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.

And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day’s work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.

Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I’ve laid out how I’ll pay for every dime — by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don’t help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less — because we cannot meet 21st century challenges with a 20th century bureaucracy.

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America’s promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our “intellectual and moral strength.” Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can’t replace parents; that government can’t turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility — that’s the essence of America’s promise.

And just as we keep our keep our promise to the next generation here at home, so must we keep America’s promise abroad. If John McCain wants to have a debate about who has the temperament, and judgment, to serve as the next commander in chief, that’s a debate I’m ready to have.

For while Sen. McCain was turning his sights to Iraq just days after 9/11, I stood up and opposed this war, knowing that it would distract us from the real threats we face. When John McCain said we could just “muddle through” in Afghanistan, I argued for more resources and more troops to finish the fight against the terrorists who actually attacked us on 9/11, and made clear that we must take out Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants if we have them in our sights. John McCain likes to say that he’ll follow bin Laden to the Gates of Hell — but he won’t even go to the cave where he lives.

And today, as my call for a time frame to remove our troops from Iraq has been echoed by the Iraqi government and even the Bush administration, even after we learned that Iraq has a $79 billion surplus while we’re wallowing in deficits, John McCain stands alone in his stubborn refusal to end a misguided war.

That’s not the judgment we need. That won’t keep America safe. We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.

You don’t defeat a terrorist network that operates in 80 countries by occupying Iraq. You don’t protect Israel and deter Iran just by talking tough in Washington. You can’t truly stand up for Georgia when you’ve strained our oldest alliances. If John McCain wants to follow George Bush with more tough talk and bad strategy, that is his choice — but it is not the change we need.

We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and Republicans — have built, and we are here to restore that legacy.

As commander in chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation, but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.

I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and curb Russian aggression. I will build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century: terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last, best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a better future.

These are the policies I will pursue. And in the weeks ahead, I look forward to debating them with John McCain.

But what I will not do is suggest that the senator takes his positions for political purposes. Because one of the things that we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and patriotism.

The times are too serious, the stakes are too high for this same partisan playbook. So let us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you, and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be Democrats and Republicans and independents, but they have fought together and bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not served a Red America or a Blue America — they have served the United States of America.

So I’ve got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.

America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can’t just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose — our sense of higher purpose. And that’s what we have to restore.

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang violence in Cleveland, but don’t tell me we can’t uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don’t know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This, too, is part of America’s promise — the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.

I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that’s to be expected. Because if you don’t have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don’t have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.

You make a big election about small things.

And you know what — it’s worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn’t work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it’s best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.

I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don’t fit the typical pedigree, and I haven’t spent my career in the halls of Washington.

But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the naysayers don’t understand is that this election has never been about me. It’s been about you.

For 18 long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said "enough" to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us — that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it — because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time.

America, this is one of those moments.

I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I’ve seen it. Because I’ve lived it. I’ve seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I’ve seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.

And I’ve seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they’d pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I’ve seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.

This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that’s not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that’s not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that’s not what keeps the world coming to our shores.

Instead, it is that American spirit — that American promise — that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.

That promise is our greatest inheritance. It’s a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours — a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.

And it is that promise that 45 years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln’s Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.

The men and women who gathered there could’ve heard many things. They could’ve heard words of anger and discord. They could’ve been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.

But what the people heard instead — people of every creed and color, from every walk of life — is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.

“We cannot walk alone,” the preacher cried. “And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back.”

America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise — that American promise — and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Provided by politico.com

Slowpoke (and Sweva) revealed

2008-08-27T17:49:00.001-07:00

So...I thought this was a good time to unleash this little specimen.

When Jen Sorensen, the creator of Slowpoke, came through the Seattle area last spring on her signing tour for One Nation, Oh My God! a bunch of us went to see her speak about her book at the UW Bookstore, across from campus.

However we must back up for a second...

A couple years back my humanity was glorified to that of a cartoon character...literally...no longer just figuratively, in the embellished stories old friends and college buddies might tell to others about me from time to time, as I know I do the same thing to them occasionally.

No, I do it whenever the chance presents itself.

So it was to be...that the cartoon version of myself would appear in a 'toon titled "Rush Riots '06," a parody on the reaction by Muslim extremists to a Danish cartoon depicting a less than glorified version of Mohammad. The strip is also included in the new Slowpoke book.

In addition, Jen had recently begun her cartoon version of Obama (featuring his big smiley face and all, as you can see).

So, being a big Obama supporter along with a lifetime fan of the band Rush (who I have seen on tour 20 times), and considering the cartoon she drew of me in "Rush riots '06" depicted me as such along with an eggplant version of Geddy Lee's head (Rush's singer and bass player), I thought: "Hey, why not have her sign my book with all three in it?"

It was definitely a big request, however she was kind enough to oblige...and she opened herself up to it since she was signing books by drawing cartoons next to the personal messages she was putting in the front cover.

Plus I figured I didn't ever bother her with such things, so why not ask for the Big Kahuna? I figured it was more than likely I wouldn't ever get to have a personal meeting with Obama, so why not bring it to life in an drawing?

So, per my request to Jen, the cartoon above is what came to be...and I figured since she's on the world's stage this week at the REAL BIG KAHUNA --- the DNC in Denver, blogging for the C-ville Reporter --- that I'd throw this out into cyberspace. S

THE LARGER P-PATCH -- America must work harder on its environmental record to set an example for other nations, such as Peru

2008-08-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Despite an era of goofy politics in which environmentalists have been both crucified and demonized for speaking their minds --- all while unselfishly trying to help everyone except themselves --- interestingly enough, we've seen an undertow in the same era of unprecedented progress, environmental awareness, and a national mood forming into a greater world view on the environment and its fragility.

It's that old cliche; the stormy dark night before the dawn...or the tasty plate of scrambled eggs, and then you bite into eggshell...or like that first sip of a hot cup of coffee, just to find out it brewed too weak...okay, shut up! You know what I mean.

Fortunately, the vision of non-profits and selfless, dedicated work of countless individuals has produced too many successful advancements in the environmental universe to mention...such as the awareness of global warming and effects of climate change...the advancements of LEED standards and green building implementation...the expansion of recycling effectiveness...New Urbanism bringing us closer to our workplaces and getting us out of our cars....and when we do need to drive, the ability to jump into a hybrid.

However we MUST do more...we must bring these strengths to the forefront and enter a partnership with the rest of the world...and in the process address the larger picture of greenhouse gas emissions and the world's energy future.

That starts by becoming part of the solution, not part of the problem...and of course that means to Help Obama! become the next President.

Anyway, my return from three weeks in Peru in the last few days has me thinking about how important America's example is for the rest of the world to follow, especially in the Americas.

Sadly, Peru is so far behind us on their environmental awareness it's hard to know where to start. The poverty in that beautiful nation - beautiful for its people, its land, and its heritage - is beyond staggering. Everyone is focused on feeding themselves, or in the case of the minority rich, maintaining their wealth...but that's a SMALL minority. Most people there live in poverty and struggle every day to feed themselves and their families. Simply put, ECONOMICS DRIVES EVERYTHING in Peru.

Which brings back the question that every environmentalist hides under their jacket from...the ages old argument that, in my experience, has tied up every single tongue I've seen it presented to, without a single exception: if you're worried about feeding your mouth, how are you supposed to worry about the environment?

Uhhhhh...wellllllll...ummmmmmm...okaaaaaaay... Huh.

Let me know if you have an answer.

The problem is that we need to start finding solutions fast...because even if America had an impeccable record on the environment (which it doesn't), there's still the issue of the rest of the world outside of Europe, and how to bring them along.

Heck, it's difficult in Peru to find a garbage can for proper disposal of waste, let alone start pontificating on environmental standards...that is, if you could ever work with local or national officials to begin with, who are part of a corrupt, broken system of government and put in office by special interests...not to mention that you're seen as the Gringo barking orders to a Latin American country on how they should live their lives in an environmentally responsible manner.

