Denial is not a policy.

Republicans in the House of Representatives are not only denying climate science – they're actually blocking the Pentagon from taking any action on it. Earlier this month, the House passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act which bars the Department of Defense from using any funds on to implement or research plans to deal with climate change. Republican Congressman David McKinley, who introduced the legislation, said, “This amendment will prohibit the costs of the President's climate change policies being forced on the Department of Defense by the Obama Administration.”

However, this amendment blocks much more than the President's executive orders on climate change. The bill also bars the DOD from spending any money to implement changes suggested by the National Climate Assessment, the IPCC, or the United Nations. Republicans even made sure to block any action on one of the Right's favorite conspiracy theories – Agenda 21. This legislation forces Pentagon officials to stick their heads in the sand, and pretend that climate change is not a serious concern.

Despite the fact that the Pentagon's own report warned that extreme weather and rising temperatures bring “conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence,” - the DOD won't be able to do anything to address those threats. Once again, House Republicans have gone too far. Their latest political game may work out great for Big Oil, but it leaves the our nation – and our military – at risk for the real threats associated with climate change. We will need every part of our government to deal with the effects of global warming, and the Pentagon can't be barred from helping us find climate solutions.

Comments

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#1

Is Truecrypt going the way of Lavabit? Don't trust the recent version 7.2, especially.
http://cryptome.org/2014/05/truecrypt-testing.htm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/28/truecrypt_hack/
http://truecrypt.sourceforge.net/
https://github.com/warewolf/truecrypt/compare/master...7.2
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/29/truecrypt_analysis/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ztpm8QUISkk
Although, if you still have older versions than 7.2...like the last version of 2012...7.12a you may still be safe in using 7.12a. It is possible that the NSA, frustrated at their inability to penetrate Truecrypt 7.12a encrypted hard drives, may have just laid their heavy hand upon developers of Truecrypt and this resulted in the very odd recent warnings about 7.2. Perhaps they are trying to scare people out of using Truecrypt altogether and chasing people into seeking other encryption sources like Bit Locker or others...who many of us already suspect may be compromised by the NSA anyway. May be a way of scaring people, herding them, into using compromised encryption that have weak encryption or back door keys.

https://www.grc.com/misc/truecrypt/truecrypt.htm

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#2

I sure wish more people would wake up to what the Republicans are all about. Those guys are dangerous. They've nothing to offer us but hardship, decay and death. All they do is serve the masters while obstructing every conceivable thing that could benefit us, our environment... anything that matters.

By the way, PD- what the hell are you talking about? What's this "7.12a" business anyway?! Sounds like Greek to me. - AIW

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#3

Apologies 2U, AIW, I know not everyone will understand any or all of this but some may. 7.12a is the version of TrueCrypt that came out in 2012. TrueCrypt has worked very well to protect the privacy of those who have used it for over 10 years. The most recent version that just came out is version 7.2, which is what is causing all of the controversy. If you download and try to install version 7.2 it warns you that it is unreliable and you cannot use it to encrypt anything anyway. It only works to decrypt what one has previously encrypted using a previous version of TrueCrypt (ie: version 7.12a or earlier). The problem is that none of these encryption programs are really secure..especially since the Russians came out with a new decryption tool called Elcomsoft Forensic Disc Decryptor * back in 2012. It can decrypt TrueCrypt, Bit Locker, and PGP. And I'm sure the NSA, and other quasi-law enforcement groups have purchased it or have their own encryption crackers.

So, about the only way to protect your privacy is to pulverize your storage media but then you won't have it either after you do. If you are foolish enough to keep your storage media "in the cloud" where "they" have complete control of your data (since "they" can decrypt it), you can't even pulverize your media like you might be able to if you keep your data on local storage media. But then, they'll just sneak in when you're not there and make copies.

And "they" are not just the NSA or other like organizations. Try the Russian Mafia (not much difference from the NSA). You think your bank account information, personal private information, or other sensitive data, is safe?

