Reader Comments

I started this blog with a different (and rather pricey) web-host. While I had the site with the previous host I received several comments. Not wanting to lose them and to honor those who were so kind to comment, I shall re-post them here:

Be the change!

I dig it! Be the change! BTW, we're all totally lost, and we are each on the path we need to be on.

December 6, 2008 | one of god's eyeballs

The Stories of the Seekers Bring Gifts to the Witness

Davene,
I had a chance to check out the gallery of images we had spoken about on the phone last month. As I looked on, I imagined you traveling the environs in search of metaphors for that which has been such a personal part of your life experience. The narrative you include makes that clear in a intimately touching fashion, something which I know takes much courage, not only confront, but to express to others...
This last Thanksgiving I recalled an improvised lunch we managed to put together among friends some 22 or 23 years ago in Santa. It was a moment in time when our birth family's realities were put aside in order to celebrate our chosen family's needs. We came together in communion and celebration of that which we have found along our lives' paths. Today, I see you are still celebrating and honoring that which God/Goddess places in your new path up 'yonder. I applaud you for it, Amigo Dave.

December 7, 2008 | Juanito

Green Goo in the Money Machine ( oil from algae )

Hello all. My post is about the current state of the world due to pollution, global warming, international corporations, unemployment and chronic shortages of gasoline and one possible solution that gets at the roots of all of these.
I first heard of algae as a source of energy on the Discovery Science Channel. The fact that it was being showcased there gives me hope that this new technology may sometime in the near future become reality. I have always been an avid follower of science. I have several times been disappointed to see good technology be used to reinforce the status quo. My best hope is that this technology I am going to discuss is used for the betterment of all people everywhere and that it helps to share the wealth of the petroleum industry with more working class people as it is developed. I haven't fully researched everyone involved in this project but I know for sure that a group named Sapphire Energy , www.sapphireenergy.com , is at the lead of this development and that there are several think tank organizations and finance organizations involved and I want to credit them all with their work now. Having said that I want to list the multitude of advantages this new industry has over fossil fuels and how it could change the face of the global political scene for the better in a hurry should it be developed to it's full potential. Algae. Why on earth could it be algae? As we move away from fossil fuel towards renewable energy sources several faults immediately emerge. If we try to use ethanol for a replacement energy source it quickly becomes obvious that major changes have to be made to infrastructure to handle the ethanol. The primary feedstock for ethanol, corn, is currently used to produce food and thus using these crops to produce fuel in turn causes food to be displaced from the mouths of hungry people. Also using corn to produce ethanol is not very efficient and uses land that is already under cultivation. Other alternatives such as switchgrass and plants with oil bearing seeds either don't yield the proper product or take up land that is already used for something else. Algae does none of these things. Matter of fact the method that has been proposed to grow the algaeal colonies could be located in the high desert of eastern California or on the site of an abandoned strip mine in Appalachia. It can literally be grown anywhere there is sunlight and it is warm enough to not freeze. Imagine a crop that yields 50% of its biomass in the form of oil that is chemically equivalent to light sweet crude and low sulpher to boot. It can be used in the oil refineries we already have and the end product is gasoline, not biodiesel. You grow it and extract the oil and with no further modification it is ready to send to the refinery and presto you can make gasoline from it directly. It really spurs my imagination! Imagine; replaceable , high grade crude oil that is produced in the United States. Imagine everyone that is here regardless of their emigration status being able to work building the production facilities or in support industries that make the components. Imagine a fuel production process that REMOVES CO2 from the air as it produces fuel. Imagine OPEC being forced to halt fossil fuel production for good because now we can have a closed loop in the carbon cycle. Yep, you read that right, we may be able in just the next few years to not only not care when OPEC lowers production but actually be in a position to BAN the use of fossil fuels all together. We have enough CO2 in the atmosphere already to more than supply the needs of the algae and once the system is in place we would have capped the release of CO2 forever as the algae absorbs it from the atmosphere as it grows and we release it for recycling as it is used. Algae uses more kinds of pollution during it's growth cycle than just CO2. It also biodegrades many of the pollutants that are found in sewage as well. Just imagine a new world! It blows my mind. A technology that makes as much sense in the US as it would in China. A technology that allows us to have all the fuel we want without fear of polluting the atmosphere and that uses the pollution we generate to grow. Imagine putting the evil, propped up governments of the middle east back down where they belong on the world stage. No more money for countries that stab us in the back with it. It seems like a dream come true. At any rate check out oil from algae and Sapphire here on the web and draw your own conclusions. I don't know about you but I'm tired of hearing the tired old OPEC song and I also want the world to be able to overcome global warming and hunger and war, not to mention seeing the US economy back in better shape. Thanks Dave for letting me share this and thanks anyone that took the time to read it. Plant a seed. Oh yeah and one more thing, algae makes oxygen as a by product as it is photosynthetic!