Uh, good luck with that. Get back to me if you figure something out.

If anything's to ever be done in which some sort of tangible result would be detected, it would probably need to start with some international standards being set for vehicle and power plant emissions and the related technologies. Then there's the whole funding, education, and enforcement end of it.

Still, despite nonexistent emission standards on vehicles in Peru and resulting dirty smoke in the city streets; despite the piles of garbage in rivers and washes along the poverty-striken countryside; despite the unplanned growth creeping up the slopes of volcanoes in places like Arequipa, just waiting to be obliterated from the map in the next eruption; despite the restaurant owners carelessly throwing bleach water into the streets which will inevitably find its way into the water system...there's signs of hope.

It came primarily in the way that individuals, in the most humble of lifestyles and situations, were embracing solar technology. It was utilized for the heating of water systems on the rooftops of some of the hostels and hotels I stayed in...which was nice, because that guaranteed the event of a hot shower, let alone the power that was saved.

The most striking example, however, came at the floating islands outside of Puno on Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world (resting at a staggering 13,000 feet). Folks on these floating islands, in their modest lifestyle, utilize the reed to its fullest. It shelters their heads, cooks their food, builds them boats, and gives them land to walk on. It's the backbone to their lives.

...and through this lifestyle, which seems so primitive and salt-of-the-Earth (or salt-of-the-Lake) to our eyes, what did I see?

Solar panels.

As the picture here indicates, this was their primary source of electricity. It gives them lights at night, and allows them to power minor gadgets and devices. I was beyond impressed.

So there's glimmers of hope out there, even in countries that generally present the most backwards of mindsets on the environment...but that can change...and we can get more solar panels up and running in other parts of Peru...if we only show some backbone and strive to emerge as an international leader on the environment.

It's all about the process of building a more perfect union...and our progress on national and international environmental standards is no exception. If we can't set an example for our neighbors, then who will? S

Get LOHAS, baby!

2008-06-19T22:10:00.000-07:00

It's healthy! It's green! It's Julie Andrews bouncing through a field of poppys in Switzerland!

It's LOHAS!

No, no, no, not alohas. Say LOHAS! Please don't say ALOHA...if you were going to...we're not in Hawaii (yet), nor are we leaving Hawaii, as aloha means both hello AND goodbye... that is if you confused "lohas" with "aloha," as I predicted... anyhoo...wait! LOHAS IS IN the word Aloha! Wow man! It's a Grateful Dead Dark Star live at the Fillmore '69 tripfest, maaaan!

Okay, sorry... it's actually a Radiohead live at Red Rocks 2008 brought to you by Bud Light tripfest. Got my wires crossed there.

So back to Aloha...uh, I mean LOHAS. Come on everyone, jump on the bandwagon! Jumping on the bandwagon, in a literal sense, would actually be the exact right thing to do, since bandwagons as I understand them are horse-driven, and therefore eco-friendly.

LOHAS stands for "Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability"... so there you are. I'm trusting you get the idea.

The LOHAS term is used to describe people who hold several key values, including:

Long-term View – They strive to improve the quality of life for the world’s present population while trying to ensure that future generations have options to grow unburdened by the delayed costs of our present growth and development policies.

Holistic Perspective – At its most abstract level, they look at the whole, the parts, and the intertwining and interaction of the parts to understand a given problem. They look at the interdependence of humans, machines and the environment in the broadest terms. At a more practical level, they look at the holistic interdependence of economic factors, community development and the physical environment as an essential starting point in analyzing problems and in coming up with workable solutions.

Stewardship of Natural Resources – A fundamental perspective of LOHAS is understanding the limits of exploiting our natural resources and the environment. A LOHAS goal is to live a sustainable life. That is, how do we protect and preserve the resources of our planet and how do we use these resources most efficiently and safely.

Empowerment Through Knowledge – The LOHAS worldview is built on the broadest possible sharing of knowledge. This sharing allows communities to empower themselves, plan effectively and make cooperative decisions where all of the stakeholders have the maximum access to information that is critical to the problem at hand. They believe everyone should live a life of continuous learning to enhance their personal development and that everyone has a responsibility to educate others of their insights.

Accepting Responsibility – The key LOHAS values of "Sustainability" and "Wellness" are empty intellectual concepts unless people and organizations act upon those values. Businesses bear a heavy responsibility in re-orienting our society along sustainable development lines. Their corporate social responsibility involves: understanding the life-cycle of products from initial concept and design to final end-use and recycling, eliminating waste in the production process wherever possible, reducing or eliminating toxic substances used in the process, reducing energy usage, using “full-cost accounting”, producing with zero defects, promoting intelligent consumerism and turning formerly negative aspects of production into positive aspects that improve the bottom line and competitive position of companies. Government agencies have the opportunity to make government “greener” and more efficient by showing the way for the private sector because of their vast procurement expenditures, energy usage, waste and recycling policies. Government can also promote model behavior by rewarding early adopters of sustainability with legislative and financial incentives. Ultimately, consumers have to be convinced that sustainability is important to the quality of their lives and to the lives of future generations. Unless each of us starts taking significant steps towards building a sustainable society, we may face catastrophic social and environmental crises after we have foregone many options with easier or lower social costs.

Prevention & Wellness – They believe people should strive to reduce health risk factors through prevention, self-knowledge and wellness activities.

Social Justice – They believe that social justice should prevail over self-aggrandizement, sexism, racism and unsound government policies.

Authenticity – They are adamant that “authenticity” should be at the core of people’s lives, culture, products, and communities, in other words – “people should practice what they preach.”

People all across America and the world have used LOHAS concepts to restructure their lives to be more in harmony with these values. Most of these lifestyle changes have been small, such as starting with “dolphin safe” tuna or cosmetics free from animal testing. Yet, over the last several decades, LOHAS lifestyles have spread to every corner of the country and to every demographic group.

Ideas about health, environment, business, energy or community development that were once considered “fringe” or “radical” are now part of the mainstream of American life. The medical profession and government agencies now understand that prevention of disease is just as important as advancing new treatments and providing an equitable distribution of medical services.

Many major corporations are slowly realizing that promoting health and safety on the job and using sustainable business practices help the long-term bottom line and improve the global competitiveness of the company. Local utility companies are promoting energy conservation and encouraging the deployment of renewable energy sources. Local and state political leaders are seeing the holistic “big picture” of economy, environment and social equity when it comes to making development decisions for their communities.

SIZE OF LOHAS AUDIENCE – 68 Million Adults in the U.S.

Why are LOHAS values important?

Because of the sheer magnitude of the number of people who are organizing their lives, their families and their communities around LOHAS values. Today, over 68 million adults in the U.S., or 32.3%, are part of the LOHAS market (Natural Marketing Institute). That is 1 of every 4 adults! If we include the an additional 30 million people who are just becoming aware of the meaning and benefits of LOHAS lifestyles, that brings the ratio up to an astounding 1 in 3 American adults.

Although these huge numbers are impressive, it is very difficult to identify LOHAS consumers through conventional demographic measures. LOHAS consumers are a representative sample of the U.S. population as a whole. Their ages, income and race match national sample profiles. They are not only Baby Boomers, but range in age from 18 to 70 years. Only two demographic characteristics really stand out: they are more highly educated and over 60% are women.

What unites LOHAS consumers is their shared values. They share a whole way of life and a whole set of beliefs about how the world works. They are skeptical and discerning. They have a different set of priorities than other Americans about what is important in life. They are continually redefining what success means. LOHAS consumers often choose careers that pay less, but offer other social compensations.

