Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Words to Live By. . . .

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74VM4Hrj1zuisWNyk-iVRkXNXOHBF6EY6fx_1vIOkDtIeKrBDAJ4zlpqALod2xp6YNHQzXDJdGB80_tGdWeheF4M1LdFHhnJdMqgEsX7KJ2o588qz_x9MaHX_edSlfQGIXYUtTS2HWTfN/s1600/AlwaysBeBatman.jpg

44 comments:

puddle said...

Once more, thanks to Howard Dean for bringing us all here.

listener said...

Always be DEAN! :-)

listener said...

puddle, check your email. :-)

Jo_in_Vermont said...

lol, thank you for the new thread, cleaning up the old one and for this photo, puddle. this so reminds me of my little brother, I just posted it to his status on facebook. <3

puddle said...

baby

Shirlee in NC said...

How great about Ally's clear scans, it hardly seems she can already be seven!

listener said...

Thank-you, Shirlee! We are all super happy about it! I keep thinking how amazing Ally's parents are. Ally is their first and only child. They had been parenting all of a year when she was diagnosed with virulent cancer. What they have all had to endure is unspeakable. Yet they have done it with grace and commitment. It was extra hard because there were so many appointments and procedures that her parents had to go singly to them, so to not miss way too much work. Through some of the hardest moments of their lives they had to be alone with Ally instead of together. But now, since the appointments are so few, they can often go together. It is so very good to think of them all leading relatively normal lives. I am especially thrilled that this past year Ally stopped needing overnight supplementation! Her body is doing all it is supposed to do. Amazing!!

Pat said...

Good Morning,

Beautifully said, Listener. I believe that many many people are heroic, loving, committed to caring for family throughout our lives. With such a grievous illness, the stress must have been great every day and night. They are heroes. How wonderful that their daughter is healthy and living her life.

Roads icy here and big storm on the way. Ah, winter, doncha love it!

I thought Barack Obama's State of the Union address was terrific, brilliant. Frankly, he outsmarts the Republicans continually, one reason why I think they are so disoriented and discombobulated.

The MyIRA is long needed. When half our population has no savings for retirement, we need a government guaranteed pension plan for every citizen. What's with this Congress that they are so disconnected and disinterested in the Common Good?

Well, carry on. Hope your day is good.

Anonymous said...

Sunshine here, but still WAY too cold. Somewhat warmer tomorrow and Saturday and back to the deep freeze!
Major fire in GSO today on the south side of town.
A closed car dealership, spouting nasty black smoke, four firemen injured and hospitalized.

Shirlee in NC said...

Just me, folks--

listener said...

Shirlee! What a terrible fire. So sad to hear about the injuries.

Pat…well spoken, as ever.
Isn't it wonderful to have a President who is intelligent, compassionate and thoughtful?


Jo_in_Vermont said...

so that's why it was so hard to quit - and stay quit. darn them!

whitznd said...

WOW! Thanks Puddle. I forwarded to Burt to add to his brain info collection.

Busy working on getting the Demogram done and hoping to have a bit of spare time to play with our kitties this evening.

love and hugs all around!

Anonymous said...

snip from common dreams

“President Obama needs to decide whether he wants to be remembered as a climate champion or the pipeline president. He can’t have it both ways,” said 350.org's Jason Kowalski.

In anticipation of the Obama administration's ultimate approval of the project, tens of thousands of people have already signed a "pledge of resistance" orchestrated by the group Credo Action, vowing to mobilize nationwide with acts of civil disobedience against the construction of the pipeline which scientists have said would mean "game over for the climate" if completed.



Anonymous said...

I imagine the above post will also be deleted tho it's informational and directly affects all your grand babies.

Sea






Jo_in_Vermont said...

I for one have signed that pledge long ago, but the twist of "In anticipation of the Obama administration's ultimate approval of the project..." is pure bullshit Obama bashing. we'll see - the report will be released today and he has 90 to make a decision.

