Unrealistic Expectations

The inauguration of America’s first African-American President will soon be upon us. No one can argue that this is a historic event in our country’s history. Who knows? Some day we may even elect a woman as President.

I’m not here to talk about gender or race though. What I do want to discuss is the unbelievably vast amount of things that many people are expecting President-Elect Obama to be able to accomplish when he gets in to office. I fear that there are going to be a great many disappointed people when they discover that our new President will not be able to wave a magic wand and make everything that they want instantly appear.

Our country is in the midst of an economic and social crisis. The official types have finally admitted that we’ve been in a recession for almost a year. Will we continue to fall and wind up in a depression? The rate of job losses and home foreclosures shows no sign of slowing. At this rate we stand a good chance of falling into a depression.

With a massive national dept, several wars, job losses, and all the other problems facing us our soon to be inaugurated President is going to have his hands full.

History is an excellent teacher. Let’s take a look back to see what happened to other President’s faced with national crises during office:

• Franklin D. Roosevelt took office during the Great Depression when unemployment stood around 25%. I find it interesting that he blamed the depression on bankers and financiers, the quest for profit, and the self-interest basis of capitalism, a situation very similar to the one we are in now. While he was able to pass much legislation during his first 100 days in office, there were many who opposed him. This opposition followed him into his second term where he was unable to pass much legislation through Congress. Roosevelt was elected to a historic 4 terms in office, but what really brought this country back to its feet was World War II. Personally, I don’t think we need any more wars.
• Jimmy Carter had his share of economic problems while he served in office. When he took office in 1977 America was suffering rising economic inflation and an energy crisis. He accomplished a great deal of good while he was in office: creation of the Departments of Energy and Education, establishment of a national energy policy, the famous Camp David accord, and the establishment of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, he had many problems with Congress and was unable to get much of the legislation that he wanted passed by Congress. Very few people think of him as a good president.

So, what does this say for our next President? We need to be realistic about what he will be able to accomplish. Cities, counties, states, and even the Federal Government are getting fewer tax revenues to use to pay for all the services and support that the people need. With little funds to draw upon, there is only so much that anyone can do. We’re in a big mess. We did not get here overnight. We will not get out of this mess overnight either.

I’m not the only one thinking this way either. Check out this political cartoon by Chris Jurek. It was selected as one of the top 10 political cartoons by Time magazine.

Average American Bailout

Are you an average American like me? Then you too can all forget about getting anything from the bailouts that our elected officials are handing out to wealthy business executives.

While the fortunate ones are treating themselves to spa visits and bonus checks (just because they change the name doesn’t change what it is), I’ve been digging down under the cushions in the couch looking for fallen change. The $29.50 that I managed to dig up has to cover all my expenses for a while. Good thing ramen noodles are 10 packages for $1!

No, I’m not trying to sound like “woe is me”, I’m lucky in that I still have my house. There are many, many more people in worse shape than me. I may only be working part-time but I know lots of people who don’t even have a job. I see people standing on street corners who don’t even have a home.

It would be nice if the government would hand out some of those $700 billion dollars to us average Americans. Unfortunately, I don’t think that is going to happen. After all, the only way to get anything is to already have lots of money to begin with. If you can’t “donate” lots of money to a politician you’re not going to get anything from that politician other than a form e-mail/letter that basically says nothing.

The only one who is going to save the average American is the average American. We’ve got to take care of each other because we’re all we’ve got. Looking for an example: check out this story I saw on CNN about a local, retired, businessman who has bought back his old store rather than see his former employees turned out into the street. Because of his actions there are 17 people who get to keep their jobs.

From lots of single snowflakes an avalanche is formed. Even if you can only do a little to help someone (and helping yourself counts too), it is one more snowflake to add to the pile.

A Floridian on Ice

I have just returned from a trip to the frozen north. I was just south of Michigan in an area that gets lake effect snow, and I was definitely not in my element. While many people may know how to deal with this white stuff that was covering my rental car and the highways, it was quite an adventure for me. Here is the view from my car:
I had to borrow a scraper and brush thingie from the front desk staff at the hotel where I was staying, apparently economy cars do not come supplied with anything to help with snow and ice removal. Wonder if my credit card would have still worked after using it as an ice scraper?
It continued to snow through much of the day. I played tourist and took these shots of the office complex where I was working and some of the cars in the parking lot. My apologies to the unfortunate vehicles stuck behind me while I was driving on the road. I was too terrified by the ice and snow and found that I just couldn't drive any faster than 20 - 25 MPH.
Snow can be very pretty. Even though this is a color picture it looks more black and white because of the snow and the trees. If not for having to drive, I would have really enjoyed this weather.
This last shot is taken from my hotel room. Oh boy, more snow. The next morning I found that I was unable to open my car door. It was frozen shut. I was wishing for a long extension cord and a very large blow dryer. Eventually I was able to chisel my way into the car. It was a couple of hours before I could feel my feet and fingers again.
As I write this I'm back where the weather is far more civilized [for me]. For those of you who live in those type of conditions, you are stronger than I. Alas, I prefer my water in liquid form.

Friends

Recently a very good friend of mine had to go to the hospital. I know that she'll get better, but it will be a long road to recovery. However, her illness got me to thinking about friendship in general.

Humans are by nature social beings. We need the company of others. Very few of us could survive for long without having other people around. We need some kind of contact with others, however fleeting.

Look up the word friends in the dictionary and you find:

• A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
• A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
• A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
• One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement.

