Old feminist and wild-eyed liberal

The Naughties

2009-12-31T14:49:00.042-06:00

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Dan Damon of the BBC, during a discussion of what to call the years 2000-2009, called them "The Naughties." I like it.

Tom Brokaw was asked what, in his opinion, was the “defining moment of the decade.” His answer?

He said it was the moment that the Supreme Court threw the 2000 presidential election to George W. Bush. He said it was at that point, everything changed, and that as a result, we later did things we never thought we’d do.

He, further, wondered about what might have happened if someone else had been in the Oval Office when that National Intelligence Estimate came across the President’s desk in August, 2001, warning us that Osama bin Laden was determined to fly airliners into buildings. Someone, perhaps, who would have been less inclined to ignore such a warning.

Yep, "the Naughties" seems about right as the cognomenon of this decade just passed.

First, a stolen election. Then, before we could catch our collective breath, great skyscrapers fell and fell and fell. Followed by meaningless wars in distant countries--for what? Floodwaters came, destroying a great city. And, then unspeakable: "legally" sanctioned acts of torture in American-made prisons such as could not even be dreamed up by Stephen King.

We have seen the sights and sounds of this decade before. But only in horror movies.

The Naughties: may they rest in peace--as long as they rest and leave us in peace.
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Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T11:17:00.001-06:00

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That's all, just, Happy New Year!

And, Good Luck to us all.

Boy, do we need it.
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Golden Girls Have Always Been My Heroes

2009-12-28T05:18:00.001-06:00

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That just about covers it.

If you didn't watch the Golden Girls when they were first broadcast, you had better catch them as they are re-run. They truly offer the best in life lessons.
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I Want a Tree House !

2009-12-26T09:52:00.010-06:00

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Really, I just want a house on a lake. But this tree house would truly make it special.

[PS: I used to be the tree climbing champion of my neighborhood. So that might explain my love of the tree house.]
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New Camp Twin Lakes Treehouse Outfitted with Solar Array, Green Roof

Written by Preston Koerner | December 2, 2009 | read more: Green Roof, Recreational, Solar

The treehouse has a 1,700 square-foot roof garden, domed skylights, 1.4 kW solar array that powers the ceiling fans and misting system, two composting toilets, and a foundation built from wooden telephone poles.

Ms. Leathers' plan was selected from a total of six designs submitted by architects within Lord, Aeck & Sargent's Atlanta, Ann Arbor, and Chapel Hill offices. Her design is hidden in the trees, built with enclosed and screened spaces, and cooled by fans.

Also, students in an introductory sculpture class at Savannah College of Art and Design transformed old telephone poles into totem poles of various animals and elements of nature. The totem poles were placed along the trail leading to the treehouse and two sculptures mark the entry into the new structure.

Christmas Wish List

2009-12-22T05:37:00.005-06:00

All our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan
A very short, very mild winter
Federal civil rights for GLBT Americans, including marriage and abolishment of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
A true fix to the damn potholes at the end of my driveway (where the City "fixed" it several years ago)
Honest answers--not self-serving answers
An energy policy that sets us free from imported oil
Decriminalization of marijuana
Healthcare legislation that shows we're at least as compassionate as the rest of the industrialized world
Without healthcare legislation, at least an end to the exemption from the anti-trust laws currently held by the healthcare insurance companies
Corporate oversight, which is strict, severe & unwavering, especially among the banksters
Twenty million good-paying jobs
No more home foreclosures nor the accompanying evictions
Fundamentalist Christian church leaders who pray to God instead of playing God
An end to arrogance

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
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Hope

2009-12-20T05:37:00.004-06:00

Hope, when it dies, dies in the gutter.
(Steven Weber)

Medicare for All!
[This is a new link to an actual bill introduced in 2007.]

Since it appears that whatever the Senate passes may be the bill the President will sign using the ping-pong strategy, some 1 (one) brave Senator should simply offer "MEDICARE FOR ALL" as a reconciliation bill.

If the Republicans won't ever say anything except "NO," go around them. Leave them standing in the cloak room pouting. Let them--and their DINO compadres--have their temper tantrums.

If you have ever dealt with a two year old, you have encountered the "Tyranny of the Tantrum." Someone in the throes of a tantrum is expressing a great desire for things to stay just the way they are. They don't want to get into the bath; they don't want to get out of the bath. They have trouble with change. When they are unable to keep things just as they are, they throw a tantrum. They cry, they kick and they scream. They go limp, or rigid, making it difficult to move them. They hold on to whatever is handy, and don't let go.