And the hackers are winning...and who are the most well financed and fearless hackers? The NSA cybercriminals who are spying on us all. The NSA pays big money to hackers who find exploits that the NSA can then use them against all the rest of us.**

* http://www.darkreading.com/risk-management/forensic-tool-cracks-bitlocke...?

** http://www.dailyfinance.com/2014/05/28/survey-hackers-winning-cybercrime...

Of course, the TrueCrypt C++ source code is available, both 7.12a and 7.2, and they have been compared which show a lot of changes. If one is savvy enough and well versed in C++ programming and encryption techniques, they could modify the code in a way that would defend against any weaknesses. But I think the key to that Russian decryption program is that they have to do a memory dump under certain circumstances in order to capture the password. And that is not much of a problem for any intruder, keyboard loggers can do that, if you are silly enough to key in your password to your encryption program while online or don't use programs to clean your logs. All you have to after that is turn off the computer power to erase the volatile memory...the RAM.

By the way, the C++ source code is available for download for your perusal... but that doesn't mean that the executable code (the .exe for Windows, anyway) is without corruption. It would be safer to compile your own C++ executable code from the source code that you have deemed to be uncorrupted. Most people, with Windows, will just download and execute the .exe code which could be corrupted code. You can check the SLA1 or MD5 hashes but you are still putting a lot of faith in the unseen code.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#4

Sorry, AIW, there I go again...must have been my "traumatic childhood"! ;-}} Got to get back to examining the code!

DrRichard 9 years 1 week ago
#5

Legislating science is not new, you had people refusing to look through Galileo's telescope, and in more recent times both Nazi and Stalinist biologists telling the leaders what they wanted to hear. Of course the planets still revolve, evolution occurs, and the earth continues to warm no matter what any distinguished scientific illiterates say.

j.jonik 9 years 1 week ago
#6

Such anti scientific Climate Change actions by Repuglicans could not succeed without complicity by "nicer" (??) Democrats...who are roughly as much in the pockets of Oil, Coal, Fracking, Plastics, Pesticides, Petrohemicals, their Wall St. investors (INCLUDING...importantly...top health insurers), and the rest, as the "greater evil" Repugs.

Let's see a butt-kicking Hartmann slam against sold-out Dems who are as bad as, or worse than, the GOP. Worse....because of the really grotty Dem ploy of being "lesser evil". After all, some Obama administration policies have been historically worse than any predecessor Repugnant admistrations. Obama adm. is arguably even worse than Pretend Democrat Clinton. Case closed on that question if XL pipeline and TPP sleaze their way into existence.

Isn't it more than possible or likely that the psypchopathic...but still smart...Roves and Kochs and T-Partiers are intentionally going absurdly overboard so that Dems can look good by opposing (only) the worst GOP policies? The policies the Corporatocracy Really Want are then fulfilled, not by GOP legislators, but by Dems. What we have is sort of like--- GOP proposes using babies for livestock feed---then "outraged", "nicer" Dems say that only SOME babies, maybe damaged or dead ones, should be used for that Job-Creating Enterprise. And nice, duped, Dems will keep their Obama bumper stickers, and vote for the next "nicer" choice...Clinton II.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#7

I definitely agree with all of that! And it's kind of funny to even think that the Pentagon would have any concerns about global warming. Depleted Uranium. Bunker busting nukes. Cluster bombs. White Phosphorus bombs. HAARP stratosphere hole maker. Fighter jets and Naval vessels that pollute the atmosphere. Our worst enemies are the ones who pretend to be our friends yet stab us in the back. They are the most dangerous because they keep us forever hopeful of change that will never come. It's high time we rebel against both parties. It's high time we rebel against our oppressors...the top few percenters who have rigged this corrupt game against us.

MontanaMuleGal's picture
MontanaMuleGal 9 years 1 week ago
#8

Two-headed Camel

I don't think I've ever disagreed with one of your comments.