They are very creative. They start new businesses, new social movements, new ways of life, and new ways of seeing the world. They are personally and socially constructive. They are engaged in life. They are grounded optimists. Experience is often more important to them than the accumulation of products. That’s one of the reasons why spas and eco-tourism are booming industries.
So there it is...a tip of the top hat to lohaslifestyles.com for the information. Here's a good site to get you started in a most tubular and LOHAS of a way: LOHAS: Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability - LOHAS S

In the Gas Crunch, We Have the Planners to Thank

2008-05-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

With rising gas prices beginning to change the mindset and habits of commuters, it's most fortunate that more of our newer communities and redeveloped urban spaces are livable, biker-friendly, and pedestrian-friendly.

It's not by coincidence, either.

As early as the late 80s, and into the 90s, urban planners have adopted a concept called "New Urbanism." I should know, I've been one of them since the early 90s.

The idea is to end the compartmentalization of urban spaces between neighborhoods, workplaces, and goods and services. Instead, you mix it up a bit more. For example, you might notice the return of street-level store fronts in urban spaces, with residential dwellings on top of them. That brings people closer to their needs and services, and minimizes their reliance on transportation.

When transportation is necessary, urban spaces are more friendly to alternative transportation modes such as rail, bicycle, and public transit. Much of this has to do with the philosophy of New Urbanism adopted and put into action by planners at the local level; a concept that actually trickled up to the Presidency when Bill Clinton was in office - which gave birth to Federal ISTEA funding for transportation projects that bring together multiple nodes and encourage connectivity (say from auto to light rail to the airport, for example).

This was all foreseen without the heavy specter of an energy crisis many years ago, because it made sense.

A planner by nature is trained to work with the logic of conservation when it comes to urban design, and trained to provide options for communities. That means options on housing, infrastructure, parks and open spaces, and --- last but not least --- transportation.

So now with the energy crunch knocking on our door, we hear folks making statements like: "Wow, I never thought of using that bike path as a way to get to work...as a matter of fact, I don't think I even knew it was there."

No problem...your local city planner who was on staff 15 years ago (more than likely) fought with a slimy developer over that issue through the course of several staff meetings, and in doing so may have very likely put his job and livelihood on the line, depending on the intricate politics involved at the time.

The everyday person probably has no clue whatsoever what happens years in advance with urban planning, the politics that come into play, and the screaming matches at city council meetings over things such as bicycle paths.

Seem ridiculous? You have no idea. Very few barely have a peek into the nutty logic-defying world of planning politics.

I've seen it all, and will probably see more... inebriated Planning Commission chairs stumbling into meetings. Developers stooping to the level of name calling and cursing at Mayors during council meetings - with 50 members of the public in the room bearing witness. 150 screaming citizens in a council meeting demanding a Mayoral resignation and protesting in front of city hall for months on end, and a council vote of no-confidence for the same Mayor --- and the guy STILL refused to resign. Property owners protesting their own rezonings. NOT KIDDING OR EXAGGERATING ABOUT ANY OF THAT.

Careers actually can be made or destroyed over such things as bicycle paths...because planners, especially the ones certified through the AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners) are required to follow an oath, if you will, to uphold a special concept that fewer and fewer professionals seem to know about, and very few in the world of development: ETHICS.

My ethics were challenged many a time by developers, co-workers, even my own boss in one case. What did I do to keep my integrity if all else failed? I resigned. That's right.

Why did I do that? Well, for a multitude of reasons, but first and foremost I REFUSE TO BE A WHORE TO THE SYSTEM. I went into planning for a reason; to uphold high standards for laying the framework to building a new civilization, and to include the public in the process. Not for a mayor, not for a commissioner, and certainly not to line the pockets of some fat cat developer who refuses to follow the rules and zoning laws at the expense of the general public.

Anyhow, my apologies for digressing...what were we talking about?

So it is then...that we will hopefully feel, and start taking advantage of, the fallout of decisions driven by planners from many moons ago while we go through this protracted and unfortunately painful transition from oil. S

Solar-powered watercraft

2008-05-26T00:07:00.000-07:00

Imagine the countries of the world trading with each other through the use of combined solar and wind-powered shipping tankers. Think of the fuel costs and power that could be saved as a result.

It may not be that far off, as such watercraft are currently in use.

There's one in existence right now, in the harbor of Sydney, Australia. More concepts are being developed as we speak to expand the use of this technology.

It's solar-powered watercraft; alive and well.

Using a combination of solar and wind power, the ferry in Sydney uses 90% less power than it otherwise would if it used a typical combustion boat engine.

I guess this is sorta like the aqua version of the EV-1, the electric car from the mid-90s (which wasn't solar, but it's the closest thing I could think of)...but hopefully this boat doesn't see a death like the EV-1 did...that's a story for another day.

Nevertheless, this isn't bad...a start in the right direction, at the very least.

It's encouraging to see that the solar mindset has started to infiltrate the maritime world. S

THE LARGER P-PATCH -- We MUST get off our reliance on oil NOW. PERIOD!

2008-04-23T23:03:00.000-07:00

Well, not really the end of the story, as I continue here past the title.

I've long been in the camp of not scoffing at the raising gas prices, because I believe that the only way for the system to change is to let it implode; to shock it.

Kinda like that Peter Gabriel song "Shock the Monkey?" Yeah, sure, whatever. Go back to your 80s porridge pie, papa bear. SOOOOORY POOOOOORIDGE! (that's for you, M.H. - love to ya, brother! Meet me in Peru, okay? Hopefully.)

Unfortunately, it will be a tough transition period, and many will suffer in the process. Many who aren't prepared for the change or can't afford the rise in all the things rising gas prices will affect.

As gas prices go up, so do many other things... such as the food we eat, and the products that we buy. The costs of the shipping will carry over to the costs of the retailer, which will then carry over to the costs of the consumer.

THAT MEANS YOU AND ME.

I'm hoping that wiser minds see what's coming and come up with solutions to spearhead the transition away from fossil fuels... the acceleration of hybrid and plug-in vehicles, also to that of large shipping trucks and other types of transportation such as aircraft and watercraft. We need the post-Prius version of those! Perhaps rail could make a larger comeback...but without the coal burning engines, please. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So anyway, those are the thoughts for the night. Maybe wishful thinking, but the American people are inventive. When faced with a dire situation, they learn to improvise.

I know we will learn to improvise with this transition away from oil. We have no choice. We have to! S

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

About all I'm capable of doing right now is wishing everyone a happy Earth Day, and an environmentally responsible Earth Week, as I'm laid out on my ass with food poisoning today.

Going back to bed, hope everyone's doing better than I am. S

Carbon Footprint Obsession Disease

2008-04-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

Yep, it's a disease...you mean you haven't heard of it?

Maybe you've felt it, however. I know I do.

It may have started in me in the 1970s, when I was still under the age of 10. Not kidding...only at the time, I didn't really understand exactly "what it was" that was bothering me.

Maybe it was watching carbon emissions spewing out of the cars at the time in a cloud of blue and black smoke, and thinking "Huh. That stinky stuff probably isn't good for the air. If you add it all up over time, what are the consequences of all of it going to be on the atmosphere?"

I was probably as young as 7 or 8 at the time, and my mind was starting to pine over this stuff...and then I'd sky rocket the water bill by taking the garden hose to a mound of dirt to create streams in make-believe natural settings for my G.I. Joe and his jeep.

What can I say, I was Mr. Supersophiticated... way ahead of my time.

So you can only imagine where that's evolved around 30 years later.

I don't consider myself to be much of a worrywart, but I do have an obsessive-compulsive side...and I'd say the subject of the environment, and the behaviors related to my "carbon footprint," well...I guess they plague my brain.

Maybe plague isn't the right word, because it's all for a good cause...I say plague in the context that I feel the weight of the issue on my shoulders EVERYWHERE I GO...and I almost can't look at ANYTHING without trying to assess the carbon footprint equation it introduces to the planet.