This behavior is one thing in a two year old, but in an adult it resembles nothing so much as insanity. Now, I get the whole "insane = disconnected from reality" definition. But there’s a huge difference between an illness that disconnects you from reality as a result of neurochemical processes and the condition of being willfully disconnected from reality because you don’t want to have your opinions challenged. One is an illness, the other is a character flaw, and the two ought never be confused. The problem is a lot of our terminology quite purposefully does confuse the two.

Remember, a bill sent to the floor as a reconciliation bill takes only 51 votes.

All in. All over. All done.
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HeroRats

2009-12-18T05:34:00.007-06:00

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Are you intrigued? HeroRats? Really? Really. Rats as heros? Really? Really

Seems as though rats can be trained to detect unexploded land mines.

And they work for peanuts--and bananas.

Rats are currently only sniffing out landmines in Mozambique, but negotiations are underway to expand the project into Zambia, Congo and Angola.

Seems the rats are ideal candidates for detecting landmines because they are easily trained, possess superior senses of smell and are too light to actually detonate the explosives themselves.

Once again, low tech is the answer. Cheap, too.
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Yummy, Yummy for the Tummy

2009-12-16T05:50:00.003-06:00

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These are the very best, most tender, never tough pancakes you will ever make and eat. They are also so simple you will never need a mix again.

Best of all you know exactly what is in them. And there are no preservatives (beyond what are in the flour).

PANCAKES

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level. Combine (this means stir with a fork) the flour through salt in a 4 cup measuring cup; make a well in the center of the mixture.

1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten

2. Combine buttermilk, oil and egg (I use a 2 cup measuring cup); stir with a fork.

3. Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture. Stir lightly until almost smooth (a few lumps are not a bad thing--just make sure all the dry ingredients in the "corners" are drug out into the batter).

4. Spoon about ¼ cup batter onto a medium-hot nonstick griddle or skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Yields 9 (4-inch) pancakes.

(5. To make plate sized pancakes, I pour about ¼ the batter onto the skillet then smush the mixture out to the size I want--I can then only cook 1 at a time. They are done just like the smaller ones--when the tops are covered with bubbles and the edges look cooked.)

Enjoy! And I know you will.

Really, break out your real maple syrup and try them.
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A Better Celebration

2009-12-13T05:35:00.008-06:00

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Think about how you celebrate the season.

Do you spend too much? Eat too much? Does each year bring less and less satisfaction? More and more frustration? More debt? Less happiness?

Change things. You can do it. Probably everyone around you will be grateful. Be a hero.

Get your everlasting Christmas tree from possibiliTree. Or use a live tree that can be planted in the yard, or get a tree that can be recycled. Many places offer to pickup trees after the holidays, or they give you a chance to bring in the tree for chipping (and take home some of the chips to use as mulch in your yard). Even better, pick a live tree already in your yard and decorate it for the whole neighborhood to enjoy, and skip the cost of a tree altogether. Festoon your yard tree with suet blocks and seed balls and berries and un-buttered, popped popcorn edible by the birds.

Look for bazaars or craft shows in your area where you can get locally made (or locally grown) gifts. Buying locally not only supports your local economy and keeps smaller businesses going, it also reduces your gift-giving carbon footprint by avoiding items that have been shipped thousands of miles to get to your door.

Visit thrift and consignment shops for your gifts, especially for things that are outgrown quickly (like toys and children's clothing). You may be able to get brand-new (with tags) home décor items, even high-end clothing.

Give donations rather than gifts, especially for family and friends who don't need the basics. Just remember to make the donations in their name, and to choose a charity they would want to support -- especially if there is a cause that is near and dear to their hearts. Don't know what charity to donate to? Send them a card that includes a certificate for a donation to their favorite charity, and ask them to send you the charity's information so that you can arrange it. If you do this remember to enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope if family and friends are far away. Or ask them to send the info via email. Remember, you want them to know you actually made the donation!

Pick a local cause and have a "community service" holiday. Your whole family can get involved for one day -- a shelter or food bank the family can work at, an adult living center or rest home where you all can volunteer time, or even pick a neighbor who's been under the weather and needs her yard prepped for the coldest part of the year. Coming together to offer service to your community can bring a family together in ways nothing else can, and it can remind us that putting the focus on giving of ourselves, rather than on getting more "stuff," is healthier for all of us (and the planet). Your children will always remember that you gave of yourself and encouraged them to do the same.

Don't buy gift wrap. Many gifts don't need to be wrapped -- a bottle of wine is beautiful all by itself, simply add a bow. You can also make your own gift wrap out of used and outdated paper maps, hand-painted or hand-stamped butcher's paper (you can get the kids to make this for the family's gifts), or even fabric scraps or bandannas. You can also use part of the gift as the wrapping paper -- a kitchen towel with a loaf of bread inside, or a washcloth that bundles hand-made soaps, are both attractive and useful.