Although some of your comment are textually long, you've got the facts straight!

You understand.... absolutely.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#9

And so they are now pretending to cover up the corruption in the VA. They find people to fall on their swords but what of all of the doctors in the VA who may have a bad attitude about "social medicine"? What about the ones that down deep believe that all medicine should be privatized? Are they going to act in a manner that will detract from good VA care?

I had a friend, a VA vet who died of cancer last year. He was not well off financially and could not afford to go to a non-VA doctor. He had been exposed to Agent Orange in Vietnam but the VA would never agree with this until after he died. He kept going to his primary care doctor with complaints of excruciating pain for several years. The only thing the doctor did was prescribe more and more pills that eventually would have no effect. The last thing the doctor prescribed was physical therapy to deal with his pain. Never did that doctor prescribe tests to determine what was causing the pain. When he finally went to the emergency hospital, against his doctor's will, the second time, they finally did some scans and found massive cancer tumors and that the cancer had spread to his bones. They reluctantly tried chemo but only one kind of chemo (there are more than one kind of treatments) and he got even sicker. They sent a couple of doctors in to his bed and got him to sign a release to let him die without further treatments. Now that the VA is under fire for corruption, I wonder if my friend would still be alive had his doctor taken the steps to test and treat him in his early cancer phase.

So, I went to the VA the other day, myself, for a cough that I've had for over two months now. All I got was some more pills to swallow, no antibiotics, and an inhaler that has a big scarey warning on the papers that come with it that says that some people have died from taking this medicine. I got no tests of any kind. The main hospital doctor just spent his time typing my symptoms into the computer. This was not even the same clinic VA doctor I normally go to....doctor death I call him because he is the same doctor that refused to give tests and care to my now dead friend.

I strongly suspect that they are all doctor deaths and the primary goal is to ensure that we all die an early death so as to not add to anything that might suggest that the VA socialized medicine can work. You have to remember that these doctors make lots of money and could make even more in a privatized system. I believe they have an innate hatred of all of us "freeloaders" who served our country. They really do want to see the VA institution fail so that they can privatize all healthcare. And they really do want to see most of us die off as cheaply as possible. The problem is not socialized medicine....the problem is the arrogant selfish twits that think they are better than anyone else who are running the system and corrupting it.

We hear all kinds of psychological smoothies from the mouths of our politicians claiming that the veteran deserves better care. But I believe it is all just so much bullshit they expect us to swallow. I certainly don't believe in their sincerity. They are all Machiavellis as far as I'm concerned. They'll pretend to be your friends and then they will stab you in the back whenever they can.

douglas m 9 years 1 week ago
#10

Isnt there an agency or title that is supposed to peotect we the people from threats,

Foreign or DOMESTIC?

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#11

MontanaMuleGal: Thank you. And, yes, I know I run on a lot sometimes...well...most of the time.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#12

NDAA-Nazi Dumb Asses Anonymous? And don't worry...if the people begin to see who their real oppressors are....the Nazis will engineer yet another 9/11 to frighten people back into their jingoist cattle chutes on the way to their eventual slaughter.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#13

Palindromedary ~ it is so good to see you again. I for one have really missed you my friend. While you are here, ChicagoMatt asked a question a while ago that only you can answer. It was a question for atheists. I had an answer; but, felt unqualified. The question, to paraphrase, was on the order of, 'If you don't believe in an afterlife they way bother with the present life?'

My answer would have been, Because I am human. As a human I have a vested interest in the future of the human race. I do not want to be part of something that is a complete failed--yet intelligent--species. I hesitated to say that because--right now--I'm not so sure.

Would you be so kind as to elaborate on that statement--if you think it needs further explanation! I would so appreciate it. I am sure, so would ChicagoMatt.

By the way, it's so good to have you back. It's made much more than my day.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 1 week ago
#14

Thank you DAnneMarc for your kind words. However, I think I am going to stay away from religious comments for a while. People will believe what they want to believe.