It's attached to EVERYTHING. The behaviors of strangers. Which waste receptacle to use, and why isn't the glass one provided? Driving by fast food drive-thru lines with the rows of cars idling. Food consumption and its sources. Guilt at the gas pump on why I haven't picked up a hybrid yet...and contemplating if I'll still feel guilt at the pump even when I have a hybrid. The oil used in paving roads. Building design and efficiency of heating and cooling systems. The exhaust trail behind the plane flying overhead. The images on television of ice caps melting and polar bears in peril.

AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH!!! There...now I feel better.

Anyone out there experiencing any symptoms? S

EARTH HOUR: Turn out the lights tonight at 8PM!!!

2008-03-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Sydney, Australia has just started doing it today (as I'm writing to you in the Pacific Standard Time zone), and more cities are to follow.

For 60 minutes tonight, March 28 at 8PM local time, everyone is supposed to shut off their lights and "power down" for an hour.

I don't think that means unplugging your refrigerator or anything like that, more than it means turning off all the lights in the house and not using appliances.

Here's the website for details: Earth Hour US - Earth Hour 2008. The event is being sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, here's a link to their site too: WWF - Endangered Species, Wildlife Conservation, Animal Habitats. They have some really slick animal adoption programs available that allow you to take ownership of saving species...definitely worth your time to check out...I adopted a Siberian Amur Leopard for my folks as a $50 gift for the holidays.

Sorry, digressed there. So if you want to put some simple and easy environmental stewardship into action, the Earth Hour is an excellent way to do it!

I hope this starts to become a recurring event. S

On cologne...and friendship

2008-03-28T11:12:00.001-07:00

I'll admit it...I'm a bit of a cologne junkie...but I never sat down and analyzed why, or what's behind it.

Until recently. Interested? Read on...

...but first, a little about me.

In describing who I am, one person was once quoted as saying: "...he can tell you EXACTLY what's on his mind...which is not always pretty...but it comes straight from the heart."

Sure...that's probably pretty accurate about part of me. While I can have my "animated" moments, off-color humor, progressive political opinions, seething anger about the state of the planet and environment, and deliver brutal honesty at times (which isn't always a bad thing in the larger picture, and necessary at times), for the most part I consider myself to be a rather mellow, down to earth guy.

I can also tell you what I am not. I'm not into glitz and glamour, as I don't envy the "Hollywood lifestyle"...even a little bit. Most of it makes me want to vomit; the affairs and divorces, the constant spotlights and lack of privacy, the ugliness of bad behavior and addiction, the entitlement attitudes, and that whole selling of the soul thing. The whole whirlwind of it all and how many families it destroys. Very very sad stuff.

So all that being said, as I wouldn't consider myself "high class" or "foofy" (whatever that means, but it sounded appropriate), the variety of colognes I have in my medicine cabinet do have a special value in my life.

For me, they're attached to memories and people I know. That translates into moods and what I'm feeling on a certain day, and that dictates what I pull out of the medicine cabinet. I have a rotation of about 10 varieties.

Some are what I'd call my "top tier" colognes, and I tend to gravitate toward what I refer to as the "musky" "water-based" and "sea salt" types of scents: Hugo Boss, Azzaro Chrome, Davidoff Cool Water, Nautica Latitude-Longitude, Alfred Sung (I like the purple color of it too), and a old favorite discontinued many years ago by H2O Plus, called Waves.

My "second tier" ones I tend to prefer less due to the nature of the scent (usually gifts, and unfortunately just not my type), but I find ways to use them...they're what I might wear when exercising or for more casual situations: various scents from the Avon's men's line such as Far Away and Tempest, a Garden Botanica brand called Botanika (my personal fav of my 2nd tier set), a brand called Santa Fe, and an old discontinued brand from the 80s called Emotions.

So there it is, the whole world can now judge me on my cologne collection...but before you make any snap judgments, there's something running a bit deeper here.

I can count the number of TRUE friends that I have on probably one hand...I'm talking about people who you'd risk your life for...who you'd put your reputation on the line for...who know your faults and secrets...who knew you when you were a scrawny little shit. That kind of friend.

With these friends, our history typically goes back many many years to high school or college, and in some cases even elementary school. Many memories, many fun times...and definitely some dark times too. They're the people I weathered many storms with, and whom I safeguard many subjects with in confidence.

There's only one nagging issue with a majority of these friendships, however, due to no fault of anyone. While we keep in close touch through phone and email, and plan visits and vacations together, we all happen to live far apart from each other. We're scattered across several different states, and we all seem to be travel junkies as some of us leaving the country for months at a time is becoming a recurring pattern. All this is a testament to the individuality, success, resourcefulness, and desire for an enriched life experience of everyone involved.

So recently, one of these friends I speak of, who I met in college and was currently living 5 minutes away from me relocated to his hometown out of state. While I'll miss him, it was a healthy move and something he needed to do. For his going away dinner, I was trying to think of a gift for him, and recalled the days when we lived together in Arizona and a cologne he used to wear, Davidoff's Cool Water.

He actually introduced me to the stuff...and it came on the market in 1988, the year we first met. How 'bout that. So while I realized he had probably moved onto other colognes, I decided for nostalgia's sake to pick up a set of the old stuff for him.

So the thought occurred to me today, as I was putting on some Cool Water enroute to no special event or place of particular importance, of how a scent can remind you of an old friend. For me, that's what my cologne collection represents...memories and friendships. It's almost more about the memory than it is about the actual scent.

So as the day goes on, the scent might fade a bit, but the friendships and memories only grow stronger.

I'll end this post with an appropriate passage that's very dear to me; a read from The Prophet by Kalil Gibran. S

On Friendship
Kahlil Gibran

Your friend is your needs answered.

He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.

And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.

When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.

For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.

For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.

For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.

And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.

For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.

Educating the masses: the PLANET EARTH dvd series

2008-03-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

"I'm only focused on the economic aspect... I don't want to recycle... I don't care about pollution... What's in it for me?"

We all know someone like this. There's one in every family or group of friends. Here's a chance to try to do something about it.

For less than $50 on DVD and $65 on high def Blue-Ray, you can purchase a gift "to educate that someone we all know" with the BBC series Planet Earth (see the trailer embedded in this post). For those of you who saw clips of it on TV last year and were annoyed by Sigourney Weaver's narration, rest assured that she's missing in action on the disc series... Sir David Attenborough gives it an added touch with the English accent.

...or if you haven't seen it yourself, pick it up. It's worth every penny, and you'll watch it repeatedly. S

RED ALERT! Some etiquette at the market, please?

2008-03-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

Shopping at Whole Foods yesterday for organic vegetables, I noticed what has become a recurring pattern in our urban society.

It's called rudeness and lack of consideration... and nowhere is it more apparent than at the market these days.

In some ways, I see it as a reflection of the downward spiral of our society in general... everyone out for themselves... nobody willing to compromise and work together for the greater good.

Does that sound like a primary election that we're having? Could it be that the hornet's nest demeanor of the market mirrors our political landscape? Can it be? How can it be? Wow!!! (yelling out loud, with jaw wide open for at least 5 seconds, like the scary screaming face on the Pink Floyd - The Wall poster)

I blame it in its parts to a reaction to more compact urban spaces, general selfishness, lack of awareness and social skills, pure stupidity, more lack of agility and fat folks, and a general inability to see the larger picture of how "working together, we both succeed."

Let me repeat: "Working together, we both succeed."

One more time: "Working together, we both succeed."

Just to be annoying: "Working together, we both succeed." Theeeere you go... now, all you dummies, go off to market and find your success!!!

...but not without some general rules of etiquette for you to follow... just in case you forget my catch-all phrase of the day.