Make all your holiday gifts -- even if you don't have any craft skills, a gift that is created by hand can make a heartfelt addition to the recipient's holiday. Food is always a wonderful gift, especially for people who are hard to shop for! Gift certificates that offer your skills to help with repairs or upgrades around the house would be a truly wonderful gift.

Share some of your time. Possibly the most valuable gift we can give is the gift of our time, and it's the one gift that everyone appreciates. Babysitting, pet care, house cleaning, or even just helping to plant a garden or repaint a kitchen can be amazing gifts to an overworked, under-funded, busy person or any of your older relatives.

If you simply must give purchased gifts, look at the Green Gift Guide. Pick something from there. Actually, there are several really nifty things to see--including a "lump of coal" soap in a muslin sack. Put that in the stocking of someone you love!

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Only the Healthy Can Be Strong

2009-12-10T05:12:00.002-06:00

“This great free enterprise system of ours has made it possible for more Americans to have more things, more of the good things of life, than any people anywhere on earth or anywhere in the history of the world. Can it now also make it possible for every American to protect his health? I would not call such a goal socialism. I would call it a goal of enterprise. American free enterprise. Meeting the health needs of our people is one of the most important ways we can make our American promises come true. It’s also one of the mainstays of national defense. Only the strong can survive and only the healthy can be strong.” Harry S Truman

Medicare For All

What if cancer in the United States has less to do with overuse of insurance or improved diagnostic tests and more to do with contaminants in our water or air -- or in certain aluminum and plastic containers in our kitchens? What if the rise in asthma and childhood leukemia reflect, in part, the poisons we put into and on ourselves and our children?

More than 80,000 new chemicals have been developed since World War II, according to the Children’s Environmental Health Center at Mount Sinai. Yet, the center says, of the major chemicals, fewer than 20 percent have been tested for toxicity to children.

One class of chemicals that creates concern is endocrine disruptors, which are often similar to estrogen and may fool the body into setting off hormonal changes. This used to be a fringe theory, but it is now being treated with great seriousness by the Endocrine Society, the professional association of hormone specialists in the United States.These endocrine disruptors are found in everything from certain plastics to various cosmetics.

What can you do?

Avoid microwaving food in plastic or putting plastics in the dishwasher, because heat may cause chemicals to leach out. For storage opt for using “safer plastics"--those marked (usually at the bottom of a container) 1, 2, 4 or 5. Throw out--RIGHT NOW--those numbered 3, 6 and 7 (unless they are also marked “BPA-free”).

Be healthy.

Be strong.

Survive.
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God Bless Texas

2009-12-08T05:59:00.002-06:00

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Icy roads where I live this morning!

I just love technology that makes lives better. Long live research.

And why isn't it available here and now?

BLIZZARD-bound motorists won't have to wait for a salting truck or snow plow to clear the way if a "self-heating" road takes off.

While salting disperses ice and snow, the salty run-off corrodes the steel rods that reinforce roads and bridge decks, and also damages vehicles. With the US government striving to improve its road infrastructure after a fatal bridge collapse in Minnesota in 2007, new methods to clear snow without damaging structures are being sought.

One such method, being developed by Christiana Chang at the University of Houston, Texas, and colleagues is to incorporate electric heating elements into concrete roads or bridge decks. When cold weather is forecast, the element can be fired up to heat the road and prevent ice forming.... using sheets of carbon nano-fibers to heat the concrete.
Nanofibers comprise lengths of cone-shaped nano-tubes nested "like paper cups stacked on top of each other", says Chang. She bonded multiple layers of nano-fiber-embedded paper beneath a chunk of road concrete that was 10 centimeters thick and 25 square centimeters in area. It warmed from -10 °C to 0 °C in 2 hours while consuming just 6 watts of electrical power (Smart Materials and Structures, DOI: 10.1088/0964-1726/18/12/127001). Heating the block slowly reduced power consumption.

"It's an interesting technique, but scaling it up to cover whole roads will require enormous power," says Derek Carder, an engineer with the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in Wokingham, UK.
The Houston team, however, say that their method is [not too] complex and that as sheets of paper embedded with nano-fibers are already used to make electronic components, they are readily available and cheap. They add that savings made on salting and snowplow labor could make their low-maintenance design viable.

We probably won’t see entire roads covered in self-heating concrete any time soon, but spots known for being icy or snowy might be ideal locations for carbon nanofiber-based heat--the crest of hills, streets that are consistently shaded by buildings.
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The Cost of Afghanistan and Iraq

2009-12-06T05:40:00.004-06:00

---> Go here.

