Because They're Crooks

CNN is finally asking the question: Why do gas prices follow oil up but not down? They're trying to say that it's basic economics, but I think we all know that's bullshit. The commission last year that determined that price gauging was not happening outright LIED. Driving around town will make that pretty clear. Yesterday I drove no more than a mile down one road from the poor part of town into an extremely wealthy area. The price of gas (again, after driving no more than a mile) raised 30 cents when I crossed the township line. Is the government really trying to tell me that driving half a mile down the road justifies that kind of a hike, especially when we live close to refineries and there's absolutely no reason for that kind of difference? If we're going to let the oil and gas companies fuck us in the ass, let's not pretend that they're bending over as well.

And again, if we would all use less oil, buy fewer plastics, and DRIVE LESS, our troops could come home, the assholes in power would have less money, and we would be doing a lot more to help the environment.

Philadelphia Folk Festival

Last year I wrote about attending my first Philadelphia Folk Festival in years. Last year I was incredibly huge and couldn't volunteer, but we'll be pulling our weight this year. It's 3 days (this year, August 17th to the 19th) of music and harmony (in every sense of the word) and I would say that it can be an almost religious experience. For 3 days a year on a farm in Schwenksville, everyone gets together (some camp, some don't) to enjoy amazing music (this year's theme is Through the Looking Glass!!!) by mostly independent artists. There are plenty of things for families to do together, and there are even children's music performers!

Last year a lot of people wrote me and said, 'Why didn't you tell us a month beforehand so that we could plan to go?" So, here's your warning. If you'd like to go and you don't want to camp, we're about a mile from the site. Bring your bike and you can ride up there (warning: there are hills in PA).

By The President's Logic

I have a neighbor who had his croonies on the township board change the zoning laws to allow his bankrupt business to operate from his home, causing a HUGE industrial eyesore on the neighborhood. It wouldn't be that bad if he ever cleaned up his yard, got the rusting metal off the ground, or, at the very least, put up a fence, but he won't do any of that. We have a lot of kids in our neighborhood, and because it's adjacent to the property, I'm constantly telling the kids to stay away from there or they'll get hurt.

Our President went to war with an entire nation because he thought they might hurt us. Why can't we sue the neighbor because we think the kids might get hurt on his property? If they do, we can sue him for it being an attractive nuisance anyway, so why do we have to wait until someone gets hurt? Shouldn't we be able to force him to clean up his property (which will severely hurt the environment) and put a fence up (so that the kids can't get over there) just like the President was able to invade Iraq so that Saddam wouldn't be able to destroy his own country with nuclear weapons and hurt his own people?

Thinking Green

I don't believe in supporting the movie industry. I think it has sold out in a variety of ways, and I'm not going to get into them now. I haven't gone to see it yet, but I feel I should support Evan Almighty for its work in creating a green set. Whatever your stance on Global Warming, it goes without saying that humans need to reduce their impact on the environment. I applaud Universal Studios, director Tom Shadyac, and The Conservation Fund for setting a new standard for making movies.

In the same general vein, Big Ideas for a Small Planet on the Sundance Channel has become one of my favorite series. It has given us a lot of great ideas for things we can do around the house and organizations we can get involved in to help reduce our carbon footprint.

And in totally off-the-wall environmental news, a lake in Chile has disappeared recently. It's probably not due to Global Warming, though a rise in the suspected earthquakes may be connected to climate change.

War is never good for the environment, but it's GREAT for overpopulation:
3,557 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,129 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq (at least we'll have a use for some of those plastics)

Human Chow

"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are." This quote opens every Iron Chef, but I'm not sure where it comes from. I think it's a fitting way to tell about the culture of a people. I really started thinking about this after seeing a report about cereal companies no longer being able to use licenced characters like Shrek to market to children. I think this is great, especially since cereal is a part of the obesity problem in America. I think puppy chow has more nutritional content than most cereals.

We are an institutionalized and industrialized nation, which is why it's so easy to have a bowl of cereal in the morning (serving size: 1/2 cup) instead of an actual breakfast. Cereal is supposed to be part of a balanced breakfast, which should also include an egg (or other protein), some sort of fruit, and the milk poured into the cereal. In MANY it's cost prohibitive, but the rest of us have no excuse. A 20 oz. box of Cheerios costs $5.29. A dozen eggs costs $0.94. Bananas cost about $0.69 per pound. People who can afford it and choose not to do so are simply lazy.