Rules at the supermarket:

Plan what you want to get BEFORE going to the market... it will go a long way. Thank you.
Say "pardon me" or "excuse me." Take a chance, it might actually work... and at the same time start a "pay it forward" chain reaction. Thank you.
Try a little awareness of your surroundings... if you can move your cart to the side and out of the way, PLEASE do so. Thank you.
Whenever possible, try shopping in a tandem of two, and consider actually using it to your advantage... one person should "drive" and commit all their attention to cart etiquette while the other "fetches" the goods. Thank you.
Get familiar with your market layout... and do it quickly. It's totally worth your time and will eliminate future annoyances for everyone, including yourself. When moving to a new area and seeing which stores you'll be going to, it might even make sense to go on a "scouting mission" to get familiar with the layout. Thank you.
To the effect of the prior point; venture through the market aisle to aisle in an organized manner; running to and fro will only make you that much more annoying to others. The ONE exception to that hard and steadfast rule: the frozen section, which is typically the last one you hit, right before approaching the register... That's the home stretch... there's a reason the frozen section is where it is. Thank you.
When running into others you know; if a conversation ensues (what I refer to as a "tea party"), step to the side of the aisle, preferably in a place that's out of the way... or if the conversation gets really involved, decide to meet for coffee afterwards... or at a motel room... whatever works. Thank you.
If the thought of adhering to ANY of these rules and guidelines makes you seethe at the teeth, I'd consider going to the market during non-peak hours, when nobody else is around... that might be a healthy thing for ALL OF US. Thank you.
Or, if you're simply too busy, "market shy," don't like people in general, are teetering on the edge of shooting up a place, or if I've convinced you to avoid the market and you have now decided to poo-poo the idea of going anymore --- you can avoid the whole shebang by having your groceries delivered. Stores do it now for a modest fee, and they'll even bring them into your house... they won't eat them for you however; that's up to you. Thank you.
Try this phrase: "Thank you." It produces pleasant and interesting results. Thank you.

ANY violation of these rules, perceived or real, may result in one of the following, or a combination thereof, occurring around you, at you, or on you... henceforth:

Hearing "excuse me" or "pardon me" directed at you excessively... that means you've caught the market on an unusually "good day," and YOU are the aisle annoyance for everyone else.
To the effect of the prior statement, if later at home you feel stomach pain or other body pain... that means other shoppers made a voodoo doll of you and are poking you with needles or other devices of torture.
A banana being jammed into your ear.
A rutabaga being thrown at your head.
A random stranger sneaking up behind you and pissing in your pocket.
A lasso and dragging around the grocery store by the Lone Ranger of your "tea party" if you and yours are blocking the aisle.
A shopping cart crashing into your cart that's in the way (or YOU, if you're in the GODDAM WAY [chances are is hasn't been the first time, either.])
Lots of dirty looks from passers by if you haven't planned in advance, and are holdng up the vegetable aisle "debating" between the Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
Excessive staff questions like "Can I help you find anything?" or "May I pick that up for you?" if you're turning the aisle into a train wreck.
Or no help from the staff at all... or perhaps when you ask where the water chestnuts are, they'll point you to the chopped liver aisle just to "get even" with you.

Good day, and good luck...

One more time... "Working together, we both succeed."

(bowing to a KeyArena crowd of 21,000) Thank you! Thank you... Thank you very much. Thanks so much. Thank you! You're too much! Thank you. My oh my, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. S

A nature lover's winter in Quebec

2008-03-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

Here's a beautiful read from Neil Peart, one of my favorite musicians who has a deep connection with the Laurentian Mountains in Quebec, Canada where he has a winter home.

Go to: NEP News - Tales from the Trail. Peart has a very easy flow to his writing, with a warm personal touch.

He's authored several books, focusing mainly on a variety of personal travel experiences; his works include The Masked Rider, Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road, Traveling Music, and Roadshow: Landscape with Drums...

They're all worth your time to check out. S

Something new: careers in cartoon voice-overs

2008-03-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting article I stumbled on this morning... don't ask me how it happened, it just happened.

Maybe it has something to do with the fact I'm in the middle of a career change and looking for ideas.

You can see the folks here to the right performing voice-overs for The Flinstones... can you tell who Wilma and Barney Rubble are? I'm sorry, that's "Betty Rubble."

Uh, it might help to get the characters right BEFORE performing the voice-over. ...so huh... maybe I'll be heading up to Vancouver sometime soon.

For those of you out there who've ever dreamed of being the next Yogi Bear or Bugs Bunny, this is for you. S

Taken from the "Point of View," by MarkEvanier... originally published 9-27-1996

In the last four days, I've received three letters and two phone calls from people who want to get into the field of doing cartoon voices. One of the calls almost stunned me with its nonchalant assumption that this is an easy-entrance business. This lady seemed to think it was like signing up to earn frequent-flyer mileage. I imagine her deciding she wants to be in the movies, then calling up Martin Scorsese and saying, "Hi. I'm a clerk-typist here in Dayton, Ohio. Is it okay if I star opposite Robert DeNiro in your next movie?"

It would be wrong to tell these aspiring voice artists that what they want is impossible. In show business, nothing is impossible, except an honest accounting of profits. Not all that long ago, Conan O'Brien was a writer and bit-part performer. If he'd told me he wanted to take over for David Letterman on NBC, I'd have gone, "Uh-huh, well, I wouldn't bet on that ever happening."

Still, when folks ask me about something like getting into cartoon-voicing, I feel I'd be doing them a disservice not to clue them in that it might not be all that easy to attain. Is it possible? Of course. But then so is winning the lottery.

The first cartoon voice artist was probably Walt Disney. He made the first sound cartoons and he cast himself, altogether appropriately, as Mickey Mouse. Many of the early makers of animated talkies looked no further than their own staffs, conscripting artists and secretaries to stand, often trembling, before the microphones.

Which is not to say they were all bad. Walt was fine as Mickey — a task he kept for himself until he became too busy with studio matters. Jack Mercer, the long-time voice of Popeye and other characters, was discovered in the Fleischer Studios art department. And one of the all-time great voice artists, Bill Scott (voice of Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right and umpteen others) was first and foremost a writer and producer.

The first actor to make a living primarily doing cartoon voices was probably Clarence "Ducky" Nash, voice of Donald Duck. Disney heard him on a radio show in 1934 and quickly signed him to what turned out to be a lifetime gig. When "Ducky" wasn't speaking for The Duck, he was the studio's goodwill ambassador, making personal appearances with a ventriloquist figure of Donald.

Then in 1936, Warner Brothers gave a shot to a beginning radio actor named Mel Blanc. Smart move.

Blanc billed himself as the Man of a Thousand Voices — good p.r. but probably not an accurate count and certainly a misassessment of his talent. It wasn't quantity that made Mel great, it was quality. His "voice characterizations," as the credits called them, were rounded, fully-developed personalities — with comic timing and delivery as skilled as the best radio comics of the day. The cartoon acting field had found its Olivier.

Soon, a few other masters happened along, including Daws Butler, Stan Freberg, Paul Frees and, in a class by herself, the incredible June Foray. Butler — the man Blanc himself called "my only rival" — would later voice Yogi Bear, Huckleberry Hound and most of the early Hanna-Barbera characters.

Between 1950 and 1970 (all dates approximate), a relatively small talent pool supplied most of the cartoon voices in Hollywood. Butler, Blanc, Foray, Frees, Hans Conreid, Don Messick, Allan Melvin, Howie Morris, Janet Waldo, Joanie Gerber, Hal Smith, Dick Beals, Walker Edmiston, Julie Bennett, Lennie Weinrib, Shep Menken, John Stephenson and a few others probably handled about 75% of the work. In 1969, a young impressionist named Frank Welker began doing voices and quickly became ubiquitous. If anyone were to ever tally who since then has logged the most hours making silly sounds before microphones, Frank would be the easy victor.