Watch the numbers roll by.

Enter your state.

Watch the numbers roll by.

We have to stop this insanity.

This country is deeply in debt (Thank you, George Bush 43 & Company), our infrastructure is crumbling around us. Unemployment is high with extremely high numbers in some areas. We alone among the industrialized nations can not find a way to pay for what should morally be a human right for our citizens--health care.

Over 5000 of our troops have given their lives for vengeance because of 2976 victims killed on 11 September 2001. We are upside down in this escapade. We need to to get out.

In addition, our surviving soldiers are deeply hurt by this engagement: too many stop-loss notifications, too many PTSD cases, too many traumatic brain injuries, other injuries/conditions that have not even been identified yet, suicides, family violence & murder, loss--so much loss. We need to get out.

30,000 additional troops to hunt down 100 al-Qaeda members? I don't know where the General that thought up this exercise studied, but apparently there was not even a short course in common sense. (Remember, McChrystal is the same general who tried to cover up the friendly fire death of Pat Tillman. How can McChrystal be trusted?) We need to get out.

"And it's - ONE! TWO! THREE!
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me..."
(Country Joe and the Fish, I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag, 1967)

It's deja vu all over again!

And it is not worth it this time either.

Afghanistan. Afghanistan.

2009-12-03T05:02:00.020-06:00

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Just for the record, if any one doubts my position, I think we should declare victory and bring our troops home. Oh, and, BTW, let the contractors (this means BlackWater, KBR/Halliburton, et c) find their own way home--then fine them substantially. Then, subtract the cost of replacement equipment--Humvees, tanks, tents, anything--we are forced to leave in situ, from their next payments to be received from us (the US Govt).

In addition, we (this country) must take care of the returning veterans for years and years.

"The true cost of the war in Afghanistan, like all wars, must include a lifetime of support for veterans and their families. As important as the number of planes, trucks and weapons allocated to Afghanistan are the number of surgeons, psychiatrists and case workers resourced at home. The men and women who serve in Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of whom have already served multiple tours, cannot afford another Walter Reed-type situation."

Postulate: in WWII, we won against 2 advanced military powers in 4 years, but we can't defeat the Taliban in 8!

Now--

More U.S. military personnel have taken their own lives so far in 2009 than have been killed in either the Afghanistan or Iraq wars this year, according to a Congressional Quarterly compilation of the latest statistics from the armed services.

Moreover, the total number who have killed themselves in 2009 is probably higher than 334, because the figure does not include unavailable suicide statistics for 2009 for Marine Corps reservists or veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who have left the service.

Thank about that.

Let it sink in.

Now, go back and read this post from 7 March 2009.

"And it's - ONE! TWO! THREE!
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me..."

(Country Joe and the Fish, I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag, 1967)

It's deja vu all over again!

And it is not worth it this time either.
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Is Slow Food an Answer?

2009-11-30T05:20:00.000-06:00

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"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." (Marcus Tullius Cicero)

The Edible Schoolyard at P.S. 216, NYC. (Artist's rendering)

And there is another edible schoolyard on the west coast where the children work while chickens wander about.

There is even one in New Orleans.

Why are these important? Since the very concept of the United States of America, we have associated the bounty of the land, the goodness of life, with the idea of Democracy. We started as an agrarian society. The famed "Founding Fathers" were mostly farmers. All food was slow food.

Today, this country is covered from coast-to-coast and border-to-border, in every big city and small hamlet, with fast food available very fast. I don't want to get on my soap box here, but fast food is just not good for the human body.

One of the worst things about fast food is that while it is cheap and easily available, it is largely non-nourishing if not down right malnourishing. Those who have little choice except fast food, those less affluent, are considered "food insecure" (hungry, less than nourished). "If you’re going to patch up the worst signs of hunger, you probably want what little food poor people get to be more nutritious than what industrial agriculture is normally ready to provide. But injecting flour with vitamins doesn’t get you very far in tackling the root causes of this hunger — poverty."

What about the "good food?" Do the wealthy have access to the good food while the less affluent do not? If this is so, it does not feel like democracy. Our lives are bound intrinsically to the food we eat and how and when and where we eat it.

Can farmers markets go into the inner cities and thrive? In order for prices of "good food" to be reasonable for all people, can organic farms be subsidized as the giant agribusinesses are? Well, that certainly sounds more democratic. It would even seem to harken back to the founding sentiment to "promote the common welfare."

