February 7, 2013

I suspect I'm late to this party , but have you heard of the rally to fight climate change?

What: The largest climate rally in U.S. history.

When: February 17, 2013, Noon - 4:00 p.m. (please arrive by 11:30 a.m.)

Where: The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Gather at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument
(Closest Metro subway stations: Federal Triangle and Smithsonian)
What is the goal of the rally?

We need to move President Obama to take immediate action on climate. One of the most important decisions he can make is to reject the toxic Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. Another is to tell the EPA to set carbon standards for power plants. This rally will show the president how large the climate movement has grown, and how urgent this issue truly is.

President Obama must move America forward on climate in 2013 with decisive action to reduce dangerous carbon pollution. His legacy as the 44th President of the United States of America rests on his leadership in the face of an unstable and uncertain climate future. Only the President of the United States has the power to lead an effort on the scale and with the urgency needed to phase out fossil fuels and fire up both energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy sources.




http://action.sierraclub.org/site/PageServer?pagename=forwardonclimate

February 7, 2013

Anyone ever use coconut oil in a pie crust to substitute for lard or Crisco?

February 6, 2013

Anyone else watching the weather reports for this week-end?

The scenario has been getting worse and worse all day today ( Wednesday)

February 6, 2013

We killed Yamamoto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoroku_Yamamoto#Death


I am very ambivalent about the drone program. Among other problems, what do we do when other people get drones.

I'm old enough to recall when assassination of foreign leaders by the CIA was a back ground scandal.

Any executive power that can be used with discretion and judgment buy one President can be abused by the next.

But - what are the choices here? We can invade an entire region. We can use drones. We can wait to see if we are indeed attacked.

As near as I can tell, some of these regions are more groups of war lords than they are actual nation states. Negotiation and depending on local law enforcement are not options. There is no one to negotiate with. There is no local law enforcement. All of our laws and customs come from a time when warfare required the resources of a nation state. Now, all it requires is a small group of people and some cash. (Which goes back to the question - what do we do when the other guys get drones?)

I've been saying for many years that what we're dealing with now is closer to piracy than it is to warfare. As such, I think we have to look at how the rules for dealing with piracy differ from the rules for warfare.

Ultimately, the questions come down to this: Is there a clear and present danger to Americans? If so, how do we remove that danger with the least harm to ourselves and others?

February 3, 2013

The Great Backyard Bird Count

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

February 1, 2013

A question about how Christians are perceived:

Do you think of "liberal" denominations ( Episcopalians, United Church of Christ) differently from "conservative" denominations (Southern Baptists) ? Where do you place the Roman Catholic Church?


Just curious as to how these different groups are seen.

February 1, 2013

About those killer cats -

the real question is not whether carts are killing birds, but whether cats are responsible for an ongoing drop in bird populations. By comparison, we humans in the US kill millions of cattle every year, but what has caused a drop in the population is the ongoing drought: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014387837

Presuming that bird populations have dropped and/or the distribution of bird species has changed, then the question is whether cats are a significant factor when compared to such causes as loss of habitat and/or pollution of habitat.

Which kills more birds: a domestic cat or a 1/4 acre suburban lot with a grass lawn monoculture, no cover, no water, no insects or seeds because it is chem-lawned?

January 31, 2013

You know the canard that people on welfare are lazy takers?

The sheriff here is constantly arresting welfare cheats: people who were working a low wage job while receiving welfare.

January 31, 2013

Years ago, nightly network news shows ended each broadcast with a

count of the days Iran had held American hostages. What if nightly network news shows started ending each broadcast with a running count of Americans killed by guns since Newtown, maybe with photos of that day's victims?

January 29, 2013

Where do most undocumented immigrants live?

Also - how many of the undocumented immigrants from Mexico live in states that were seized from Mexico?