Since about '70, there seems to have been a rush of new voice performers. Some hail from the comedy circuit and from various improv troupes. Others come out of disc-jockeying or on-camera acting. Most grew up on cartoons, dreaming of someday being Mel Blanc or Daws Butler.

Between 1970 and 1990, the field became flooded with new performers and, since then, it's only gotten more crowded. As a result of Disney features, The Simpsons and a general depression in Screen Actors Guild employment, it is no longer unfashionable for on-camera actors to do cartoon voice work. Many animated shows have rushed to cast actors who are best known for their work on live-action TV series on the questionable (I think) premise that employing these folks elevates the cartoon to some higher level.

Some of these TV stars are as good as the full-time voice actors, many are not, and at least one producer has openly admitted that he doesn't care. For reasons of promotion and prestige, he'd rather have a "name actor" delivering a mediocre performance than a good job by a professional voice artist whose name most folks wouldn't recognize. (Most of them are working for S.A.G, scale, so the celebrities don't cost any more.)

The end result of all this, of course, is that the field keeps getting more and more overrun with talent. Like all forms of professional acting that have ever existed on this planet, the number of folks who want to perform will always greatly exceed the number of roles that could possibly exist.

Cartoon voices are almost always done before the pictures. The animation is done to the voice track. (One exception was at the Fleischer Studios where they usually animated first and voiced after. This order of business is what led to Jack Mercer doing all those wonderful under-his-breath mutterings as Popeye.)

For theatrical cartoons, it has usually been the practice to record the dialogue a line at a time. The actor does multiple takes of each speech, doing it over and over until the director is satisfied. Often, when two or more actors are involved, they're recorded at separate times...or, when one actor does multiple roles, they record one character at a time. Mel Blanc would sometimes perform Tweety one day and Sylvester, the next.

Television cartoons are almost always recorded like a radio play, with the entire cast gathered together in one room, everyone doing his or her lines in sequence. The few instances wherein the actors aren't all together, it's usually because someone wasn't available, not because the producers wanted it that way. Usually, the actors all record together and when they can, the procedure goes something like this...

1. The first thing that happens, of course, is the casting. On a new series, they usually have auditions for the recurring roles. Actor after actor is brought in and recorded reading a few lines of copy, then the producers (or network folks or whoever) whittle down the pile and make their selections.

Each episode also has non-recurring roles — one-time characters who are usually cast by the voice director without an audition. Whenever possible, to save money, they'll try to have the regular actors double. The Screen Actors Guild contract says that, for the basic session fee, an actor can do two roles, plus he or she can do a third for a small increase. If an actor does four roles, the "count" starts over and they get paid the basic session fee again.

Not all actors can double. Some are hired for their one wonderful voice and can't really do a few lines as Man #1 or the Policeman in Scene 22. But to the extent possible, the voice director will have the show's regulars cover other roles, then hire as many other actors as necessary to fill out the cast.

After the actors are booked, everyone gathers at the specified time at a recording studio and the real work begins.

2. Voice actors work from scripts that contain all of the dialogue but little, if any, description of the visuals. Each line is numbered. Sometimes, they may be shown a storyboard or other artwork, especially if the episode contains a new character whose voice must be invented.

The director assigns roles and explains the action. He tells the actors what their characters are doing when they go, "Yow" or whatever. He takes them through the script and may have them read it aloud once or twice. (On certain shows with certain actors, there is a value to not doing this. You let them read it the first time with tape rolling, just in case magic happens. Actors have been known to do things on a first read that they cannot replicate once they know what they're doing.)

Actors will usually mark their scripts as the director explains things. They all have their own mysterious codes and symbols. Don Messick, who is unparalleled at switching voices and playing nine people talking to each other, carries an array of colored markers. He'll highlight one character's lines in yellow, another's in green and so on.

3. The actors are placed at individual microphones in a studio. Each has a few pages of script spread out on a music stand before them. It's not a good idea to have the actors turning pages during a recording. Good takes have been ruined by the sound of paper rustling.

4. The director, who sits outside the booth at a console by the engineer, will designate a sequence to be recorded. He'll say, for instance, "Let's do lines 1 through 20 this take." The engineer will roll tape and then slate, meaning that he'll record some information to identify the sequence. He might say, "This is [Name of episode], take one, lines 1 through 20." This will help him locate the proper takes when it comes time to edit.

5. The actors will perform their lines in sequence. If someone makes a mistake, the director will stop them and either start over or try to find a natural place in the dialogue to restart.

6. Once the take is done, the director may give them comments and do it again several times. Then he may do pick-ups of individual lines. Once he's satisfied he has at least one good take of every line, he will designate which ones to use. He might tell an assistant, "Let's use 1 through 10 from the second take and 11 through 20 from take three, except that I want to edit in the pick-up of line 15 from take four." Later, the editor — sometimes working with the director, sometimes off the notes — will assemble all this accordingly.

(Some directors will also do what is called a "protection take," meaning that they get what they need, then they record another copy in case there proves to be a technical defect with the first version. As the technology improves, this is becoming increasingly unnecessary and many shows are dispensing with it. On Garfield and Friends, we never bothered — and, in 121 half-hour shows, only once did we have to go back and redo lines later because we didn't have a protection take.)

And that's pretty much it. The "gang" method is generally preferred to the system where the actors are recorded separately. Actors like working with other actors. They draw energy and inspiration from one another and the result is usually a more natural flow. Also, this way, the actors have a bit more control over the timing of the dialogue and the pauses between speeches (although even then, the editors may later shorten or lengthen these pauses to suit the animation).

Which brings us back to that original query of how one goes about getting into the field of cartoon voices. The first thing that should be explained is that the competition is fierce and that you must be very, very good. Just being able to do one silly voice around the dinner table is not enough.

Another must: You must be where the work is. About 5% is in New York, maybe 20% is in Toronto or Vancouver, and the rest is in Los Angeles. (I'm talking here just about cartoon jobs. In actuality, no one functions as a full-time cartoon voice actor. They all do other things like commercial voiceovers, announcing, dubbing of movies, narration, etc. But the point is that you have to be where the work is. It won't come to you.)

Those who think they don't need acting lessons are almost always wrong. Even many working voice actors find it helpful to take classes.

There are teachers who specialize in voiceovers. They're usually located in the same cities as the work but any kind of acting coach is better than none. I'd especially look into classes on improvisational comedy and on cold readings. (A cold reading is when you're handed a script and have to perform with zero time to think through the role and rehearse.) If you can find a good tutor of dialects, sign up immediately.

Then you must have a demo of your work — an audio cassette of 2-3 minutes, demonstrating versatility and professionalism. In most cases, you edit up a little montage of scenes and speeches. Excerpts from actual jobs, if any, are more impressive than homemade stuff but, in either case, it ought to be professionally recorded and edited — in a studio, not on your friend's deck from Radio Shack.

In each city where the work is, there are agents who specialize in voiceover performers. The local actors' union/guild should be able to give you a list of them. You would submit a copy of your demo tape to each and then cross every part of your body that can be crossed, hoping that yours would arouse some interest. The odds are steep: Last year, one of the top voice agents received in excess of 2,000 submissions from novices and accepted a grand total of two as new clients.

If the agent takes you on, he or she will send you to a few auditions to see how you fare. If you audition and the director thinks you're better for the role than Charlie Adler, Frank Welker, Rob Paulsen, Joe Alaskey, Greg Burson, Gregg Berger, Don Messick, Hal Rayle, Jeff Bennett, Maurice La Marche, Corey Burton, Howie Morris, Jeff Bergman, Greg Berg, Neil Ross, Billy West, Brian Cummings, Jim Cummings, Bob Bergen, Bill Farmer, Hamilton Camp, Michael Bell, Nick Jameson, Dan Castellaneta and about ninety other guys, you'll get the job.

Good luck. You'll need it.