The concept of a friend can encompass many different people in your life: family members, husband, wife, children, and just about anybody else. I think that the person you are married to or live with should be more than someone that "you love", they should be a friend too. My feeling is that if they can't be a friend, why are you in love with them?

Friends can be like a family members too. When you don't have any family, recruit some friends to be your family – they are the best type because you get to pick them!

Lastly, the holidays are upon us again. Here's a suggestion: don't give in to commercialism, instead let your friends know how much you appreciate their support. You don't have to spend a bunch of money, just give them a call or send them a card. Sometimes the simplest things can have the biggest impact.

A Day with the Animals

I thought I would share a few photos that I took this past week while visiting the local animal park. I won't call it a zoo because they have worked very hard to give the animals as natural a habitat as possible. Many are endangered species that they are working hard to save. Unfortunately, we have not been good stewards of this planet.
This fellow looks like a zebra, but is really a relative of a giraffe - the okapi:Hippos love to hang out in the water:Meerkat's have their own TV show now:
These gentle giants have been hunted almost to extinction:It is always best to let sleeping tigers lie:

A Chance to Work Together

Did you get a chance to hear Barack Obama’s Closing Argument speech? View it here at YouTube, or read it here at Politico. Regardless of who you are planning on voting for, you should read or listen to what he said.

I’m not here to tell you who to vote for. I’ve made up my mind and by now most people have too. However, I want to talk about a few things that Obama said in his speech that gave me hope for a better world at a time when I’d just about run out of hope.

In his speech Obama talked of Americans working together towards a common goal. On the surface this seems like such a simplistic idea, but it is a concept that is urgently needed now. For too long we have been a nation divided: blue states vs. red states; ethnic race vs. ethnic race; citizens vs. illegal alien; straight vs. gay; have vs. have not; the list goes on and on. We have become a nation filled with angry people and violence is on the rise because of it.

We have to stop and realize that we are all part of the same country, even the same planet. Here’s a quote from the speech: “There’s no shortage of anger and bluster and bitter partisanship out there. We don’t need more heat. We need more light. I’ve learned in my life that you can stand firm in your principles while still reaching out to those who might not always agree with you.” We need to agree to disagree. We need to remember that everyone, every single person is unique with their own view of the world and their own opinions.

We need to move in a new direction as a nation. We need to regain our belief that tomorrow can truly be a better day. We need hope. Here’s another quote: “Hope is not blind optimism. It’s not ignoring the enormity of the task before us or the roadblocks that stand in our path. … I know that hope has been the guiding force behind the most improbable changes this country has ever made. In the face of tyranny, it’s what led a band of colonists to rise up against an Empire. In the face of slavery, it’s what fueled the resistance of the slave and the abolitionist, and what allowed a president to chart a treacherous course to ensure that the nation would not continue half slave and half free. In the face of war and Depression, it’s what led the greatest of generations to free a continent and heal a nation. In the face of oppression, it’s what led young men and women to sit at lunch counters and brave fire hoses and march through the streets of Selma and Montgomery for freedom’s cause. That’s the power of hope — to imagine, and then work for, what had seemed impossible before.”

Regardless of which candidate winds up in the White House in 2009 and beyond I would like to hope that we can pull together and fix the big mess that this country is in. It will not be easy to dig our way out of the pit we’re in. Unless we roll up our sleeves and work together, nothing is going to change and things will only get worse.

My vote is for hope.

No More Bad News

I don't know about you, but I've had enough! All the political fighting and mud slinging. All the bad news about our economy. Suicide bombers in the Middle East. Home invasions and murders. It's all just too much.

Since my proverbial tilt meter has gone off, I decided to try and find some good news. I must admit that it took some hunting, but there is some out there. Here are a few sites you can visit if you are like me:

• Happy News
• Good News Daily
• Good News Network

There have been hundreds, maybe even thousands of self-help books written that talk about the power of positive thinking. Maybe that's what we need right now, some positive thinking. So here's my advise to everyone (myself included): turn off the regular news stations, put down that newspaper, quit reading that negative Web site, and check out one of the good news links listed above.

Maybe when we're all in a better mood we can find a way to fix the problems we're facing.

Fixing Our Economy - A Few Suggestions

By now I think even the most skeptical and conservative would have to agree that we are in, at the least, a recession here in the U.S. Personally I’m inclined to agree with those that feel this started late last year as that is when my computer consulting business saw the bottom drop out of it.

Because this is an election year there has been much mud and smoke thrown about as both major political parties describe how wonderful their plan is and how bad the other party’s plan would make things. I’m not here to say which side is best, rather I want to point out some [possible] long-term solutions that are not being discussed:

Energy

Currently we import and consume too much oil. Oil is not a sustainable resource and, while we can’t agree on when it will run out, we will eventually run out of it. There are other ways to produce energy. We need to fund, at a national level, research on alternatives. There are a number of, I feel, obvious benefits from this, including:

• We reduce the amount of money flowing from this country and spend it here at home instead.
• Money spent on research should spur an increase in engineering and other related fields. This country desperately needs more high-wage jobs as opposed to our current choices of “paper or plastic?” and “you want fries with that?” opportunities.
• Reduction in air, water, and land pollution.

Check out official energy statistics from the U.S. Government showing how much we import and from which countries.
Read what the Apollo Alliance has to say on clean energy and good jobs.
I have more ideas posted on my alternative forms of energy blog post.