I have been rather busy and may not be as active on this blog as before. I have, however, read everything everyone has said and as tempted as I was to add my two cents worth, I resisted the temptation. I've got a lot to do.

johnbest's picture
johnbest 9 years 1 week ago
#15

I feel that the problem with VA is that senior managers were paid performance bonuses for grades GS-13 and above under the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act. In order to get their bonuses, senior managers. who were keeping secret lists of appointments, were trying to protect their bonuses. I have always felt that these bonuses were a bad idea. Add to that the fact that Congress cut the funding for the VA, we have a perfect opportunity for the senior managers to play the system by hiding performance problems. Doesn't this make sense?

McLoser's and other Neotard heads are exploding. They have another "Benghazi". They don't remember "Bushghazi" where there were 10 embassy attacks where 60 people were killed and Saint Raygun's marine barracks in Lebanon where 241 marines were blown up. THEY NEVER SAID A WORD. Loser hannity says that "Benghazi" was different. HA!!!!

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#16
The question, to paraphrase, was on the order of, 'If you don't believe in an afterlife they way bother with the present life?'

My answer would have been, Because I am human. As a human I have a vested interest in the future of the human race. I do not want to be part of something that is a complete failed--yet intelligent--species. I hesitated to say that because--right now--I'm not so sure.

That's about the right question. I can't think of a better way to word it. And that's about the answer I've gotten from other people as well - some variation of, "I'm doing it for the future". My question is always then: Why, if those future humans will be equally non-existant. So they can help other future humans and keep the cycle of pointlessness going?

Anyway, I suppose when it comes to religious and political views, we're mostly the products of our experiences. I respect everyone's opinions. They are fun to talk about though.

I just realized how much of an old geezer I am, when my idea of "fun" on a Friday night is political blogging. That, and I am literally excited to wake up tomorrow and weed my garden. :)

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#17

I think getting off of oil is something that 99% of Americans can really agree on, albeit for different reasons. Some may want to do it for environmental reasons, some want to do it to save money at the pump, some may even want to do it because they hate the thought of giving money to Middle-Easterners. No matter how you arrive at the conclusion, it is still the same: Time to get off of oil.

I wish someone (Sanders, perhaps) would introduce a bill that would give people tax breaks for installing solar panels AND buying electric cars, which is about the only way to really free yourself of oil. They should also offer research money or guarenteed government contracts to any company that can design a clean-air tractor trailer. If the post office alone switched to all clean-air vehicles, the insentive would be there for companies to begin making more of them.

2950-10K's picture
2950-10K 9 years 1 week ago
#18

So the Kochhadists in the House passed an amendment blocking Department of Defense funds from being used in the war on climate change. With the inevitable outcome of unchecked climate change being a calamity of death and destruction, this equates to an admission of support for a man made apolcalypse and a kindred association with all manner of global terrorism.

I assume these domestic terrorists are all on the no fly list....I certainly wouldn't feel safe flying with Republican psychopaths bought and paid for by Fascists like the Kochs.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#19
Quote Palindromedary:I have, however, read everything everyone has said and as tempted as I was to add my two cents worth, I resisted the temptation. I've got a lot to do.

Palindromedary ~ Oh, how I know how that goes. Take your time my friend. No rush. Personally, I'm going through similar times myself. The best of luck. See you on the other side; and, hopefully, a happier side! DAM

SHFabian's picture
SHFabian 9 years 1 week ago
#20

I really can't piece together the logic of the final paragraph. The military itself is irrelevant beyond working to protect America's unquenchable thirst for oil. The US is far more likely to end as a result of social/economic collapse during our lifetimes. Current military spending is unsustainable. The military knows it, and the government knows it. The collapse of the middle class will, at least, dramatically reduce this country's consumption of fossil fuels and zeal for war. We've remained engaged in wars almost constantly for the past century, since WWl, usually by choice. Corporations have expanded internationally, establishing headquarters outside of the US, in such a way to ensure their continued survival when the US collapses. As we phased out manufacturing (working class jobs) and are phasing out the middle class, oil consumption -- and therefore America's contribution to global warming -- continues shrinking.