Pat said...

Hi friends,

Lots of snow here, at least 8 inches, more predicted. Ah winter!

With respect to the pipeline, according to NPR, what's happening is that trains are delivering the fuel. I, too, signed a petition not to complete it, but it's a tough decision since Canada is determined to sell the oil. They'll do it one way or the other.

It seems to me, like all complex issues, there must be at least several options as well as looking at the consequences, those foreseen and unforeseen.
In a recent New Yorker I read where Obama was interviewed, the comment of the interviewer and others is that Obama always looks to the long term.

He is brilliant and ethical, and I trust him, but I don't know how he'll decide. Possibly he'll come up with a solution that in the long term, though a compromise, allows for eventually getting off fossil fuels. He has said that before, that we must move off fossil fuels.

I don't think I mentioned it, but we were quoted $5.19 a gallon for propane because there is a shortage. The suppliers are asking $4.50 a gallon. This has occurred in part because of exporting it, greater needs of farmers in drying out their crops after a wet fall, and a colder winter across the country, even in Hawaii then they anticipated.

The problem for me is that ideological pronouncements don't solve problems, and they alienate people who want to find more complex solutions. That's why I've pretty much unsubscribed to blogs and various websites. They just, in my opinion, do not serve us well.

Just my two cents.

Jo_in_Vermont said...

the tar sands oils is very crude and none of it NONE will be used n the US. it is traveling across country to be refined and shipped overseas. we get all of the danger of spills, etc and the only ones to benefit are the refinery owners and the shippers. going by train is just as bad, there have been many accidents and spills and the damage done is horrific, all vegetation is killed, water is fouled, wildlife dies or is irreparably harmed, often for generations.

the cost of our fuel is manipulated, I do think we could get by on natural gas for a bit while other alternatives come online but ONLY if it is done in a safe manner. the fracking for natural gas is not only dangerous to those living in the area but it speeds up the process so much that there is a very temporary abundance making the cost go down. that sounds like a good thing, right? but this is temporary because many are switching to this cheaper fuel and the stores of it will diminish much sooner than they are saying. even temporary blips like the extreme cold weather this year has made it difficult to get what's needed to some areas of the country and the price has sharply risen for many.

yes, we need to look at the long term and the safety of us all.

Pat said...

Well said, Jo.

Here's a link to an NBC report that says the environmental impact will be insignificant.

I don't have the answer, but I hope we can find minimally polluting sources of heat, energy, and electricity. I have read that the native Americans died in their teens from diseases, infections, and hardships in the environment. For instance, conjunctivitis resulted in blindness; it was a by product of wood smoke.

Natural gas though less polluting is produced by fracking, which is polluting and dangerous. We know about oil spills, coal, and wood smoke. The sun, wind, and other technologies are expanding, but what do we do meanwhile? We humans have had such a major impact on the environment, that in our lifetimes we won't see a curative.

Here's an article on my homepage from MSNBC. I think we have to continue the dialogues, the protests, and try to find ways to move towards non polluting energy sources. Here's the link: Report: Keystone pipeline would have minimal environmental impact - NBCNews.com

http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/31/22524683-report-keystone-pipeline-would-have-minimal-environmental-impact



listener said...

My hope is that once we get a new roof on (in a few years) we can have solar panels set atop the roof. There are folks in Vermont who do that work, but we really need the new roof first.

Still trying to drown these cold germs. A good night's sleep would work wonders. We'll see.

Pat said...

Good Morning,

We must have a foot and more of snow, and more predicted today. We are getting a winter!

We have solar panels on our roof for our hot water heater. When it's cloudy and at night, electricity keeps the water warm. During the day, solar power heats the water.

If we were building today, I would use radiant heat for floors, solar and wind. Where we are, there are houses off the grid, and their electricity and heating costs are minimal. But, we have what we have, which is some electric space heaters, two gas stoves that use propane, both fireplace type stoves, and that's it. It keeps us warm, though we are pretty frugal in the sense of not heating the basement level or the 2nd floor.