P.S. Please don't send your tapes to me and don't write for further advice. Everything I have to offer is in this article. I thank you.

The "other side" of Exxon's mouth

2008-03-08T13:02:00.000-08:00

I thought this article from the site Oil Watchdog was worth noting... another example of bad behavior from our oil industry favorite, the promoters of drunken oil tanker slalom racing captains.

If you guessed Exxon, you win a crude oil milkshake with whipped topping and a cherry... I've been refusing to gas up at their locations since the 90s, and also at Mobile stations since the merge.

All of you do realize that Exxon-Mobile hasn't paid ANYTHING in terms of taking responsibility for the Valdez spill in 1989, don't you? It was a rude awakening when I found out about that a few years back.

...but that's a story for another day... S

3-07-08 by dugan

The next time you pump $70 worth of $3.50 a gallon gasoline into your tank, munch on this thought: When ExxonMobil defends its $41 billion yearly profit profit to us angry peasants, it's a mere "10 percent of revenue," just like other big companies and less than, say, big tech companies.

When Exxon reports to big investors, it talks about a much different profit measure.

Exxon's PR department reported this week on CEO Rex Tillerson's speech Wednesday to stock analysts in New York, focusing on plans to "invest more than $125 billion in capital spending over the next five years to deliver major projects to help meet growing world energy demand." More on that later. Buried at the bottom, and not much reported in the financial media, was this:
"ExxonMobil continued its superior performance with a 2007 return on average capital employed of 32 percent, almost 40 percent greater than its closest competitor, and increased its five-year average to 28 percent."

At 32 percent, Exxon is making more than double what U.S industries make on average by the same measure. And about triple what regulated gas and electric utilities make.
Here's a great piece by consumer columnist David Lazarus (now of the LA Times, previously at the San Francisco Chronicle) explaining Big Oil's deceptive spin when it talks about profits to different audiences. It was written in 2006, but it's just as accurate today:

While the oil industry habitually downplays its profitability when speaking to lawmakers, the media or the public, it sings an entirely different tune when addressing investors and others in the financial community.

In such cases, industry officials emphasize not their relatively benign profits as a percentage of total revenue but their very impressive "return on capital employed," or ROCE -- their earnings as a factor of money spent to make money.

Exxon's chief exec, Rex Tillerson, reiterated this point to Wall Street analysts in March. "In our view, ROCE continues to be the best overall measure of financial performance given the long-term and capital-intensive nature of our industry," he said. "I would be cautious of anyone who tries to de-emphasize it."

As for Exxon's plan to invest $125 billion over five years on exploration, refineries and the like, remember that it's a well-spun announcement, not a promise. Not a penny is likely to go to developing renewable fuels. And remember that Exxon spends more than it invests, on a yearly basis, to buy back its own stock.

Since the end of 2005, Exxon has announced $60 billion in stock buybacks, money that doesn't do anything but boost the stock price and act as a piggy bank for a company that makes unspendable, and unspeakable, amounts of profit.

THE LARGER P-PATCH -- Ants in Peril

2008-03-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

That's sorta how I view our society sometimes, and that analogy can make itself VERY apparent when driving down the freeway...

Maybe there's a better insect out there for an analogy (I considered bees), but the ant comparison seems to make the most sense to me, and probably to most...

Everyone knows the makeup of an ant community, and ants are pretty much about everywhere. They're communal, they create armies, and they "go to work."

Listing the comparisons:

We are community-oriented like ants.
We all make nests like ants.
Buildings can be interpreted as anthills.
Freeways are like the pathways that ants make... and the country roads are for the stragglers... like those wandering ants that appear to have lost their way, but they're probably really carrying out a purpose.
Red cars are bad and attention-grabbers, sorta like those nasty fire ants. Cops are probably like that too.
Like us, some ants are meaner than others, and get into fights.
Like us, ants bite.
Our inter-racial tension is like different types (or breeds) of ants fighting over territory (sorry, I'm not an ant specialist, but my aunt is... doh!).
Like us, ants can alter their environment to suit their habitat.
Like us, ants form armies.
As we get into perilous situations, so do ants.
"Ant peril" occurs when events such as the diabolical maneuvers of a boy with the sun and a magnifying glass, or anthill destruction from exterminators, kills ants or makes them vulnerable to injury. I guess that would be like meteors hitting the earth or terrorist attacks... and when that happens we scurry around to to and fro, panicking like ants in peril.
Serving the queen is a tough one... maybe for us the queen is the Godess of Oil, the Queen of England, or something like that.
A bird's eye view of us reveals an appearance probably no different from that of the way we look down on an anthill.
I'm sure there's more I haven't thought of.

So there you are... try it on for size next time you're fighting the other scavengers in the nasty commute. I find it's a good way to amuse yourself and occupy otherwise boring and aggravating drive time... you get as far-fetched with it as you want.

Feel free to share any and as many ant analogies on this illustrious human existence as you wish... knock yourself out! ...but ONLY if the mood strikes. Heaven forbid you think TOO hard and use your imagination (what are you, a worker ant drone?!?!)

Oh, and while you're driving along, try to avoid perilous situations, and don't piss off any red ants. S

Campaigning for Obama reveals a WWII Hero's amazing story

2008-02-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

We're in full throttle right now in Washington State with the primary election process... and I'm in the thick of it.

I'm literally going door to door in my precinct, following an excel spreadsheet of registered Democrats and Independents, to encourage folks to caucus this Saturday --- two days from now --- for Barack Obama.

The man himself is coming to Seattle tomorrow, and is expected to fill up KeyArena --- the same venue where the local pro hoop team, the Sonics, can't get a sellout to save their lives.

With an "OBAMA FOR PRESIDENT" button on my microfleece shell, I've decided to go door to door; I don't want to be just another person with a political agenda calling on the phone, so I figure I can charm folks by knocking on their door in person, and I have an informational flier to hand out.

However, I'm still torn over the idea of doing it... the prospect of performing such business --- in bad weather too, I might add --- carries the perception of jumping into a dirty swimming pool.

However, that being said: there's no candidate for President, IMO, like Barack Obama... so I'm carrying on and doing this.

Never having done anything like this before (door to door campaigning), I don't know what to expect... and when one doesn't know what to expect in an endeavor like this, one tends to imagine being cold and wet, and doors slamming in faces --- if some folks even answer their door at all.

...and that's the easy part!

Then I'm faced with the prospect of trying to politely determine which candidate they want for President before I hand over information related to the caucus, because in all honesty we want Obama folks attending, not Hillary folks.

So the mission continues... however just when you're faced with what appears to be a nasty endeavor, something unexpected happens.

It was literally my first knock on a door in the neighborhood where I live. A friendly, gray haired gentleman with a New York accent answered the door, and I introduced myself. We got to chatting about the upcoming caucus, and he invited me inside. I accepted and the conversation continued.

He introduced me to his friendly wife, who joined us. He invited me into his office, where there stood pictures of WWII veterans groups on the wall, along with several shots of a Destroyer Navy vessel. The same vessel was shown in a glass case as a model, where in the back deck you could see a miniature figure of a sailor waving.

"That's me" he pointed, as the discussion shifted to his participation as a sailor in WWII.

Brief political discussion about shared Democrat's ideals soon gave way to his participation in the war. It seems that he was a sailor on the USS Samuel B. Roberts --- a destroyer that was part of the "tin can fleet" that took on a fleet of Japanese battleships --- guns outnumbered 20 to 1.

The veteran described the odds in the battle being like a youth football team taking on the Chicago Bears.

After a brilliant chess match involving runaway smokescreens coupled with flanking torpedo attacks on the Japanese fleet, in addition to taking head on Japanese battleships --- including the legendary battleship Yamato --- luck ran out as his ship was hit and sunk.