3,519 US soldiers killed in Iraq
25,950 US soldiers wounded in Iraq

Gr8

I'm really surprised that more people haven't been writing about this, though I guess at this point the G8 Summit is an exercise in futility, at least where the US is concerned. These world leaders get together, and President Bush, with all of the intelligence of an eight year-old says, "I don't have to do what you say. Nanny, nanny, boo-boo." And the other world leaders do... NOTHING. No one, not even Merkle will put him in his place, nor will they explain to him that the US is not the only country in the world, nor is it the one with the largest population. At some point its citizens, or more likely the citizens of the world, are going to call the government on its bullshit, and THAT will NOT be pretty.

Save Some Energy!!!

Move your thermostat down 2° in winter (or leave it at 65 and put on a sweater) and up 2° in summer (or leave it at 76 and put the quilt away for the season). Turn the thermostats WAY down or off when you leave the house, and LEAVE THE HOUSE often. If it’s too hot or too cold to do things outside, go to public places that are being heated or cooled anyway. Remember that heating and air conditioning is a luxury, not a necessity in most places throughout most of the year. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has more tips for saving energy on heating and cooling.Clean or replace filters on your furnace and air conditioner. Cleaning a dirty air filter can save 350 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Really, how much does a filter cost? It only takes a minute to change.

Worth Reposting

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos slogans symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Packaged Goods!

Be sure you’re recycling at home, and make sure that your county is ACTUALLY recycling those materials. Some don‘t. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area. Buy recycled paper products. It takes 70% to 90% less energy to make recycled paper and it prevents the loss of forests worldwide. Proofread papers on the computer and only print out a hard copy (on recycled paper) when you absolutely need one. If you’re in school, ask your professors or teachers if you can submit papers electronically. If they say no, ask why and demand that this option be made available. Avoid heavily packaged products, including (and especially for your health) those at Fast Food places. Cake mixes, pre-packaged snacks, and frozen foods are convenient, but they're not great for the environment. You can save 1,200 pounds of carbon dioxide if you cut down your garbage by 10%. Terrified by the question: Paper or Plastic? Neither is great, but if you live on or near the coast, don’t use plastic. It blows away from landfills and hurts the wild life. Canvas is always the better option.

9/11: Toxic Legacy

Though 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, many are still dying from the effects the environment in and around the area of the World Trade Center has had on their lungs. The people who are truly most important to us as a nation, the men and women who sacrifice EVERYTHING to save us, are dying because the Bush Administration and the EPA said that it was safe to go back to work. Our fighter fighters and police officers who responded first and those men and women who were active in the clean-up (about 25,000 people) have lung problems beyond belief, some of them with so much debris in their bodies that they are almost at 0% lung capacity, and their health benefits are going to run out in 2009. Please contact your local, state, and federal representatives and tell them that the REAL heroes of 9/11 need our continued help and support, and that President Bush and Vice President Cheney should be impeached for their role in the cover-up.

And the continued victims of 9/11 could use a little help as well:
3,322 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq
24,764 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

You Are What You Eat

Frozen food uses 10 times more energy to produce, and let’s not forget how much energy it costs to store. Fresh foods taste better and are better for you. Frozen and overcooked foods lose a lot of their vitamins and almost all of their taste. Buy locally grown and produced foods from area farmers markets or Whole Foods. The average meal in the United States travels 1,200 miles from the farm to your plate. Not only does buying locally help reduce the amount of energy required to grow and transport the food to you by 1/5, it keeps money in your local community, which is ALWAYS a good thing. More farms means fewer housing developments, which means more green space and less carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Try to make sure the farm you buy from is organic. Organic soils capture and store carbon dioxide at much higher levels than soils from conventional farms. If all of our corn and soybeans were grown organically, we’d remove 580 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere! Eat less meat. Methane is the second most significant greenhouse gas and cows are one of the greatest methane emitters. Their grassy diet and multiple stomachs cause them to produce methane, which they exhale with every breath. Besides all that, less meat is better for your health.

Save the Planet!!!

Lawns may be nice, but they don't absorb a lot of carbon dioxide. Plant a tree. A single tree will absorb one ton of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. Shade provided by trees can also reduce your air conditioning bill by 10 to 15%. If you have children, plant one tree for every year they are alive and measure their growth each year. Plant them in a pubic park so that everyone can enjoy them. Tired of sitting in the sun to watch your children's sporting events? Ask if you can plant trees on the sidelines of municipal fields. Donate a tree to your local civic association, school, or church. Plant roses in your front yard. Plant a garden in your back yard and save money on vegetables. If you live in a housing development, petition the Association to allow you to plant trees in public areas. Even better, build benches under them to promote community living. The Arbor Day Foundation will send you 10 trees for a $10 donation.