Maybe, this country can experience a shift away from fast-fast and back (but really forward) to a better way of growing and eating. And, ultimately, being more kindly human.
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GoodGuide: Find Safe, Healthy, and Green Products

2009-11-27T05:46:00.033-06:00

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Now, for this I might want to rush out, buy and start using a cellphone. An iPhone to be precise.

Here it is: a free app for the "socially conscious" amongst us.

The Good Guide i Phone app helps you find safe, healthy, and sustainable products while you shop. With this update, simply scan the barcode of the product and immediately see detailed ratings for health, environment and social responsibility for more than 50,000 products and companies. GoodGuide provides this information about personal care, household chemical, toy and food products for free on your iPhone / iPod Touch and is adding thousands of products every month.

Access information about items on the shelf in three simple steps:

Hit 'Scan' tab
Select 'Scan Barcode'
Point your phone's camera at the product's barcode
Product ratings are delivered to you instantly!

By making information about consumer products transparent, GoodGuide's goal is to help people shop smarter and motivate companies to offer even better products.

[GoodGuide allows you to:]
Instantly check products, view ratings, and find safer, healthier products while you are in the store and on the go.
Create personal favorites list that are accessible anytime, anywhere.

WOW!

God Bless Kansas

2009-11-25T12:16:00.011-06:00

Scott Roeder, who has confessed to the fatal shooting of a Kansas abortion provider, is fighting prosecutors’ attempts to ban the so-called necessity defense at his trial. ... Roeders’ attorney filed a motion stating that Roeder should be allowed to argue that the killing was necessary to prevent Tiller from performing abortions.

The necessity defense is highly unlikely to succeed in Roeder’s case, according to two law professors .... “He may think this is his opportunity to explain why abortion is murder, but that’s not relevant,” said Michael Kaye, a professor of law at Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas. Also known as the “choice of evils” defense, the necessity defense is on the books in many jurisdictions and allows defendants to argue that they needed to take action to prevent greater harm. “Kansas has never to my knowledge recognized the necessity defense in its statutes, but sometimes defendants do raise it,” said Melanie Wilson, a law professor at the University of Kansas School of Law. In those cases, the court has declined to decide whether Kansas should recognize it, saying it’s a moot point because the defendant can’t meet the criteria for the defense. (Emphasis mine.)

For instance, the action that the defendant tried to prevent must be illegal — not simply perceived as immoral. If a woman has the right to an abortion under certain circumstances — and if the abortions that Tiller performed were lawful — then Roeder could not successfully argue that he was justified in killing Tiller to stop him from carrying out abortions.

Kansas courts have previously rejected necessity defenses.

--from the Southern Poverty Law Center
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A Solution for 2 Problems

2009-11-16T16:59:00.014-06:00

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"Never lose battery power again! With the nPower™ PEG (Personal Energy Generator), you can recharge your handheld electronic devices while you walk, run, or bike. Simply plug your nPower™ PEG into your cell phone or MP3 player, carry it [the PEG device] vertically, and go."

(Scheduled to cost $149.00)

Now you can recharge your cell phone and get your daily physical activity (save yourself a visit to the gym) at the same time!

The rules are simple:

1. Buy Tremont Electricity's PEG
2. Throw your cell phone charger away.
3. Walk at least an hour a day so you can recharge your cell phone.
4. Get the exercise and energy life you need!

It just gets better & better. I am amazed by this device.
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Electric Cars CAN Plug-in

2009-11-12T06:56:00.002-06:00

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Wow! This is what is needed for "electric" cars.

Photo by Chris Duffey for the East Bay Express

3Prong Power, a Berkeley, California startup ... offers plug-in hybrid conversions for first, second and third generation Prius’s as well as the Ford Escape Hybrid.
The conversion, which is the first available for first generation Prius’s, creates a 35-mile EV mode for the vehicles. So drivers can fill up with petroleum at a gas station — or fill the electric tank in any standard electrical outlet.
3Prong’s conversion isn’t cheap, with prices ranging from $3,499 to $11,499 (the most expensive option has a 40-mile EV mode). But at the same time, the conversion stands to cut fuel costs by up to a quarter, since electricity costs less than petroleum. At the moment, 3Prong only offers its services in the Bay Area. Don’t be surprised, however, if similar Prius conversion companies pop up elsewhere as PHEVs become more popular.

OK, now all those parking meters can be retro-fitted with coin/bill slots to offer electricity. While you park to shop or work or see the doctor, your car can be re-charging. If the city gets the money for the electricity, it will surely amount to more than the current parking charges.

Next thing some enterprising garage inventor needs to come up with is a really FAST recharge.

The Death Penalty

2009-11-10T10:18:00.029-06:00

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In the news is the impending execution of the main DC sniper.