Science

Nations prosper that invest in science and engineering. For many years the U.S. was a leader in new technologies and we prospered because of it. Now, unfortunately, few students are interested in math and science because there are not enough new jobs being created.

I know that a lot of people feel that ‘pure science’ research is just money being thrown away. However, research spurs new ideas and new products. New products lead to new jobs. Have you seen the unemployment numbers lately? This country has been on a net job loss for too long. When people have a job they can spend money on things they need. Spending leads to investment with leads to even more jobs and a way out of this recession.

Check out what the HPC Wire has to say about current science funding.
See a comparison of U.S. to China science funding.

The future of this country

The U.S. is still a superpower, but for how much longer? China is in the process of outpacing us in both scientific funding and space exploration.

So what you say? Why waste money on science and space? Look at some of the spin-off products from our space program are now part of our daily life:

• NASA technology gave us a "cool" laser, which provides thousands of patients with an alternative to heart bypass surgery.
• Hubble Space Telescope technology has made it possible to do certain breast biopsies with a needle instead of a scalpel.
• The foam insulation that covers the shuttle's external tank, developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Lockheed-Martin, is used to make molds for fitting artificial limbs.
• Medical personnel can monitor fetal activity inside the womb using a small pill-shaped transmitter developed at NASA's Ames Research Center.
• The same material used for lightweight, durable spacesuits is used as permanent covering for shopping centers and sports stadiums. NASA technology also is used to pad football helmets and baseball and soccer chest protectors and shin guards.
• NASA-driven technology also makes possible satellite TV transmission and telephone signals that are beamed around the world.
• It has led to microcapsules that help clean up oil spills and to satellite remote sensing technology that locates and maps forest fires.

There's a lot more. Read the full list at the NASA Solutions site.
Read about recent developments in China’s space program.
Take a look at China’s overall space program and plans.
Read about some of the medical benefits that have come from space exploration.
Space exploration is important, read more here.
Mining resources from space, read more here.
Take a look at planet Earth as seen from space.

After World War II this country invested in both science and space. Our economy boomed. People from all over the world flocked to this nation because of the availability of high-paying jobs and the many opportunities for all to prosper. If we are going to get out of our current mess we need to look at what worked for us before. We can’t afford to wait.

Taking care of ourselves

I don’t have to tell you that the news has not been particularly good lately. The bad times are going global, and about the only good news is that the price of gas is going down.

Are we headed for another Great Depression? I hope not. However, do you know how the last one started? Here is an excerpt from a commentary posted at CNN:
“The Great Depression resulted from a series of economic and financial shocks -- the end of a housing bubble in 1926 and the end of a high-tech bubble in 1929 -- but also from truly breathtaking neglect and incompetence on the part of policymakers.”
Sound familiar?

So while governments and the World Bank rush to bail out the big guys what happens to the rest of us? For me, the only thing that comes to mind is a line from an old Beatles song: “I get by with a little help from my friends.”

Family, friends, neighbors. We’re going to have to pull together to get through this. I’ve been using the barter system for some of my medical care, I’m hoping to use it now to trade for other essentials. Here’s a few other suggestions:

• Carpool with neighbors when going to the store to save gas.
• If you don’t have to go very far, consider walking or riding a bike.
• Check out the public transportation available where you live.
• Save money on food by cooking up a couple of big meals then freeze them in easy to heat portions. It will give you the convenience of take-out at a much lower price.
• Instead of buying books, magazines, or newspapers, visit your local library.
• Team up for savings. I needed to have my roof replaced, but it turned out that two of my neighbors had roofs of the same age as mine. By having all three done at once we were able to get a great deal from the roofer. The roofer saved too by having his team working in the same area.

It’s a tough world out there, but if we just pull together we should be able to get through this.

Nature Inside a Metropolis

Not far from my house is a creek that is being cleaned up by both the city and county where I live, and they have done a great job. This past week I had the opportunity to canoe along a portion of it with a group that was inspecting the cleanup progress. Looking at these photos, would you believe that I live in a very large metropolitan area? It just goes to show you that nature is still out there.

One should always expect the unexpected:

Nature is all around us. Try and take some time and look for the beauty of the natural world where you live. You'll feel better for getting out there. I know, I sure felt great when I got back from my afternoon on the creek.

A Short History Lesson

“Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” George Santayana, the Spanish born American Philosopher, Poet and Humanist who made important contributions to aesthetics, speculative philosophy and literary criticism.

History is a subject which does not seem to interest as many people as is should, especially young people. This concerns me because there is a lot that can be learned by looking back at past events and seeing what went right and what went wrong. To me, ignoring history is like ignoring experience. Perhaps you’ve heard the expression “experience is the best teacher.” With all this in mind, I'd like to take a look back in time:

In the 1970’s America was suffering through some tough economic times, jobs were being lost, President Nixon resigned, we had a gas crisis, inflation was rising, and we had the Iran hostage crisis (a short history of the 1970's). President Carter proposed some belt-tightening to America, and his suggestions might have worked. However, his opponent in 1980 was the very charismatic Ronald Reagan. America wanted good news, not bad. We didn’t want to take the hard road, we wanted everything nice and easy. So we elected President Reagan and got trickle-down economics – a great program for the rich, who got richer, but not so good for everyone else, who got poorer.

Here’s a political cartoon about our last four presidents:
So here we are in 2008 and we’ve got tough economic times, jobs are being lost, we've got a gas crisis, and prices for everything are rising. Wonder where that easy road is going to take us now?