December 20, 2008 | Frank W.

homeless (?) people

I have worked for Sharing and Caring in a small Florida city and have found that 90% of the people that came in and got free food, clothes and a shower were repeats and usually were passing thru to find a warmer climate or police that ignored their panhandling, drinking, boozing and drug habits. IN other words, they were using the system to enjoy their bummy lifestyles. Most here live under the bridges and have not worked for months or years and don't intend to work but continue their ways until they die. Some are even military vets that have pensions or other means of support but abuse alcohol, drugs and always have cigarettes to burn. About 10% are truly needed without work and want to improve but don't have the qualifications or education to get a decent job --- those are the truly needy.

January 5, 2009 | gatorboy

Maybe it is you who is truly needy....

January 5, 2009 | LizardMan

I for one found this to be a powerful, well thought, painful, honest and enlightening blog... :)

January 20, 2009 | Angelworker

Anarchists and the Love of Anonymity

I suspect that whether they know it or not, a good portion of my readers are anarchists. I realize that people have different ideas about what the word "anarchy" means. To me, anarchy is the belief and practice that things will work out the way they are supposed to without one person telling another what they should or should not do. I do understand the necessity of a civil police force: Not only to occupy those who could as a group become a social problem, but also to restrain and isolate people who are dangerous to others or destructive of others' property.

An anarchist necessarily believes in free speech, because free communications allow groups reach concensus and from societal norms. Although, I do like to know who is posting on my pages, I have always had a distaste for these blogs and sites that force you to divulge a lot of information about yourself if you want to post your opinion. I believe it to be contrary to that part of the constitution that protects the right of a free press. Of course I will remove hateful, racist, or obscene entries from my pages, but I hate to do even that and I strongly believe in the individual's right to anonymous self-expression.

Presidential Debate Meters

At the presidential debates they gave the audience little hand-held devices to moniter their reactions to what the candidates were saying. I noticed that generally the three little lines came together when Obama spoke, and they fell apart when McKain spoke. I also noticed that Mckain had trouble looking Obama in the eyes, even when Obama was gazing right at him. From his speech, it appears that McKain wants to invade Iran. Send a Warrior if you want to make war,and Peacemaker if you want to make peace...

September 26, 2008 |

Massachusettes Voters Decriminalize Marijuana

On November 4th, 2008, the voters in the State of Massachusetts approved a ballot initiative to decriminalize possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. Once again Massachusetts takes the lead on civil rights issues. This will not only solve overcrowding in their prisons, it will also free law enforcement to focus efforts more on victim related, burglaries, robberies, and other violent crimes.

Marijuana prohibition has been a total failure and is perhaps this country's greatest mistake. Not only has it created criminals out of nearly a third of the country's populace, it costs our society billions of dollars every year, creates a strain on our prison system, and has little or no effect on marijuana use in the US. In some cases, prosecuting marijuana use has turned non-violent, middle class kids into violent and unpredictable, career criminals. Once a person has a criminal conviction on their record, they are far less likely to find a good job and become a useful member of society. Other countries with more liberal drug laws have much lower rates of drug addiction among their people.

Interestingly, marijuana prohibition only increases the number of professional drug dealers, because if it wasn't illegal for a person to grow it they would have little need to buy it from anyone else: Legalizing marijuana cultivation would make it nearly impossible for anyone to make a living selling pot. This is probably not going to happen, because although government is somewhat willing to decriminalize possession, they are very unlikely to allow cultivation. Otherwise, how would they be able to tax it? If marijuana is ever decriminalized, it will probably be controlled much like alcohol is--certain purveyors will be granted licenses at great expense; sin-taxes will be implemented; and the industry will be heavily regulated.

In the meantime, it might be a good idea to go to Massachusetts if you feel like burning a fatty.

Adding Video to Your Blog or Website

Add Video to Your Blog or Website

It takes a little time at first but once you start to get the hang of it, it is not difficult to upload videos to your blog or website.

First, you will need a video camera or a web-cam. If you have a video camera, you will have to upload your videos to your computer (see the owner's manual for instructions on how to do this). Most web-cams will automatically save your vidoes to a "Video" folder on your computer's hard-drive.

On the bottom-right side of your video-window you will find link labeled "Get Code," or something like that. The code is in HTML which is a code used for adding content to web-pages. If you don't see such a link you will have to do what I do--create an account with YouTube.com, and upload your video there. All YouTube vidoes have the "Get Code" link on the right side of the video-window. Click the link and copy the code. Now go to your blog or web-page and past the link into your HTML-friendly page or widget. Some web-hosting software will have a special button at the top of the editor that looks like a little cog or sprocket--some of them use other icons. If this is the case, click on the icon and then paste the code into the editor. If you are working with a basic HTML page you should be able to just past it right to the page without using the special button (other codes must then be used for proper placement within the page).

If everything works right, you will have a video on your page like the one I have pasted above. Don't hesitate to email or call me, should you have any questions or comments. Thanks.