Now, this "wild-eyed liberal" used to be a firm believer in the death penalty: some people are just too mean to be allowed to live. "Kill 'em." that was my attitude.

Since we no longer live in communities of such isolation that we can expel those sufficiently anti-social people who refuse to comply with the general rules of the community, I used to feel the death penalty was an acceptable solution. The Amish--and others--still practice shunning. So what are we to do?

I had an epiphany. The moment I became convinced the death penalty was a bad idea. I changed my mind in an instant. It was before the extensive exposures of the Innocence Project (although, their work has added to my certainty that the death penalty should be discarded). My insight came when Timothy McVeigh stated that he wanted to receive the death penalty.

At the place in time when I heard that, I knew with sudden and complete clarity that he should be sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. No quick, easy out for someone who had killed and maimed that many children. He should be kept alive for a very long, long time. Alive, in a cell where photos of the mangled bodies of his victims are displayed for him to view. (I guess I can be a very vengeful person.)

Anyway, a life sentence: give those that are guilty a good long time to consider their sins; give those that are wrongfully convicted time to have their innocence proved.

Change the laws. Abolish the death penalty.
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HR 3962 As Passed

2009-11-09T10:25:00.020-06:00

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I was going to get on my soap box and rant about HR 3962 as it passed the House on Saturday night. But I was having a great deal of trouble being even marginally coherent. Then I read this by Rep. Dennis Kucinich. 'Bout it in a nutshell. (All emphasis is mine.) So, just in case you missed it, for your reading pleasure, Rep Kucinich will explain--succinctly.

We have been led to believe that we must make our health care choices only within the current structure of a predatory, for-profit insurance system which makes money not providing health care. We cannot fault the insurance companies for being what they are. But we can fault legislation in which the government incentivizes the perpetuation, indeed the strengthening, of the for-profit health insurance industry, the very source of the problem. When health insurance companies deny care or raise premiums, co-pays and deductibles they are simply trying to make a profit. That is our system.

Clearly, the insurance companies are the problem, not the solution. They are driving up the cost of health care. Because their massive bureaucracy avoids paying bills so effectively, they force hospitals and doctors to hire their own bureaucracy to fight the insurance companies to avoid getting stuck with an unfair share of the bills. The result is that since 1970, the number of physicians has increased by less than 200% while the number of administrators has increased by 3000%. It is no wonder that 31 cents of every health care dollar goes to administrative costs, not toward providing care. Even those with insurance are at risk. The single biggest cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. is health insurance policies that do not cover you when you get sick.

But instead of working toward the elimination of for-profit insurance, H.R. 3962 would put the government in the role of accelerating the privatization of health care. In H.R. 3962, the government is requiring at least 21 million Americans to buy private health insurance from the very industry that causes costs to be so high, which will result in at least $70 billion in new annual revenue, much of which is coming from taxpayers. This inevitably will lead to even more costs, more subsidies, and higher profits for insurance companies—a bailout under a blue cross.

By incurring only a new requirement to cover pre-existing conditions, a weakened public option, and a few other important but limited concessions, the health insurance companies are getting quite a deal. The Center for American Progress’ blog, Think Progress, states, “since the President signaled that he is backing away from the public option, health insurance stocks have been on the rise.” Similarly, healthcare stocks rallied when Senator Max Baucus introduced a bill without a public option. Bloomberg reports that Curtis Lane, a prominent health industry investor, predicted a few weeks ago that “money will start flowing in again” to health insurance stocks after passage of the legislation. Investors.com last month reported that pharmacy benefit managers share prices are hitting all-time highs, with the only industry worry that the Administration would reverse its decision not to negotiate Medicare Part D drug prices, leaving in place a Bush Administration policy.

During the debate, when the interests of insurance companies would have been effectively challenged, that challenge was turned back. The “robust public option” which would have offered a modicum of competition to a monopolistic industry was whittled down from an initial potential enrollment of 129 million Americans to 6 million. An amendment which would have protected the rights of states to pursue single-payer health care was stripped from the bill at the request of the Administration. Looking ahead, we cringe at the prospect of even greater favors for insurance companies.
Recent rises in unemployment indicate a widening separation between the finance economy and the real economy. The finance economy considers the health of Wall Street, rising corporate profits, and banks’ hoarding of cash, much of it from taxpayers, as sign of an economic recovery. However in the real economy—in which most Americans live—the recession is not over. Rising unemployment, business failures, bankruptcies and foreclosures are still hammering Main Street.
This health care bill continues the redistribution of wealth to Wall Street at the expense of America’s manufacturing and service economies which suffer from costs other countries do not have to bear, especially the cost of health care. America continues to stand out among all industrialized nations for its privatized health care system. As a result, we are less competitive in steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping while other countries subsidize their exports in these areas through socializing the cost of health care.