A Bright Idea

Whether you believe in Global Warming or not, you can still reduce your impact on the environment by following this tip from An Inconvenient Truth. Replacing just one regular incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb makes a difference in your electric bill as well as the amount of carbon dioxide your home emits. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. It might be a little more expensive in the short run, CFLs cost about $3.25 each, but you'll quickly make up the cost on your electric bill. They use 60% less energy than a regular bulb and need to be replaced less often. You can purchase CFLs online from the Energy Federation, and they are available at some local and chain hardware stores. If every family in the U.S. changed JUST ONE bulb, we’d reduce carbon dioxide by more than 90 billion pounds! Imagine what we could do if we switched the bulbs in ALL of our lamps.

If you work in a place where you are comfortable doing so, talk to your boss about replacing the bulbs there, as well. Many people are interested in doing little things to help the environment but they feel overwhelmed or insignificant. Others just can't be bothered to find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint. Take the initiative and let them know. Your grandchildren will thank you for it.

3,220 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
24,042 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Global Warming is REAL

Al Gore is being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize due to his work educating world leaders and the American public about the dangers of Global Warming through his book and movie, both entitled An Inconvenient Truth. This came not long after the State of the Union Address in which the President briefly mentioned that he's like Americans to reduce their fuel consumption by 20% in the next 10 years - a statement that local and national news networks all but ignored. No one, including the President mentioned the various ways to encourage conservation and discourage fuel consumption. Here are a few of my suggestions:

1. Provide tax breaks for people working within 10 miles of their home or those using public transportation. Of course, this would require updating the public transportation system, extending bus routes, and planning future communities in a way that allows the people living in them to travel no more than 10 miles to work, school, or shopping locations. Of course, it would be even better if everything we needed were within walking distance, but that would be too much to ask.

2. Require better gas mileage for all cars.

3. Tax SUV's, Hummers, and trucks for personal use that require huge amounts of fuel. Offer tax breaks to those driving hybrids or cars using alternative fuels.

EDITED: Religious people all over the world have rejected the theory of Global Warming, including our President, who should be impeached for doing so. Since the planet was made by God, and we in God's image, many believe that we could not possibly do anything to destroy either. Religious leaders of all kinds have been rejecting scientific principles since the beginning of time. As conscious citizens, it is our duty to convince them that the care of our planet and ourselves is not only in all of OUR best interests, but it is most likely what God would want us to do (if she exists). And, wouldn't it stand to reason that if we ARE creatures of God and the Earth is her masterpiece, that we should take the best possible care of both?

So that Americans can continue consuming obscene amounts of fuel:
3,088 US Soldiers have been killed in Iraq (this figure DOES NOT include soldiers who were wounded in Iraq but died of their wounds outside of its borders)
23,114 US Soldiers have been wounded in Iraq

The Seventh Generation

The Iriquoi people believed that with action you must consider it's impact on the next Seven Generations. Every major decision should be made that way. Hell, even the minor ones should be made with the future in mind. Things as small as the kind of laundry and dishwashing detergent you use have huge impacts on the environment immediately around you as well as on the world as a whole. Even if you don't believe in Global Warming (though if you don't, you're insane), you have to know that the oil from your car and the chlorine you put into your pool make it back into the water supply. UPDATE: Tonight on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams the Global Warming claim was put to rest "once and for all" with a statement from the meterologist that we are just in an "El Ninno" weather pattern and it will be getting cold soon. He forgot to mention that even when it does "get cold" temperatures will still be at record highs, the ice shelf will still be melting and polar bears will still be drowning.

Let's think about the impact this war will have on our next seven generations. Our children are watching us. They see how we respond to minor threats, and how we refuse to response to major ones. Are we teaching them anything useful by continuing to fight? What about what we're teaching them by dismissing corruption in our government with the phrase, "Everyone's doing it." Would we accept that kind of excuse from our children? Our mission in 2007 is to ensure that at the end of it our children are better off than they were at the start of it. What are YOU going to do?

If you are an American Soldier and you want to register as a Conscientious Objector, visit Peace-Out before you end up like one of these people:

3,004 US Soldiers killed in Iraq - How has the loss of their lives helped our country?
22,565 US Soldiers wounded - How will the cost of their care effect our children?