Politically fair's picture
Politically fair 9 years 1 week ago
#21

You know I read these articles from time to time and really very unfair. It is not only the republicans its also the dems. Just look at Harry Reid... He sickens me. You speak about Policy currently we have had time after time failed policy with this administration, scandle after scandles that hurt the American people, Lies, deciet and and 4 dead Americans in Bengazi and still responsible party. Everything is a lies.. Remember these words 6 years ago. We will be the most transparent administration. Haha... There is not a smigen of corruption in the IRS Ha Ha... OMG thes list goes on and on and one. Our ecomony is a mess embarassing growth report the other day of 0.1 percent that is not a recovery. So lets face it the Dems should not be alway protected too. They also have made a mess of this Country. Try to be fair is all I am asking. NO MORE BLAME GAME Geez when will the Repulicans and Democrats take responsiblity for their actions, their words and stop playing such childlish games. Consider thinking out of the box... look at both sides. Now that would be refreshing.

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#22

"Politically fair", the Democrats get it right maybe ten or twenty percent of the time. The Republicans? Never. So much for "both sides"! Have a lovely weekend. - AIW

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#23

ChicagoMatt ~ I can't speak for Palindromedary; and he is the best person to address that question. However, for myself I keep my beliefs locked up inside. I don't need a public spectacle to convince me of my beliefs like so many other "believers" do.

That being said, I remember quite clearly the time in my life when I was an atheist. I really wasn't that much different. I still had the same ambitions, the same personal morals, the same sense of right versus wrong. If you know how to live you never need fear death. Personally I think the need to know what happens after death comes from the lack of knowing how to live. The lack of morals. The lack of a defined sense of right versus wrong. Certainly every religion claims to be the source of these ideals; and, for the most part, every member of these cults claim to be guided by the principles offered. I'm sure that to some degree they are; however, I'm also sure that we all come into the world with an innate sense of what is right and what is wrong.

My experience with church goers is not so much people guided by heavenly principles as much as people seeking to skirt those principles. For instance, the entire idea of 'confession' never rested well with me. As a child I found myself having to make things up when I was forced to go into 'confession'. It has always seemed to me that the entire ritual of 'confession' was set up just so that people could sin without a care in the world. To me, it is nothing more than a vehicle by which sin is not only permitted, but encouraged. What better way to get around our innate sense of what is right and what is wrong than the public spectacle of 'confession'. It is a shame that our economic system doesn't have a similar ritual for forgiving student loans.

No my friend, I can not say that I feel any different as a believer than I did as an atheist. Right is still right and wrong is still wrong. Perhaps the only difference to me is that now when I do something for myself, I am also doing it for God. I have always had a higher sense of myself. A super ego if you will. A greater good if you will. My invisible friend who follows me everywhere. The only difference concerning that aspect of myself between now and when I was an atheist is that now that higher aspect of myself has a name other than just my conscience.

As far as heaven is concerned I have never feared death. To me death is the ultimate inconvenience. It always has been. The one thing I would like when I die is for people to miss me. To remember me--fondly that is. No one really knows what happens after death. Surely you can 'say' "I know because I believe." However, that is nonsense. What you really should say is, "I hope I'm right." No one knows. That is a fact. Fixation on the afterlife is a distraction from this life. That is a fact. What I've always done is concentrated and fixated on the now. The now is all there really is. What is history is gone. The future may never happen. You can plan for it; but, you cannot live in it. All you can do is put all your energy in the now and let the rest take care of itself. Like Jesus said, the kingdom of heaven is already poured out everywhere around you. If you're looking for it, you've already missed it.