I think about what it must have been in the 1800s. If we were Native American, we'd be wearing fur robes, living in a small wood hut or tent with buffalo robes, a fire in the middle of it, eating pemmikan, grains, nuts, and our days would be spent inside trying to keep warm.

Also, those days, whale oil, kerosene, coal, wood would have been heat.

Since everything from shelter to food to clothing to tools to transportation and communication takes energy, how will we manage this? I think there is the creativity, intelligence, and knowledge to deal with it, but do we have the will?

Enjoy your day.

Anonymous said...

Seattle has a Bernie Sanders. Congratulations!!!

snip

But look at the example of my campaign for Seattle City Council. I ran as an open socialist. I did not take a penny in corporate cash. My campaign raised $140,000 from ordinary working people. I ran as an independent working-class challenger to the capitalist establishment.

I ran on a platform of $15 minimum wage, taxing the super-rich to pay for mass transit and education, and for affordable housing, including rent control.

I am only taking the average worker’s wage while politicians in Seattle and in Congress are totally out of touch with the lives of the rest of us.

We built a grassroots campaign of over 450 people. With almost 100,000 votes, my election was the first time in decades an independent socialist was elected in a major US city.

Americans are hungry for something different. And it’s not just in Seattle. A recent poll showed that sixty percent of Americans want a third party.

A recent poll showed that sixty percent of Americans want a third party.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/01/29/1273414/-The-Real-Socialist-State-of-the-Union#

Sea
PS Big big money is backing Hillary.

Anonymous said...

Friday afternoon dump: Keystone

http://grist.org/article/state-department-keystone-xl-report-actually-written-by-transcanada-contractor/

‘State Department’ Keystone XL Report Actually Written By TransCanada Contractor
By Brad Johnson
Grist guest contributor

Master Services Agreement between TransCanada and Environmental Resources Management to write Keystone XL Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
The State Department’s “don’t worry” environmental impact statement for the proposed Keystone XL tarsands pipeline, released late Friday afternoon, was written not by government officials but by a private company in the pay of the pipeline’s owner. The “sustainability consultancy” Environmental Resources Management (ERM) was paid an undisclosed amount under contract to TransCanada to write the statement, which is now an official government document.  The statement estimates, and then dismisses, the pipeline’s massive carbon footprint and other environmental impacts, because, it asserts, the mining and burning of the tar sands is unstoppable.
The department’s contractor-written Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement even says the pipeline will be safe from the climate impacts to which it will contribute.

lots more
sea

Jo_in_Vermont said...

she does sound a lot like Bernie but unlike Bernie she seems to think that Obama has unitary power to make the changes that he wanted - she doesn't seem to understand Congress' role. She uses suspicions as if they are facts and obviously has no idea what Obama has done and is trying to do for soldiers returning home. She's wrong about the wars but absolutely right about the drones - yet doesn't mention that the drone strikes are being reduced with the plan to stop them completely - you would think that is a good thing. I wonder if she knows how many soldiers and innocent people have been saved by them - I personally do not condone them but I do understand the balance they have to weigh. of course some people don't think that there are terrorists at all, they think it's all a lie but I for one believe that to be foolish - wishful thinking, deadly wishful thinking. there really needs to be a war against terrorists, I think the covert ops are much more useful against them, but then what do I know? I do think they are a serious threat all around the globe and that we need to find ways to oppose them without 'making' more of them with our actions.

she's got a lot to learn imo but I hope that she does, I think she could be a good leader but she really has to know what's she's talking about if she's going to speak up.

puddle said...