Use Less Oil

Why is it that no one can seem to use this phrase? Whenever anyone is interviewed about the current crisis in the Middle East or the reduced number of barrels from Alaska, their response is that Americans will have to import more oil from overseas, causing a rise in gas prices. They never say, "Americans will have to use less oil". Obviously no one but Al Gore wants to put a kink in our consumer chain (but who listens to him anyway?), and NO ONE wants to see the oil companies make less money, but how hard is it to say, "Take a walk. Take the bus or train. Build green. Cut down on your use of plastics. Recycle. Put on a sweater. Use cloth diapers. STOP DRIVING SUV's!!!"

They won't say these things because Americans don't want to hear that in order for us to do better individually, we need to make sacrifices as a nation. Americans aren't really good at that word: sacrifice. They're much better at dealing with or repressing the guilt that comes with not sacrificing, if it comes at all. Isn't it our patriotic duty to use less oil, especially when we're at war with one of the major producers of it, and every country that harbors terrorists gets most of their money from oil? This is not a game, people, and it is certainly not a dress rehearsal. THE WORLD IS NOT ENDING. We can reverse the damage we've done and do better in the future.

Truth, Justice, and...

Superman Returns seems to have gone slightly political. Many people see Superman's slogan change as minor, but I think it represents a larger world view, one that cannot be ignored. It is difficult for Superman to fight for truth in a world where its definition is hazy. We watch news conferences filled with spin and "reality" shows that do absolutely nothing to mimic real life (mostly because that would be incredibly boring). When our soldiers are fighting a war for lies and no one is held accountable, there is no justice.

And what exactly is the American Way? It seems to have more to do with the work of Haliburton than with the work of Green Peace. It is consumerism (oil, and our disposable, planned obsolescence society), greed (Haliburton), superficiality (just watch Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, etc...), colossal errors in judgment (Bush), and abandonment (the poor, the education system, those in need of health care, Social Security, immigration...). We have run this nation so far into the ground that even Superman doesn't want to be associated with us. Even my father, generally the winner of "Staunch Republican of the Year", thinks we have a better shot at raising a family and doing well for ourselves in Europe or Canada.

2,543 US soldiers killed in Iraq
18,874 US soldiers wounded in Iraq
Accurate count of Iraqis killed: Unavailable

Do No Harm: Self

The idea that someone else has the right to decide what we do with or to our bodies is absurd. There is something to be said for the survival of the fittest, and there comes a time when compassion must be balanced with caution. Removing personal responsibility from the person can only be a recipe for a disaster. While there are people who mentally or physically cannot care for themselves, the majority of us should be on our own. That is not to say that help should not be provided to us, but whether to seek or accept that help is our responsibility. For any government to suggest that they have the right to limit our personal choices is arrogant beyond belief. To do so is to say, "we know better than you", when in fact, they don't.

If a person wants to end their life, it is their choice. In some situations, ending one's life is the highest form of honor, in others, it is simply an act of mercy. If a person is experiencing chronic and unrelenting pain, dealing with a chronic or terminal illness, or suffering from a degenerative disease, the option to end their lives without consequence should be available to them. If someone wants to kill themselves simply because life has become too difficult for them, by all means, allow them to do so, after reminding them that their family will not be able to claim their life insurance. It is their life, and by definition, their choice, assuming, of course, that they are of legal age and not suffering from mental illness of some sort.

Chemical substances of any kind should be regulated, clearly labeled, and seriously considered before they are used. Organic substances, however, should be consumed at will. Each of us is responsible for what we knowingly put into our bodies. Why should anyone else get to decide how much I eat, drink, or smoke if I am doing it in the confines of my own home? We should all be held responsible for our own overuse as well. Medical conditions resulting from abuse of any substance should not be covered by the government, nor should the government be responsible for the detoxification or rehabilitation of anyone who overindulged.

Teaching Them To Fish

The One Campaign is currently undertaking the education of children in Africa. This organization is stressing the important role of education in allowing people to rise out of poverty and into hope. A child in Africa can be educated for as little as $20 dollars a year with the help of this organization. Educated students in these nations will provide opportunities and advances their family members never dreamed of. How can anyone in their right mind not see that education is the key to alleviating the suffering in the poorest of nations?

The Mission Statement of The One Campaign
"WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs - education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans - would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget.

WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all."