Monday, January 8, 2018

RENEWABLE ENERGY IS OUR FUTURE

Great Britain and Denmark have made great strides in renewable energies. Both hope to get 50% of their energy from wind and solar by 2020. Denmark is close at 46.7%.  All over the world, the use of oil and coal is retreating and the hole in the ozone layer is getting smaller. Proof that we can affect climate with cooperation.



Climate change deniers in Florida, anyway, have to consider that iguanas are falling out of trees because they’ve become so cold in Florida’s unusual 40 degree weather.


In Canada, imposing a 5 cent tariff on lattes and offering people the option of reusing their cup is helping reduce the problem.

The White House and many of our fearless leaders deny climate change, so we are on the road to offshore drilling for oil in the pristine Arctic. What is really so annoying about that type of drilling is there are thousands of land leases that go unused, but, shucks, why not drill in the Arctic instead.

I would have to posit, why not ban drilling until wind and solar have been fully developed and given a chance to live up to a better, greener, healthy world here. That is the American way.

Banning single use plastic is one of the single most effective ways of changing our world for the better. It will have to happen at some point and it looks like California is poised to do just that. We can hope.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

DAVID AND GOLIATH

used of being a natural sh** stirrer. But I really think Democracy is still supposed to be "...for the people, by the people..."
Maybe that is quaint. But, geez, all I hear about is fake news vs real news.  Them against Us.  Why can't we make government work for everyone?
Jim used to say, "I listen to no news. It's all bad and I can't do anything about it anyway."
Segue to North Dakota, a state of ordinary people. A lot of down home farmers, raising their kids. Providing us with healthy food.
The issue was a 1932 law passed by the people banning non-family, corporate farm ownership. They wanted healthy, rural communities with sustainable agriculture practices.  Some clever Big Ag lobbyists and state legislators with the help of a corporate funded Governor decided to overturn that ban.
But the North Dakota Farmers Union recruited some progressive forces, and grass roots volunteers and got a referendum on the ballot last June giving the voters the final say.
The vote was loud and clear. 76% of North Dakotans rejected the corporate powers and restored the outright ban on corporate controlled farming.
Yahoo! David wins again!
Thank you Jim Hightower for bring that to my attention.

Monday, January 1, 2018

END OF A STRANGE YEAR.


Hello friends. And, Happy New Year, 2018.

My resolution is to make 2018  a healthy and productive year. I’ve been missing from these pages and I miss blogging. In the past, it has been my habit to photograph Christmas cards and wish everyone a Merry Christmas. It is a bit late, and this Santa looks a mite sad about it, but the sparkle is still in the night air until the sun hits the street tomorrow and we begin our everyday life anew.
So, I’ll post a few cards and at the end, I hope I can remember how to make an album for you to view some beautiful  Christmas Cards. More people are sending letters or e-cards and I do too. But the days of the real thing are not over yet.

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This one reminds me of the German Christmas Street Fair I went to a long time ago. I’ve forgotten what town.


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This bear was not ready to wake up just because it was Christmas. The imaginative artists who draw Christmas Cards have my un-dieing admiration.
Then I made the cards into a Christmas tree.
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Then I get to toss them and do another next year. I misplaced the key to my Christmas Storage shed and had no tree, nor lights to make Christmas bright this year.
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I could have cut the lock but I was extremely busy and didn’t. The first time ever I have not decorated a tree or put lights up. But, my friend Karen gave me a table decoration and it, along with some Christmas music, made the season cheerful. Plus, Christmas at my son Ken’s, in Reno was a blast. I took pictures of that affair on my new android phone, but I haven’t learned how to get the photos into a blog-YET.
Now for the album:



I couldn’t remember how to do the album of 42 cards. I’ll call Jim tomorrow and have him “relearn” me for the next time.
Ciao