The Food Coop

How many people want one? 50 sign up
How many actually use one that someone else sets up for them? 30
How many show up for the organizing committee? 8
How many will help getting orders taken, room set up, take down, clean up? 3
How many will drive to the wholesaler and actually carry product? 1

Jo_in_Vermont said...

that's close to the reality of the coop that I was in, starting in around 1975 I think. the drive to the wholesalers was from Richmond in northern Vermont to local farms for what was available in summer and NYC for everything else. it started small but is still around - it is now a beautiful store in downtown Burlington, the only grocery in the city proper. ;-)

https://www.citymarket.coop/about/history

sea said...

http://www.nationofchange.org/state-department-releases-flawed-keystone-xl-final-environmental-review-super-bowl-friday-trash-dump

Excellent article about Keystone

sea

Anonymous said...

Raúl M. Grijalva says the fix is in on Keystone.

And he's one of the good guys.

sea

puddle said...

Jo, lol! I was talking about my college coop. It was especially focused on organic food. And was wonderful until I got tired, and asked for some help. None was forthcoming. We lasted maybe a year from start to finish.

Other than that, *this* was my basic coop experience. I lived in Greenbelt twice, once as a renter, and once as a homeowner.

http://www.greenbelt.coop/cms/index.php/about-us/our-co-op/

listener said...

Punxsutawney Phil's track record is about like a coin flip:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2014/01/gr oundhog_day_how_welll_does_phils_shadow_predict_sp ring_in_cny.html

It seems they forgot to tell Phil about Global Warming. ;-)

Jo_in_Vermont said...

oh, puddle I wasn't commenting on your co op, it just reminded me of the one that I bought from so many moons ago and the amazement that it is still around sort of, in that many of the original members are still members. ;-)

Jo_in_Vermont said...

that ground hog can kiss my patootie!

puddle said...

Jo, I knew you weren't, grin.

Warm and wonderful today, and a winter storm warning tonight. . .

Shirlee in NC said...

Same here, Puddle--although the cold doesn't hit us again for another day or so! I am SO tired of cold and wind.
Just glad Brenda and I are not in Michigan and Ohio with the rest of the family---nasty stuff just gets worse and worse!

Happy news--another great-grand baby due in July!
Sibling to the little boy born last July--everybody HAPPY!

puddle said...

Well, the four to eight inches of snow has arrived in rain form. Given the remaining snow and ice, we have, predictably, a flood going on out there. So far, car is dry. Pray it stays so. . . .

whitznd said...

Hoping for less rain for you, Puddle.

Our Seahawks won and the town is going crazy. I even bought a green and blue kukui nut lei and Burt and I went over to a friends for the game. First one Burt's watched in probably 40 years and a good twenty for me.

Hugs and love all around. Glad you folks are here.

puddle said...

Only Superbowl I ever watched was number twelve. Was astonished that this one was number 48. . . .

Anonymous said...

Strange moves with one of world largest banks
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4425022

Death of banksters the same week
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4425150

sea

listener said...

Hoping all goes well for your car, puddle…and for you. Holding you in the Light. ♥

puddle said...

Car did okay. Right soon after I posted, rain turned to snow and then ended with just a dusting. Water is beginning to recede now. Nancy is chomping to come down and clear the culverts before Wednesday's water/ice/snow event. . . .

New year: year of the horse. Year of the snake is gone: good riddance to bad rubbish. . . .

listener said...

Oh, I'm so glad the flood concern was averted, puddle!!!!

I spent the day hand-dipping candles. It takes about 100 dips per pair, and you have to let them cool a bit from time to time. I dipped three or four pair at a time and it still took me seven hours to get 14 pair. I'm very pleased with my "small batch" of art! :-)

After they have cooled for a week or two (it takes that long for them to fully harden), I can hand-decorate them. I'll send a photo to puddle that she can post when she's able. ♥

listener said...

Of course…I have to actually take the photo first. LOL!

puddle said...

listener: that strikes me as the spirit of this blog--careful, caring work. I always think of you on Candlemas as the best of what we do and who we are. Thank you!

puddle said...

New thread!