Spinning out of control

The Associated Press reported today that the Democratic and Republican candidates spent $94,000,000 dollars in August. That’s $94 MILLION dollars in one month. What did they spend over half of this money on? Advertising. Here’s a quote from that AP report:
“Their campaign finance reports, filed before Saturday's midnight deadline, shows that more than half of their $3-million-a-day spending rate was devoted to advertising that became increasingly negative during the month.”

Once again the American political process devolves to a mud-slinging process. The winner is the one with the best spin and the most convincing lies. I sometimes wonder how the rest of the world views us. I’d wager they are having a good laugh at us.

Considering the shape our economy is in I suppose that I should be glad that there is all this money flowing around. They are keeping advertising agencies, television stations, radio stations, and print media employees from loosing their jobs. They even have their own well-paid staffers. Obama has a monthly payroll of $2.8 million and McCain has a $1.2 million payroll. Glad to know that there are still some people with jobs. Maybe I should have gone to work for one of them.

What really worries me thought is that when it comes time to vote the average American won’t have a clue who they are really voting for. Instead they will vote for the one with the best advertising and the candidate with the best spin doctors that money can buy. This country is facing some very serious and potentially catastrophic problems. We should be asking the candidates hard questions about what they will do to fix these problems. Instead it’s all sound-bytes and spin.

For those who might be curious about the truth and lies in what our candidates are saying I recommend the following sites:

• The Annenberg Political Fact Check, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania
• National Public Radio, Election 2008
• Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan guide to money’s influence on U.S. elections and public policy
• CNN Political Fact Check, located towards the bottom of the page

Beware though, many sites that profess to provide nothing but the facts are in truth just putting their own spin out on the Internet. Which is, unfortunately, why I am not able to recommend more sites.

Lastly, if you would like to try your own hand – and maybe land a good job with a political candidate – at spin, check out this how-to site at eHow.

When the Storm God Rides

As I write this it is Saturday morning (I'll be driving all day Sunday) and Hurricane Ike is pounding Houston, Texas. My good hopes and best wishes go to those in the path of this storm. It has already wrought great damage to Cuba and Haiti on its way to the United States. Fay and Gustav had already brought considerable damage to those nations. Now Ike has left them in a desperate situation. What Galveston is going to look like remains to be seen.

Since I live in Florida I already know a fair amount about hurricanes. We were personally visited by three storms in 2004. I was not home when Charlie struck my house; however, I did get a unique look at the storm while flying at 30,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico. It was around 9:30 PM and the storm was in the process of demolishing both my home and the city I live in when the pilot of the plane I was in came on over the intercom and told the passengers to look out the left side of the plane. What we saw he called “the veil of the hurricane” -- it was like looking at a giant fog; I could see a massive cloud formation, but it was all soft and fuzzy looking, unlike what was being experienced on the ground.

So far this year there have been ten named storms. Dolly, Edouard, Fay, Gustav, and Ike have all impacted folks living in and around the Gulf of Mexico. If you would like information on the storms this year, check out this hurricane information site. The National Hurricane Center has excellent satellite imagery and storm track information, but they don’t have any historical information for 2008 yet. If you live anywhere visited by hurricanes, you might want to add this site to your daily ‘to-do’ list.

About the title to this blog:
The title for this blog comes from a collection of Native American legends collected by Bessie M. Reid and published by Florence Stratton in 1936. Many of the stories in the book are from the Tejas, or Hasinai tribe as they called themselves, located in the area that would become Texas. Tejas in the Hasinai language means friend and it is from that word that we got the name Texas. The book may be read on-line here. If this year is anything to go by, I suspect that they had considerable experience with storm gods.

Memories – A Most Precious Possession

A friend of mine, and fellow blogger, asked me to contribute a favorite childhood story to her for use in a post she is working on. While I didn’t mind sharing a story, I had to stop and think for a bit because I realized that I hadn’t thought about my childhood much in quite a while.

All of that musing got me to thinking about how memory works and what a remarkable thing it is. My friend shared a story with me about catching fireflies, or lightening bugs, as some people call them (what they are called seems to depend on what part of the country you are from). Reading her story brought back memories from when I was young and chasing them around the yard. I found that I could feel the coolness of the grass, smell the scent of the pine trees, and see my parents sitting on the porch waiting for me to return with a captured lightening bug.

Memory can be a magical thing. We can see people long dead again, relive childhood events, re-experience that first kiss, and countless other things. Many things can trigger a memory: a sight, a sound, a smell. They can come on you unexpectedly. Unfortunately, we sometimes remember things we wish we could forget.

Our memories can store a remarkable collection of eclectic stuff. Have you ever heard music playing only to realize that the music was playing in your own mind? Sometimes a song can get stuck in your mind and just keeps playing over and over. Have you ever walked through a store and had a smell trigger a memory from your past?

If you haven’t looked back into your memories for a while, it might be good to dust off some of those memory bits and take a look around. Don’t dwell on hurtful things but look for those long forgotten gems and enjoy them again.

Something Peaceful

Considering everything that is going on, I thought I would share a few flower photos that I've taken over the past year. There is enough bad news and depressing things to read or see. I don't know about you, but I needed a change of pace. I hope you like my photos.

Getting by with less

I think we can all agree that it has been a tough year. Incomes are either flat or down while costs of stuff is up. Personally, I don't see things getting any better for quite a while. This is an election year, but the people we elect in November won't be able to begin doing anything until next year. Who knows how much time it will take for what they do to actually take affect. Optimistic is not a term I use to describe myself anymore.