Willie W's picture
Willie W 9 years 1 week ago
#24

Not to worry about global warming. The Republicans have a few aces up their sleeves. They know they can save the day and shoot down climate change with a nuclear winter.... :)

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#25

Willie, the Republicans are a crazy bunch of psychopaths, along with that so-called "Tea Party". Today's Republicans have no regard for anything or anybody and they are dangerous. We need to remove them from office before they do more harm than they already have!

What we now know as the "Tea Party" is actually an insult to the original Tea Party, whose legitimacy, let alone their intent, were polar opposite to the Koch brothers' astro-turf creation known as todays "Tea Party", all about corporate tyranny!! The tea-dumping antics of the originals were in direct defiance to corporate power, and prefaced the American Revolution! They must be rolling in their graves, the poor souls... - AIW

Progressive Republican's picture
Progressive Rep... 9 years 1 week ago
#26

"Despite the fact that the Pentagon's own report warned that extreme weather and rising temperatures bring “conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence,” - the DOD won't be able to do anything to address those threats."

This meets my definition of treason.

Willie W's picture
Willie W 9 years 1 week ago
#27

I think the Tea Party has seen it's better days. Grabbing a patriotic name like that will get you some attention for a while untill people realize that you're full of it. They're good at name dropping. They will come back as something else. All polished and shiny, but still shallow.

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#28

I totally understand what you're saying.

It's been my experience that young people in particular need moral guidance, that "right" and "wrong" are not with us from birth. I've witnessed young people do very immoral things, because they honestly did not realize it was wrong. Of course, I work with young people, so it's only natural I would encounter this in them more than I would in adults.

I converted to Catholicism as an adult, and have never gone to Confession. We do offer it once a year to our students, but it is optional - some choose to sit it out. I've been in dozens of churches around here, and always the confessionals are just used for storage now.

Before I had a personal experience that solidified my faith, I looked at it like this:

There are three possible options:

1. I've picked the correct religion, and exactly what I expect will happen after I die happens. I am reunited with all of my friends and relatives who have gone before me. Good times.

2. I've picked the wrong religion, and it won't be what I expect after I die. In that case, all of my loved ones who preceeded me in death, and billions of other people, will be in the same boat.

3. There is nothing after death, and since I will no longer exist, I won't care that I was wrong in life.

But, like you, I think I'd live the same kind of life with or without the religious aspect of it. If it were somehow proven tomorrow that there was no God, I can't think of anything I'd do differently. I'd even go to church still, just to be with my friends.

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#29

This may help anyone who is loosing sleep over global warming feel a little more optimistic about humanity's chances:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/4290084

There are five proposals on that page for geo-engingeering the environment back to pre-industrial temperatures. My personal favorite is the last one - giant fake trees to get carbon back out of the air.

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#30

Fake trees?! Nothin' like the real thing, regardless of whatever fake remedies frankenscience might conjure up. Nope... I'll take "real" any day, thank you Matt! - AIW

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#31

I agree, but real trees aren't going to be able to do this alone anymore. The fake ones look like giant version of air purifiers you can get from Brookstone for your house.

The other options they talked about in the article revolved around directing sunlight back out into space, or stopping it before it got here in the first place, with mirrors.

Giant mirrors in space could do two things: direct sunlight away from Earth, or direct sunlight into the ocean, ahead of a hurricane, to warm water in a path that would direct the hurricane away from land.

Yes, it's sad that's it's coming to this. But also really cool from a scientific standpoint. I'm more confident now that my grandchildren will have a livable planet 100 years from now.

chuckle8's picture
chuckle8 9 years 1 week ago
#32

SHFabian -- You need to listen to L Randall Wray. Thom repeated the interview on Friday.

Quote SHFabian: Current military spending is unsustainable.
.