Notwithstanding the fate of H.R. 3962, America will someday come to recognize the broad social and economic benefits of a not-for-profit, single-payer health care system, which is good for the American people and good for America’s businesses, with of course the notable exceptions being insurance and pharmaceuticals.

Medicare for All

Single payer is really the only way to go. Let's all hope that after the Senate works their "magic" and the reconciliation committee weaves the 2 bills together, we get a better bill than this gift to the health insurance lobby. I am really beginning to think ugly words.

More Wind Power

2009-11-07T15:50:00.018-06:00

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And, now, my gentle snowflakes, if you need less urban and more rural appearance to your wind turbine, and if you still want really high efficiency, then try the RSI turbines. They look just like old-time, in your grand-dad's pasture, windmills.

Isn't that great?

You watch it turn, not hear it turn!
Power blade speeds mean much lower noise (one of the leading complaints of three-blade systems). Also, higher speed means higher friction (and therefore higher wear and maintenance concerns). The WindGen's lower rotation speed means a unit that is more dependable with much lower maintenance and one that is actually pleasing to live with!

Dependable and Reliable
The WindGen’s use of induction generators is well proven worldwide to be more dependable and reliable. In fact this technology is well-established and is commonly used in most of the larger wind farm turbines. Other small turbines use Permanent Magnets and small inverters.

“ON the Grid”, or “Off the Grid” WindGen is both!
The standard unit connects directly to the power grid, but the owner has many options. The WindGen inverter is oversized to handle large wind change events, which are common. Other small turbines that are grid-tie only, have a very small inverters. With WindGen the user can also add battery banks for going “off the grid” or just for more backup power (this option is built into the standard unit so you can add later). Also, the WindGen can be used with other forms of backup power, like Solar or any type of gen/set.

High Wind? No problem!
All other wind units have to shut down to protect their rotor glass blades and gear boxes from runaway(which in high winds can result in thrown blades or falling towers). The WindGen system has been thoroughly tested, and we stand behind our units. We know that rotor runaway is not an option. The WindGen uses proven “windmill design” but still keeps producing power, even in high wind when others have to shut down.

And another really, great thing about RSI? It is an an American company located in the "heartland"--south central Kansas.

I just doesn't get much more American than that.

Rooftop Wind Turbines

2009-10-27T05:55:00.011-05:00

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Oh, boy, advances in rooftop wind turbines. I just had a steel roof installed with a vented ridge. This should be very easy to retro-fit when it becomes financially reasonable.

I wrote about using something like this back in February 2009. I can't tell you how encouraged I am to see that advances are continuing to be made!

>Posted at Inhabitat by Ariel Schwartz, 10/26/09
Rooftop solar panels are unlikely to elicit complaints from neighbors–they’re silent and relatively unobtrusive. But loud rooftop wind turbines? That’s where the virtually NIMBY-proof Ridgeblade turbine comes in. The turbine, designed by a former Rolls Royce turbine engineer at UK-based The Power Collective, boasts a sleek profile that is both powerful and visually pleasing.
Instead of creating a free-standing turbine that sticks out for all the neighbors to see, The Power Collective designed its long-bladed turbine to fit in along the ridge of a roof, where wind currents are strongest. The Ridgeblade packs a powerful punch, too — it has the wind-capturing potential of a medium sized turbine.
The turbine isn’t yet on the market. . . No word on how much the turbine will cost when it is finally released, but your neighbors’ peace of mind might just be worth the extra cost!
Via Cleantechnica

Hang in there, my gentle snowflakes, it will all yet come together.

A Man of the People. Really?

2009-10-22T08:39:00.012-05:00

Source: Houston Chronicle, October 17, 2009
Dick Armey, who was the Republican Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives between 1995 to 2002, has been doing well for himself as the Chairman of FreedomWorks, a conservative lobby group. Meredith Simons reports that, according to the group's tax filings for 2008, Armey was paid $550,000. “I don't apologize for my paycheck. I'd like to think I'm worth it," he said. FreedomWorks has been one of the leading groups opposing proposals for healthcare reform. Up until August, Armey had also been a consultant for the Washington D.C. lobbying firm, DLA Piper. He resigned following controversy over his role with Freedomworks as well as with a lobbying firm which represented, among other clients, drug companies supporting health care reform and companies opposing tough action on global warming. Armey told Simons that resigning from the lobbying firm "cost me $750,000 a year for the next 10 years. That's not an easy thing to walk away from.”