Regardless of what else happenes or may happen, I have learned some valuable lessons this year. Perhaps many other Americans have learned this one as well: how to get by with less. I've had to drastically cut my spending just so I could pay my bills. If it's not an absolute essential, I'm not buying it any more. Sure, there are things I miss, but I've discovered that I can get by without them - that I really didn't need them. This is a lesson we all need to learn: how to separate what we need from what we want.

America has been a society of consumers for a long time. A billboard for one of the local "factory outlet" malls near where I live has the slogan: "Shop till you drop". Advertisers show us all the things we need to look good in, smell good wearing, all the stuff we've 'got to have' so that we'll be enticed to go out and buy it. While the money lasted, it was good. But did we really need all that junk?

Did you know that America is the largest consumer of a majority of the natural resources of this planet while not having the largest population? The American Association for the Advancement of Science has this to say: "For many resources, the United States of America is the world's largest consumer in absolute terms. For a list of 20 major traded commodities, it takes the greatest share of 11 of them: corn, coffee, copper, lead, zinc, tin, aluminum, rubber, oil seeds, oil and natural gas. For many more it is the largest per-capita consumer." When it comes to energy consumption we again are the biggest consumers. And when it comes to oil consumption, no one else is even close.

So it might not be such a bad idea for us all to try and get by with less. Sure, some jobs will go away because of this. However, if we were to start doing/building some of the things that we as a nation really need then new jobs will be created. Some ideas: research and develop alternative forms of energy, rebuild our highway infrastructure (remember that bridge that fell in Minneapolis?), and clean up the environment.

I'll end with a link to a post by Frances Ellen on 6 ways to beat the cost of groceries. She's got some excellent suggestions.

Ways to Save Energy Costs Now

My post last week was about alternative ways to produce energy for yourself. While there were many good suggestions there, what do you do if you don’t have the money to purchase one of those systems? Well, whether you rent or own, you can make some simple changes to where to live that can save you hundreds of dollars in energy costs over the year. Let’s take a look at a few of these cost saving measures.

Lighting:

• Here’s a no-cost solution: turn the light off when you leave the room. Unless you need the light for security reasons, turn off lights when they are not needed.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with efficient, compact fluorescents. The new compact fluorescents produce the same amount of illumination for a fraction of the energy requirements. My power company posts the following information comparing the energy costs of the two types of bulbs for 10,000 hours of use: incandescent bulbs cost $51 to use while compact fluorescent bulbs cost just $12.75.
• Don’t need all the illumination all the time? Consider installing dimmer switches (solid-state are best) to save money.

In the kitchen:

• Match the size of the cooking element to the size of the pan. If the pan is too small for the element you are just heating the air and wasting energy.
• Use a toaster oven or microwave when cooking/heating just one item instead of your big oven. Save the big oven for when you have a number of items to cook.
• Let carry-over heat do part of the work. You can turn off a burner, toaster oven, or oven several minutes before the food is done cooking. The existing heat will finish the job for you and you will have saved some energy.

Home laundry:

• Use cold or warm water to wash clothes. Modern laundry soaps don’t need hot water to get your clothes clean. Unless I’m washing rag cloths, I only use cold water when doing the laundry.
• Get a clothes drying rack. Not only do you save money by not running the dryer very long, but your clothes last longer and you don’t have to iron as much (save money and time that way!). I put shirts and pants in the dryer for about 10 minutes and then transfer them to the rack. This is a big money saver.
• Keep the dryer exhaust vent and line clean. Not only will you save money but you reduce the likelihood of a dangerous dryer fire.

Heating & cooling:

• In the summer just turning the thermostat up a couple of degrees can save a lot of money. If your home has ceiling fans, use them to keep you comfortable. In the winter drop the temperature a few degrees and put on a sweater to save money.
• Replace the filter on a regular basis. When it gets clogged your heating/cooling system will have to work harder and use more energy.
• Use the sun to your advantage. In the summer keep curtains closed when the sun is shining to reduce heat. Because I live in the deep south, I’ve installed a solar shade on my west-facing windows; I can still see out, but the heat of the sun is greatly reduced. In the winter let the sun in for some additional heat.

Looking for some more ideas? Check out these Web articles:

• Edison Electric Institute – Energy Efficiency
• U.S. Department of Energy
• Alliance to Save Energy
• Sierra Club – Energy Saving Tips
• Check the Web site of your power provider. Many power companies also offer free home energy audits. Take advantage of anything that’s free!

Alternative Forms of Energy

Since blogging about our oil problem last week I’ve been thinking about what other sources of energy are available for us today. I’m not talking about all the things you hear about that someone is developing and touting as the salvation of us all. I fear that most of those will just disappear. However, there are other sources out there that we can use – maybe not for everything, but enough to reduce our oil consumption. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Solar power has been around for a long time. One of the simplest forms is to use solar energy to heat water, either for a pool or your home. Here’s a company, Solar Panels Plus, that has a variety of products for the average home. The U.S. Department of Energy has a site dedicated to information on home solar water heaters. If you live in a warm, southern climate costs for a system like this are very low. Even if you life in a colder, northern climate the total cost savings of a solar water heater over time can make it an excellent investment.