Are you trying to get rid of the only jobs program we have going?

chuckle8's picture
chuckle8 9 years 1 week ago
#33

Politically fair -- Why do keep quoting the repug playbook? Cosmetically, I could agree with you. However, I think the best hope of fighting against the 0.1% is "card check". Every democrat in the senate voted for it in 2009. Every repug voted against it, thus enabling the filibuster. You can be a nice republican and point out every stupid thing the dems do wrong. That would certainly assure we will never get a filibuster proof senate.

chuckle8's picture
chuckle8 9 years 1 week ago
#34

Chi Matt -- Why do you want to get rid of the enegy source we need the most -- the sun. I still like Thom's solution the best -- an ever increasing carbon tax.

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#35

The only real solution is phasing out fossil fuel and the technology dependent on it. Anything else is just a band-aid. Sorry to rain on anyone's parade... - AIW

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#36

ChicagoMatt ~ I got a better idea! Why don't we just take a lesson from "Blazing Saddles" and just make a bunch of fake people? We could--overnight--repopulate the Earth with fake people. Wouldn't that be much cheaper and far more easier than making a bunch of fake trees?

Seriously, if you really want to know the God given solution to this simple problem you should examine my own personal blog:

THE HEMP SOLUTION

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 1 week ago
#37

Hey guys! Ready for a little comic relief? This morning I found a message from Rand Paul in my inbox, with a petition to "do away" with the IRS! My reply: "Since you hate government so much, have you considered a change of occupation?" - AIW

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#38

Chuck - It's not about blocking the WHOLE sun. Just enough to counteract the effects of too much carbon in the air, which traps the sun's energy on Earth. The way they describe it, it would be a cloud of millions of small mirrors in space - you wouldn't be able to see it from Earth or anything.

Alice - Even if we stopped burning every fossil fuel today, the damage to the atmosphere is done and we will need a way to un-do that. Waiting for nature to take its course and get that carbon out of the atmosphere will take centuries.

Marc - You're the second person to make a Blazing Saddles reference for me this week. I've never seen that movie, but I do know it's a Mel Brooks film. I've only seen one of his movies - SpaceBalls. Perhaps I should add Blazing Saddles to my summer "things to do" list, for the cultural capital aspect of it.

There was a good opinion article on MSNBC two weeks ago about the unfortunate truth about environmentalism - it doesn't matter much what the USA does now, unless the BRIC countries do the same.

They should come up with some sort of "carbon footprint" data that would go on things you purchase, like nutritional information does now. So you could look at something, see how much pollution was made during the manufacture and transportation of the object, and decide if you still want to buy it. That would encourage companies to pollute less, just like it encouraged companies to make healthier foods available to consumers.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#39
Quote ChicagoMatt:Perhaps I should add Blazing Saddles to my summer "things to do" list, for the cultural capital aspect of it.

ChicagoMatt ~ Oh God yes! You are perhaps the first person I've met who hasn't seen that movie. It was definitely Mel Brook's masterpiece. Brilliant writing, acting, hilarious, and almost prophetic. He even wrote the title music. Sadly, compared to Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs was somewhat pathetic. That's the price you pay for creating a masterpiece. It casts a shadow on everything else you do.

By the way, if you haven't yet I would also suggest checking out, "The Jerk" and "Idiocracy." Other similar masterpieces. Aside of the entertainment aspect of these comedy classics they also offer a provocative perspective on our modern culture that you might appreciate.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#40

ChicagoMatt ~ By the way, if you do get a chance to check out "Idiocracy" you might appreciate it better if you read this website first:

11 Hidden Secrets in The Movie "Idiocracy"

chuckle8's picture
chuckle8 9 years 1 week ago
#41

Chi Matt -- Interestingly, I was watching the Cycle on MSNBC today and they were talking about the BRIC countries. They were mostly talking about China.

Quote Chi Matt:There was a good opinion article on MSNBC two weeks ago about the unfortunate truth about environmentalism - it doesn't matter much what the USA does now, unless the BRIC countries do the same.
.

They were saying that China is doing more than the US about the environment.

