Archive for the ‘Solution’ Category
Friday, November 14th, 2008
Last Wednesday night I had a rare evening out and went to the Egyptian Theatre to listen to Michael Pollan speak about food. It’s his book tour, I suppose, for In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto
which I reviewed a few posts ago. You’d think it’d be boring and just of interest to a few, but the house was packed. It was sold out.
My program’s the graphic. You can scan for more background. All I can say briefly is I’m really rethinking everything. And though I’ve not done so yet, I am looking forward to reading his article “Farmer In Chief,” published in early October and directed at the next US president. I’ve heard that Obama has read it; he mentioned it in passing during an interview.
Food is one of those things wherein you don’t often see the core issues forest for the faddish talking-head trees. It bears thinking about.
Posted in Garden, Health, Solution | No Comments »
Monday, November 10th, 2008
I’ve seen (can it be — it’s not even been a week since the election?!) several op-ed or blogged suggestion lists for soon-to-be President Obama. Lot of good thinking. Good, good. As Nicholas Kristof said in today’s NY Times:
The second most remarkable thing about his election is that American voters have just picked a president who is an open, out-of-the-closet, practicing intellectual.
But it was a different article I’m really interested in. Al Gore chose that same paper for a challenge, an update to Kennedy’s “put a man on the moon … in this decade” goal. And by gummy, Al’s five points are logical, achievable, and (I would say) utterly necessary.
Mr. Obama and transition crew, are you reading this?
Addendum: This ties nicely hand-in-glove with Robert Reich’s thoughts on how we can move out of this economic mess.
I wish I could wave a wand and stop the gush of spending but so much was wasted in the past eight years; at least this might be the time for an unassailable argument to spend on public works for (unglamourous and ignored and crumbling) infrastructure projects and benefits for innovators who will get the country looking forward to industries that see the world of the future instead of pretending it’s still 1950.
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Sunday, November 9th, 2008
Just spotted through one of my regularly-watched podcasts, Zaproot.
Get over 100 MPG with compressed-air powered car. (SO spotted another version recently, so maybe the idea’s sprouting various versions.) Here’s more.
A new and more complex wind energy generator that offers a more petite footprint — er, skyprint (?) This looks widely useful.
And wasn’t this interesting: Heineken once offered square bottles that could be reused as building material.
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Saturday, August 23rd, 2008
As part of my Be Zen Clear And Free, I’ve been going through the detritus of digital clutter (with another eye peeled for the physical-realm clutter). So here are several posts on various Themes.
Tour de Fat is in Boise today
Winn says it’s a “stop and smell the roses kind of festival, with bikes and beer.” His favorite sporting event of the day is the Slow Ride. [...] Two Boise organizations, Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA) and Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance (TVCA), will reap the financial benefits of this year’s tour visit.
Xtracycle is the forward-looking bicycle
Built to carry everything, all your transportation needs (maybe, nearly) on two wheels. You’re free.
Fans take victory ride with Olympian Kirstin Armstrong
Boise residents proud of Kirstin’s achievements. Would that it prompts more locals to the bicycling route!
Why do Republicans hate bicycles so much?
Decrying bicycles as an antiquated solution, I’m sure they’d prefer anything that takes individual control out of your own hands. Yeah, people don’t, but people can effect widespread societal change.
This is an awareness test…
Brilliant ad from England. Please do check it out. Amusing as well as enlightening.
Posted in Health, Nibblette™, Solution | No Comments »
Thursday, July 24th, 2008
Maureen Dowd on Obama’s tour of Middle East.
That old skill that Obama honed at the Harvard Law Review of listening until everyone at the table felt they had been heard (and agreed with) is coming in handy on his presidential dress rehearsal. [...] The Angry One can try to paint The One as having bad judgment. But who is being advised by Kissinger, the man who helped keep us in Vietnam and get us into Iraq?
My family car is an SUB and I love it
On my new “sport utility bicycle” I can cart groceries, take my kids shopping, haul a barbecue grill and make a margarita. [...] “To test whether I could abandon my four-wheel behemoth, I spent a week trying to do my errands using my new SUB. I aimed high right out of the gate: the family grocery trip to Trader Joe’s.” (Article has movie, too, and link to Xtracycle.)
What’s next for product placement?
In the US, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox network has struck a deal with McDonald’s, which has bought the right to have two cups of their branded frappuccino appear on the desk in front of the anchors on Fox 5 News.
In Italy, non capiscono “recycling”
For years, it’s been a national embarrassment. Over the past year, it’s spiraled into a crisis damaging Italy’s image all over the world: the heaps of garbage lining the streets of Naples.
The stench alone has kept many visitors away. It began more than 14 years ago, but flared up last year when official dumps were declared full. Residents with no options simply dumped their trash along streets and sidewalks.
[Berlusconi]: “Just think: 60 percent of the total garbage collected in this area is made up of packaging, which is recyclable. So for this we have an education program which will start in the schools and will reach the whole population.”
Posted in Health, Nibblette™, Solution, Urp | No Comments »
Monday, July 21st, 2008
Al Gore throws down the gauntlet: 100% self-sufficient on electricity in 10 years.
From friend TB, small (houses) are the new big thing.
From friend TB, air travel response/vent. [Ed.: where is my train?!]
Things Creationists hate. “If you are reasonably cognizant of science, or theology, or even simple logic, you can probably think of others.”
Posted in Nibblette™, Solution, Zed | No Comments »
Friday, July 11th, 2008
He’d filled it up with grease from a Chinese restaurant the day before and was worried that the cold morning might have solidified the fuel. But it started up on the first try and ran so quietly that at first they didn’t believe it was really on. “When you start a diesel engine up on vegetable oil,” Goodwin says, “you turn the key, and you hear nothing. Because of the lubricating power of the oil, it’s just so smooth. Whisper quiet. And they’re like, ‘Is it running? Yeah, you can hear the fan going.’”
One engineer turned and said, “GM said this wouldn’t work.”
“Well,” Goodwin replied, “here it is.”
Practical, dirty-hands engineering will beat self-interested corporate-think every time.
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