Another form of solar power is electricity generated by photovoltaic cells. Again this is a technology that has been around for quite a while; however, there have been a number of advancements in the last few years which have resulted in lower costs and higher energy production. In some locations it is possible to generate all your electrical needs using solar panels placed on the roof of your home. You might even be able to sell excess energy back to your power company! Check out this article in Business Week. Don’t want to do that much? Check out this how-to guide on building an inexpensive solar power generator.

Maybe you don’t get a lot of sun where you live but the wind is always blowing. Well, install a home wind turbine to get your energy. The American Wind Energy Association has some excellent information to get you up and running. Not sure about wind generated power? The Dutch have used wind power to run pumps to keep their land dry for centuries. The earliest reference to a windmill dates back to the 12th century. Something that has been around that long has to be reliable.

There are other sources for energy production; however, most of these are beyond the average homeowner. Water has been used to generate energy for centuries. Hydroelectric power plants are located throughout the world. Geothermal energy is also available in many places around the globe. But let’s get back to what we can do at home. Here are a few Web sites with information on what we can do NOW:

• HomePower Magazine
• Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
• Comparing Alternative Energy Forms
• Solar Power International
• Windpower 2008
• Apollo Alliance

Will new oil drilling save us?

One way or another we are all feeling the pain because of high prices at the pump. Costs for goods are up, wages down, people aren’t able to buy all the stuff they could last year at this time, sales are down, jobs are being lost. So now that everyone is fixated on the price of gas, a “perfect” solution is being offered: drill everywhere for more oil. Sounds easy, right? Wrong.

Let’s look at a few facts that the oil companies don’t want you to hear about (after all, an informed public is NOT in their best interest):

• On average, of all the land currently under lease for oil production less than 1/3 of that land is being utilized.
• In 2007 there were 7,124 drilling permits approved on public lands, but only 5,343 wells were actually drilled. Did you know that Democrats in the House of Representatives tried to pass legislation to require oil companies to develop their existing leases? Guess what, the Republicans and our current administration (rife with oil men) prevented passage of the bill.
• Everyone has heard of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Have you ever heard of the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA)? This land was originally set aside in 1923 as an oil reserve for the U.S. Navy. Congress transferred management of the land to the Department of the Interior in 1976. Why aren’t we drilling there?
• Still want to drill in ANWR like the oil companies do? After all, how much space could a few oil wells take up? Check out this site for some facts and a great map showing what the true impact on that fragile wilderness would be. Or check out this documentary about ANWR that won an international award.
  
• The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources produced a report in June, 2008, entitled: “The Truth About America’s Energy: Big Oil Stockpiles Supplies and Pockets Profits.” This report starts out by stating: “While the oil industry and some Members of Congress argue that opening more federal lands and waters would lead to lower gasoline prices, the facts prove otherwise. The fact is that the Nation simply cannot drill its way to lower prices at the pump. Other options, from greater energy efficiencies to the development of alternative fuels, are essential to reducing dependency on petroleum fuels and lowering fuel costs.” It is a ten page document in Adobe PDF format. It should be mandatory reading in my opinion. Read it, the facts there are not what you hear on the nightly news shows or read in the papers.

There is an organization called The Apollo Alliance which promotes clean energy, good jobs, and freedom from foreign oil. Here is what they have to say: “Every day, Americans pay more and more at the pump, while oil companies bring in record profits. Now, those same oil companies and their congressional allies are proposing more drilling - even though nearly every energy expert agrees this is one problem America can't drill its way out of. The oil companies say they're doing it to help lower the cost of gas. But scratch the surface, and you'll find it's the oil companies that truly benefit from new offshore drilling. America needs a real, comprehensive solution to America's energy crisis. Let's invest in clean, renewable energy and homegrown fuels, that will create millions of high-quality, green-collar jobs and reduce our dependence on oil.”

And it’s not just ‘green’ organizations like The Apollo Alliance that are promoting a change, even oil men are starting to come out in favor of a change. Have you seen T. Boone Pickens advertisement on TV? Check out his site. I even managed to find a newspaper article from August 2, 2008, in the Star Tribune in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota entitled “Drilling has only tenuous link to lower energy prices.”

During the Cold War the United States and Russia had a space race. That race brought about many advances in science that improved the lives of everyone. Lots of high-paying jobs were created and many new technologies were developed. We need a new race, a race for alternative forms of energy, to spur development, technology, and jobs. We need to get started working on a better future for our children and their children NOW!

Liberals are NOT the Root of all Evil

Amid all the bad news being reported (record deficit by our current administration; more bombings: Iraq, India, Turkey, etc.; job losses; rising costs; the list goes on and on) is the story about the gunman who killed two people and wounded seven others in a church in Knoxville, TN, because – among other things – he hated liberals and the liberal stance. I find it very interesting that there have been many stories over the years of this type and they are, as far as I can remember, always a conservative shooting a liberal. Remember all those bombings and shootings related to abortion clinics?

What’s wrong with being liberal? Are they anti-society? Are they out to take control of the world? Do they secretly worship the devil? I’ve looked around at a number of Web sites (and a selection of books) and find an unbelievable amount of hysteria and inflammatory remarks about the dreaded liberals. However, real life is not written in just black or white. Everything is some shade of gray. Unfortunately the popular press, the news media, and a great many others want to cast everyone and everything as “us vs. them” – and “them” is always evil.

Do you know where you stand on conservative vs. liberal? If you select several people at random and talk with them you are bound to find out that they have a number of views that are conservative and a number of views that are liberal. Where do you stand? If you are curious, take this Political Quiz to see where on the sliding scale of liberal vs. conservative you stand. You might be surprised.