ChicagoMatt 9 years 1 week ago
#42

Marc - Prepare to feel old. The first movie I saw in a theater was Forrest Gump. I've only seen a handful of movies from the 70s, like Jaws and Star Wars. I also have on my "summer movie list" to watch at least one more Clint Eastwood movie. The only one of his I've ever seen is "Unforgiven", but I understand he wasn't always an old man like he was in that one. Some of the old women I work with claim he was "hunky" and "dreamy" and recommended some titles for me.

I've heard of "The Jerk". Steve Martin, right? I met him once. He was with his Banjo-band that he does now. We were told before we met him to not mention his movies, just his music. He's best known to people my age for his Father of the Bride role.

Never heard of the movie Idiocracy. I'll have to google it.

Chuck - That sounds about right. I vaguely remember the righties being up in arms about federal money for solar energy going to Chinese companies, because no American companies could handle the orders. I feel like Solendra was involved somehow, but I can't remember now.

I've said this before, but I've already got estimates for getting my house off of the grid with solar panels. I should be able to afford it within a few years, but I'm not so sure about giving up a big chunk of my basement to handle the hardware and batteries.

DAnneMarc's picture
DAnneMarc 9 years 1 week ago
#43

ChicagoMatt ~ A clip from the hilarious--and ominously scary--opening scene of "Idiocracy." Scary because it's so true!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icmRCixQrx8

Saneminded 9 years 4 days ago
#44

Global warming is a natural occurance. We must remember weve had an ice age and the earth changes naturally. Have we had an effect on this? I say probably. But the earth will do as it is naturally intended to do regardless of how much political garbage is spouted about it.

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 4 days ago
#45

"Saneminded", that's not what climate scientists are saying about our extreme weather patterns today. You sound like one of those climate deniers. - AIW

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 3 days ago
#46

Just goes to show how all those farting dinosaurs can wreck a whole utopia. Now we have cows and cars and fuel oil powered power plants to do what the dinosaurs once did. It's mother earth's way of self preservation...the extinction of the major polluters whether they are dinosaurs or man. Save the earth! Don't eat meat and ride bikes and go solar! Yes, I know that some people still believe that man rode dinosaurs once upon a time....makes one wonder how all that oil and gas got buried several miles below the surface if dinosaurs and man coexisted sometime shortly after the earth was "created" some...what?....5000 years ago? Ha!

ChicagoMatt 9 years 3 days ago
#47

There's a company that's making prototype solar power panels that are strong enough to be made into roads, parking lots, etc. It's really genius - those areas get the most sun anyway, since they don't have trees. And there are a lot of them. AND you can then use that solar power to charge the cars that are driving on them.

This gives me hope for the future. Here's the website:

http://www.solarroadways.com/intro.shtml

Aliceinwonderland's picture
Aliceinwonderland 9 years 2 days ago
#48

Hey Palin, I went on a bike ride with my hubby today. We live on the top of a very long, very steep hill. In the 23 years we've lived here, I have never once walked my bike up this hill on my way home; I've always ridden the whole way up. Now my hubby can do it too. I'm proud of him! It's a knarley, ornery hill, not for the faint of heart.

For awhile after we got back, I was so high on endorphins I was bouncing off the wall! If those drug fascists could seize that stuff and make it illegal, I bet $$ they would. Ya think? - AIW

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 9 years 2 days ago
#49

AIW: Yes, I know. Thank goodness my 7-11 is only a couple of blocks away. But, I would be better off if I got the exercise from biking up a long steep hill. I had a Navy buddy that biked all the way across Canada from Seattle to Buffalo. He told me that since then every time he started to feel a little ill, he would hop on the bike and ride a few miles and this made him feel much better. There may be something to that but I have yet to try it.

chuckle8's picture
chuckle8 9 years 2 days ago
#50

Chi Matt -- Your hope is the Koch brother's terror. That must be why ALEC is pushing states to charge a tax on anyone puting solar arrays on their roofs. Are you sure you do not want to vote democratic?

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