Rethinking Solar Power

2009-10-19T05:31:00.008-05:00

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I have been wanting to get rid of the vertical blinds. But maybe they can be retro-fitted?

This is pretty neat.

Illuminating Solar Blinds Turn the Lights On
by Haily Zaki, 11/20/08

What do you get when you take an average vertical blind (the kind found in practically any rental apartment across the United States), outfit it with special mini photovoltaics and LED pixels, then add a healthy dose of creative inspiration? The surprisingly chic and witty Solar Vertical Lamp designed by Yoon-Hui Kim and Eun-Kyung Kim. By creatively applying existing technology, Kim and Kim transform the lowly blind into a sustainable, sexy, and dramatic lighting system. Finally, a blind that has truly seen the light.

The two-dimensional lamps are brilliant in their simplicity. During the day, miniature solar pads soak up the sun’s energy. At night, artfully placed lighting pixels (similar to those used on billboards) illuminate. Simply close the blinds to ‘turn on’ your lights. These smart lights come in table lamp, floor lamp, and chandelier forms that add dramatic ambiance to any room in the house. Besides being completely energy-efficient and saving you tons of money on your monthly bill, you never have to dust them!

Via Yanko Design

I particularly like the "no dusting" feature. Maybe the whole panel could be made to "glow"--kind of like a fantastic night light.
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medicare for all

2009-10-17T05:31:00.006-05:00

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I promise, even I am getting tired of this subject. So, just once more, with feeling.

We really need HEALTH CARE for everyone in this country. And we need it now.

We need it because this is a fight against death. Not the death that comes for the old and hurting, as a welcome friend. But the death that lurches in and plucks the 11 year old boy suffering with nothing more than an abscessed tooth that will not be treated because the dentist does not "take" medicaid patients; the death that snatches the 17 year old girl who needs a kidney transplant that has been denied by some nameless, faceless insurance clerk. We need it because HEALTH CARE fights for life: the life of each and every citizen that wants it and can hold it.

This is how it should work:

Build a national care system by expanding on the existing Medicare program... This restructuring would involve gradual changes in the age of eligibility for the Medicare system...

(1) Enroll children under 5 years of age, pregnant women and those with lifelong illnesses by the end of 2010.

(2)In 2011, those between 55 and 65 would be enrolled...

(3)In 2012 those from 5 to 15 and those from 45 to 55 would be included.

(4)Those between 15 and 25 as well as those from 40 to 45 would be added in 2013.

(5)Finally, by the end of 2014, by adding the remaining population between 25 and 40 the entire U.S. population would be covered...

There would be Medicare for all in a single-payer system. There would be no limitations based on pre-existing conditions... The changes proposed under the Medicare Expansion program would be relatively easy to make from an administrative standpoint since age is easily verified and the basic system is in place and functioning... [from "Health Care Reform by Medicare Expansion" by Eric W. Fonkalsrud, M.D., and Michael D. Intriligator, Ph.D.]

The medicare rate (of withholding and self-employment tax) could be increased--and adjusted for dependents--to help cover the costs. Any subsidies for low wage earners could be given back through expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit--which can, even now, be received as an advance against withholding for wage earners.

And we have to get a handle on the cost of Medicare fee-for-service, as it is now practiced, in which doctors and hospitals are paid for each suture, fancy diagnostic test and pat on the arm.

We need salaried doctors, too. I know, catch your breath, breathe. Yes, this is socialized medicine. But there ain't no such thing as a "free market" in medical care. There is a free market in food. You can eat beans instead of dining at Emeril's. But you can't tell the surgeon, "No thanks, I can't afford a triple by-pass today. I'll just have this wart removed."

So, we change the way we train doctors. We--the government (that's you and me, my gentle snowflakes) pay for the full cost of the medical education of the young doctors-to-be. And then we treat them as humans during internship. (Not, as in the current system, where interns are virtual medi-slaves.) And then, in return for the public paying for their medical education, each young doctor pledges a ten-year commitment to work for the new Medicare For All system at a reasonable salary. (Sure wish I could take credit for this idea, but I stole it whole-hog from Ted Kennedy! ) Similar arrangements should be made for all other health professionals.

Now, what about the cost of medications? Medicare Part D must be changed to allow for negotiations between Medicare (that's the Government--remember, you and me, my gentle snowflakes) and big Pharma over the price paid for drugs.

After all this, if for no other reason than the utter terror that the Government--you and me--will nationalize them, the hospitals will get in line and support Medicare for All.

Costs will be controlled, contained, made manageable.

There it is: Let the CBO score that!