I also came across another site, the Student News Daily, with a lengthy table listing the differences between liberal and conservative. Personally, I’ve always thought of myself as a liberal (open minded; willing to listen; willing to tolerate other’s views and differences; belief that abortion should be left up to a woman and her family, not the government; pro-environmental protection; pro-science; belief that a huge government is not the best government; among other things). I would hope that this does not make me a target for someone toting a gun just because they disagree with me. Everyone is an individual and if we shoot everyone that doesn’t agree with us there will be no humans left alive on this planet. Oh, for the record, my quiz score puts me only slightly to the liberal side.

What happened to common sense? Is it just me, or is the human race going crazy? Where is compassion, understanding, patience? Current events are scaring the heck out of me. I don’t know whether to go outside and scream at the top of my lungs or build an underground bunker and hide till it’s all over.

Some Travel Photos

I have always enjoyed photography and try to take a camera with me wherever I travel, even if it is only my little point-n-shoot digital. Today I thought I'd share some of my favorite point-n-shoot photos with you. These first two were taken when I got to travel to the island of Terceira in the Azores on a business trip:
This next one is a sunset shot that I took in my front yard. Yea, it's not a travel photo, but it's one I like. I knew the light wouldn't hold for long and I didn't have time to set up my big camera and tripod, so I just grabbed the little camera and steadied it on the roof of my car.
These last two are from a cruise I went on last year. Once again I only took the little camera, mostly because if something happened to it I wouldn't be out too much money. But once again the little camera did OK. The moonlight photo was taken by holding the camera on the railing of the boat.

You don't need fancy equipment to take good photos, just open your eyes to the beauty of the world around you.

2008 Presidential Candidates

Last week I wrote about how disinterested I am in the national elections this year. This got me to thinking about who the candidates are and what choices we really have. For good or bad, the only candidates with a real chance of actually winning are the Democratic and Republican (I did that alphabetically only with no intended implication of one being better than the other) candidates. However, they aren’t the only guys running for our highest office. I did some checking and was really surprised at how many people were vying for the job. Vote Smart has the full list, check it out here.

Because the popular vote does not determine the winner in the Presidential election (it’s all done by the Electoral College) it is pretty useless to vote for anyone other than one of the two main candidates. The absolute best person for the office could be running under some other party and they have virtually no chance of winning the election, even if they get the most [popular] votes.

How does someone win the election? All they need is 270 Electoral College votes. It’s that simple. And you thought your vote mattered! Eight years ago we had an election where the popular vote went to one person and the office went to the other. Check out this link to find out what the current standings are.

Still want to vote for one of the two main candidates? Not sure which one? Take the quiz at the Washington Post to see which one of them is closest to you on important issues.

2008 Elections

I came across this while surfing through some of my favorite blogs the other day. It's a new word recommendation for the dictionary:

Elec-tile Dysfunction: The inability to become aroused over any of the choices for President put forth by either of the two political parties in the 2008 election year.

This really resonated with me. Back in January I wrote a blog about the primary elections going on in my state and why I felt disenfranchised by the whole mess. Well, I still don't feel any better about the whole process. Our nation is going through a series of very difficult 'economic corrections' right now and I, like many folks, have little faith in my elected officials being able to do anything constructive about the situation.

The local area of politics, and maybe the state level, is the only place I'm interested in. It is the only place that I feel I have any real control over my future and any real say in the outcome of the election. As for the national election, I'm still trying to decide who my write-in name should be for president.

Signed,
Looking for suggestions

A helping hand

What is one of the greatest gifts that one person can give another? Well, there was a song by the Beatles that had a line that went something like this: “I get by with a little help from my friends.” There are two phrases that come to mind also: “circle of friends” and “circle of life.” [which is also the title to a song by Elton John and Tim Rice]

Humans are, for the most part, very social. We live in groups, communities, cities, nations. We depend upon the work of others to survive. Imagine what your life would be like if you had to grow and process all of your food, generate all of your own energy, pump your own water, build your own shelter, manipulate fibers to create your own clothing, and do everything else you needed to survive on a daily basis. Do you think you could do it? I suspect that very, very few of us could.

It is a great shame that we – the human race that is – are unable to cooperate together to work towards the good of humanity. I wonder sometimes what we might have been able to achieve if we had not wasted so much time, energy, money, and lives on hate, violence and war. It makes me so very sad. My hopes and dreams of youth have been demolished by stupidity, corporate greed, and governmental waste.

Alas, all I can do is take care of my own little circle. That is what truly gives me satisfaction in my life. Until very recently friends were the only family that I had. I have been very fortunate to have some incredible people in my life (including the members of my new found family!). For this I am eternally grateful. I truly do not know where I would be without them.

My Summer Pictures

Guess you could call me a water person since I love to take pictures of rivers, lakes, and the ocean. Since the northern hemisphere is now officially in summer I thought I'd share some of my summer photos with you.
The lake photo above was taken on Lake Adair in Orlando, Florida. I took this in the morning on my way to work.
This creek (shown above) is behind my house. It's very peaceful back there.
If you read my blog last week you know that I've just recently been reunited with my birth family. I took the flower picture above when my sister and I were on a bike ride. The photo below was also taken during our ride. I find it interesting that she also has a creek behind her house.