However the results of their heroic actions occupied the Japanese fleet for a long enough time, and the torpedoes (which the enemy did not anticipate) did enough damage (while requiring them to at least dance around them in the water) to where they had to withdraw from the area due to being low on oil and supplies...

History reveals that was a stake in the heart for the Japanese fleet, and perhaps the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

However, that all said; apparently the whole battle of the tin can fleet would have never occurred, and should have never occurred... as it was due to the absent-minded departure from the area the night before of the infamous Admiral Halsey, who took the battleships and aircraft carriers in the area (which the destroyers protected) north to follow a decoy. This left the Philippines, which we were now occupying, literally undefended... with the exception of a group of these brave Destroyers, unknowingly left behind.

So the story goes; he drifted for 50 hours in the water, staving off sharks, watching his fellow sailors getting their legs bit off, before finally being rescued... a rescue that would never have happened were it not for the diligence of a ranking officer who realized nobody had been picked up from the USS Roberts (a day after it was sunk), and as a result commencing heading a rescue mission that involved a 10 hour trip back into treacherous waters.

When he and two others were finally spotted, they were unidentifiable since they were covered in oil. The rescue ship circled around them, trying to identify them, guns pointed down at them. Someone from the rescue ship finally yelled: "who won the World Series?!?!"

He yelled back: "The St. Louis Cardinals!!!" ...and so the story goes...

Look for the accounts of the events involving the USS Samuel B. Roberts in programs on the History Channel, which play monthly... there's one on the battle involving the ship: The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, and another focusing specifically on the USS Roberts: Hero Ships: USS Samuel Roberts.

The USS Roberts lost half its crew through all this... and I heard the whole story from one of the surviving sailors. He lent me copies of the two history channel DVDs, in which he appears in both.

This veteran should easily be dead... talk about having nine lives, I think he's somehow conjured up 15 of them and used them all. There's no question that he has angels looking over him. The crest for the USS Samuel B. Roberts states: "No higher honor," reciting a statement the captain put in his report when he described the valiant effort of the crew, and how he felt about serving with them.

At the end of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, this veteran humbly states that he's not a hero... that the heroes are those who's lives were lost in battle that day, and in the perils confronted on the high seas.

I can appreciate that... however, I shall respectfully disagree...

The veteran I visited with was one of those crew members described in the captain's report; and part of the reason for that motto being on the ship's crest. My mind fails to absorb the experiences he went through that day, and that time spent in the water adrift... we can only appreciate the honor, and the horror, in the stories we are fortunate enough to hear --- which could easily fast become vapor trails fizzling away as the years rip by --- as our heroic veterans pass away.

...but that's not happening on my watch. I plan on collecting and recording stories like this whenever I can, even though I'm not much of a war buff... I believe that's the most respectable thing we can do for our aging veterans; that is, passing along their stories --- such as the one about this sailor --- to my children, and grandchildren... and doing what I can to maintain the lore and heroism of "The Greatest Generation."

I left that flat yesterday thinking: "That was only ONE knock... what's next?" Then I thought about it again...

I knew I was campaigning door to door for a reason. S

PART 6 - Barack Obama's Energy Plan: Make the U.S. a leader in combating climate change around the World

2008-01-18T20:26:00.000-08:00

The final part of a 6 part series on Barack Obama's Energy Policy.

To go to the beginning, scroll down to Part 1. S

The United States has historically been the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world — accounting for about one-fifth of the global total — but emissions are growing fastest among the
rapidly developing countries.

Just this year, China may have passed the US as the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitting nation.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration has failed to engage the developing world just as it has failed to adopt a meaningful policy at home. Making the U.S. a leader in combating climate change will require the United States to get its own house in order; re-engage and re-energize international agreements to reduce greenhouse gas pollution; and most importantly do so with the urgency this brewing crisis demands.

Re-Engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): As the world prepares for the post-2012 phase of the UNFCCC, the United States must regain its leadership role in multiple forums to negotiate effective climate agreements. This requires re-engagement with the diplomatic efforts under the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change . The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it.

Create New Forum of Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters: President Bush recently invited world leaders of the 15 largest emitters of greenhouse gases to a two-day conference, yet he failed to show up with any binding domestic commitments or funding for international efforts to combat climate change. Not surprisingly, these world leaders criticized the U.S. commitment to climate change and we missed an opportunity to join other countries with a serious plan to tackle this challenge.

Barack Obama will take seriously the U.S.’s leadership role in combating climate change. Obama will signal to the world the U.S. commitment to climate change leadership by implementing an aggressive domestic cap-and-trade program coupled with increased investments in clean energy development and deployment.
Obama will build on our domestic commitments by creating a negotiating process that involves a smaller number of countries than the nearly 200 countries in the current Kyoto system.

Obama will create a Global Energy Forum – based on the G8+5, which included all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa – of the world’s largest emitters to focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.

Maintaining a standing international body focused on these issues will give a forum for all of the major emitters – past, present and future – to discuss efforts to combat climate change. In addition, it will give the U.S. and its allies regular opportunities to exert maximum pressure on China and India to do their part and make real commitments of their own.
Obama believes it is important to make clear that the current Bush voluntary approach allows the biggest emitters to escape all international pressure to be a “responsible stakeholder” in the global environment. This Global Energy Forum will complement – and ultimately merge with – the much larger negotiation process underway at the UN to develop a post-Kyoto framework. On a technical level, it will also allow facilitate technology transfer, joint international research, and, importantly, the numerous large-scale international demonstration projects that must be embarked upon immediately in order to make these technologies economically appealing alternatives.

Transfer American Technology to the Developing World to Fight Climate Change: As nations around the world come together to combat global warming, the market for low-carbon energy products will grow significantly.

Obama will create a Technology Transfer program within the Department of Energy dedicated to exporting climate-friendly technologies, including green buildings, clean coal and advanced automobiles, to developing countries to help them combat climate change.
Obama will allow U.S. emitters subject to the cap-and-trade mandates to offset some of their emissions by investing in low carbon energy projects in the developing world. This will help ensure that emissions in both the U.S. and the developing world are reduced.

Cooperate with Oil Importers to Reduce Demand. As new large oil importers come on the market, the United States is at the mercy of an ever more volatile oil market. Obama believes we should use existing organizations, like NATO, to make energy security a shared global goal. We should take steps to engage the largest new consumers, China and India, including by inviting them to join the International Energy Agency. Though they are not OECD countries, a formalized relationship – where we work together on common analysis and emergency response mechanisms – for them with the International Energy Agency (IEA) is imperative. China has completed the first stage of its strategic petroleum reserves and it is in our interest to see them complete that process so that they no longer can freeload on the strategic reserves of IEA members in times of tight oil markets, as was the case after Hurricane Katrina.

Ensure the United States Works with Developing Countries on Climate Change. The world’s poorest countries are already suffering the impact of climate change through drought, famine and water scarcity, even though they are not responsible for the greenhouse gas pollution causing the climate to change. The Obama Administration will permit international offsets under the carbon cap to promote the transfer of low carbon energy to developing countries. An Obama administration will also ensure that U.S. foreign assistance is wisely invested in projects designed to help developing countries adapt to a changing climate.

Confront Deforestation and Promote Carbon Sequestration: A comprehensive strategy to combat global warming must address tropical deforestation which accounts for approximately 20 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. As forests are cut down, burned and converted to other uses, carbon stored in wood, leaves, and soils are released into the atmosphere.

Reducing rates of tropical deforestation will not only slow greenhouse gas emissions but will also protect the livelihoods of local people and the abundance of biodiversity inextricably linked to those forests. By offering incentives to maintain forests and manage them sustainably, the United States can play a leadership role in dealing with climate change.
In addition we must develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that
capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Encouraging these efforts will also provide improve water quality and restore natural areas for wildlife and recreation.

---Taken from Barack Obama's Energy Plan, located at BarackObama.com