Ah, the beach. A magical place. This was taken on Anastasia Island which is south of St. Augustine. The beach there is wide and the surf is perfect. It is my favorite beach in Florida. Just be careful driving there because the sand is soft - I've gotten stuck more than once! Guess I need a 4-wheel drive.

A most remarkable occurrence

There are moments in your life when the universe seems to smile on you with all of its glory. I do not know what I’ve done to deserve such an event (can such a thing be earned? I really have my doubts.), but recently I have been the beneficiary of something wonderful and truly remarkable. Let me explain.

As most of my friends know I was adopted at birth. The story I had of my birth mother was a sad one. It left me reluctant to search for my birth family after the death of the last member of my adoptive family. I did try contacting the state where I was born, but they basically told me to get lost. Later I found a document left to me by my adoptive family with a name on it. I used several internet search resources and located someone that I felt sure must have known my mother. However, thoughts of my birth story left me with the feeling that I would be the last person on the planet that they would want to hear from. Time passed, I never made that phone call.

Then with the suddenness of a bolt out of the blue my life changed forever. I received a call from a child welfare case worker from the state where I was born. Turns out I have a sister that I never knew about and she was looking for me! It’s a long story, but basically she was also adopted at birth and went looking for her birth family. She found a mother, father, and two brothers who told her about another missing sister. The search took several years, but find me they did.

We’ve had a ‘family reunion’ (that’s why I have not posted anything for a couple of weeks) and everything went well. We are geographically scattered (what family isn’t these days), but with e-mail and phone calls we can stay in touch. I now have health information on my parents and grandparents. I have a sister, brothers, mother, niece and nephews. What a wonderful gift.

We met with the case worker who did all the work. She asked that I let people know that there are services out there for families and individuals. If you were adopted, if you put someone up for adoption, or if someone in your family was put up for adoption, you can get help and information. I had talked to the wrong department but my sister did not. Every state has a child welfare department. That is the place to start. Even if all you want is some medical information, you should contact the state you were born or adopted in. While the search may take years (mine did), the majority of the cases have happy endings (like mine).

Believe me, I wish now I’d made that phone call years ago (I did have the right phone number as it turns out). I missed out on meeting my father and lost several years of knowing my family – these are things I will regret the rest of my life. If you or someone you know was adopted, please don’t wait. A couple of simple phone calls to a child welfare department could change your or their life forever.

One last thing: don’t bother with expensive and private search agencies. The case worker told us that most of those people contact the child welfare departments to find the person/family. Save the money for the reunion, just contact the state yourself.

Mars, God of War

One week ago an emissary from Earth landed near the north pole of Mars. The Phoenix Mars Mission has a primary goal of determining how much water ice is on Mars which will be a big factor in shaping how humans ultimately might be able to colonize the planet.

Planetary colonization is not just the stuff of science fiction. If we are to survive as a species then we must expand beyond planet Earth. Human population continues to rise; resources continue to dwindle here on Earth. But there are other planets in our solar system with mineral and water resources that we can utilize. Even the asteroid belt is full of chunks of water ice and metals.

But enough of our possible future, back to current events: Even though the lander has only been on Mars for a week there are a number of incredible images from this mission. One of my favorites was taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It captured an image of the Phoenix as it was descending towards the surface. This is the first time an image has been captured of a spaceship coming in to land on another planet. Check out the image here.

My other favorite image was first distributed yesterday and is shown as the current image on the Astronomy Picture of the day site. NASA had been hoping that they might be able to dig down through the soil with the lander’s robotic arm to reach water ice, but the braking rockets on the lander may have already exposed some ice under Phoenix. Check out an image from under the lander here. If you don't see the image, click on the archive link and look for June 2nd.

The artist’s rendering of the Phoenix lander shown at the top of this post is from this site.

Here’s an interesting fact you might not know: on Mars when the sun sets the sky turns blue but during the day the sky is pink - just the opposite of Earth.

In Memory: Memorial Day

Memorial Day has become, for many people, just another 3-day weekend. The Uniform Holidays Bill, passed in 1968 and made a federal law in 1971, moved Memorial Day from May 30th to the last Monday of May. Now, I have nothing against a 3-day weekend and Memorial Day specifically, but with the ongoing “war” in Iraq and our troops still in Afghanistan I feel compelled to talk about a couple of issues.

First a little history about Memorial Day:

• Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. While there is much debate about where and when the tradition started, it began during the American Civil War.
• General John A. Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, officially proclaimed Decoration Day in 1868. Flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery that May 30th.
• The name Memorial Day was first used in 1882; however, it was not commonly called this until after World War II. The holiday was officially given the name Memorial Day by federal law in 1967.
• President Lyndon Johnson officially declared Waterloo, N.Y., as the official birthplace of Memorial Day in 1966.
• You can find more information on the holiday at History.com.

In my opinion, the people who have and who are serving this country deserve our respect. However, while we may have had a reason to attack Afghanistan, I see no compelling or valid reason for our invasion of Iraq. We have bankrupted this nation, ruined our reputation with the rest of the world, and are destroying the lives of an entire generation not to mention what has happened to the lives of the Iraq citizens. Yes, I know, Saddam Hussein is gone (a good thing), but their country is in chaos now.

So, I salute and thank those that are serving this country. I am humbled by the sacrifices of those who have served. I deeply wish we could bring our men and women home from Iraq. I hope that the leaders of this country do not send us on yet another mission by invading yet another nation. I ask that they honor those who serve by bringing our troops home.