tagged w/ Current News USA
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38,000 Health Insurance Executives are coming to San Francisco. Join patients, nurses, doctors, and Americans of every stripe protesting in memory of the countless victims of the insurance industry. Join us and bring friends!38,000 Health Insurance Executives are coming to San Francisco. Join patients, nurses,... more
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Western Shoshone leader, Corbin Harney talks about his prophetic conversation with the waterWestern Shoshone leader, Corbin Harney talks about his prophetic conversation with the... more
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If we want to end the great moral shame of America — the 37 million Americans who are denied economic justice in our country — then we need to ask the most basic question: why? Not why are "they" struggling every day, but why do we accept things as they are?
Why do we accept that the waitress who just brought us lunch needs the church's food pantry to feed her daughter for the rest of the month? She's working and that should be enough.
Why do we accept that the man who just bagged our groceries is 72 years old and lost everything when his wife got sick? He's worked all of his life and retirement shouldn't mean more work.
Why do we accept that the men and women who wore our uniform are committing suicide in their trucks because they can't afford to see a doctor? They served us and they shouldn't even have to ask.
Why do we accept the family living in their car, the mentally ill and the addicts who die on our streets, and the children who go to school tired and hungry? Maybe we accept things as they are because poverty has always been with us and we think nothing will change. Or maybe we accept things as they are because it's so easy to look away.
And that demands that we ask another question: why has it been so easy for us to look away? . . .
Four decades ago when Bobby Kennedy took a tour of the forgotten places in America, the image that lingers with me is him bending down and touching a young child whose stomach was swollen from malnutrition. He did not look away. He did not accept things as they are. He saw things as they could be and asked, "Why not."
And after 40 years, it is time for us to extend a hand, embrace our neighbors, co-workers, and friends and build One America that works for all of us.
Why not?If we want to end the great moral shame of America — the 37 million Americans... more
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Chique
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added this
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3 years ago
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"When we think of waste, we don’t usually think utility. Yet, as we face droughts, limited landfill space, and depleting natural resources, we’ve been forced to reconsider our castoffs, with interesting results. These five case studies show that with innovation and a little planning, our dumps, sewers, and piles of manure are not necessarily the end of the line. Instead, they’re just the beginning. ""When we think of waste, we don’t usually think utility. Yet, as we face... more
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Damage to forests, rivers, marine life and other aspects of nature could halve living standards for the world's poor, a major report has concluded.
Current rates of natural decline might reduce global GDP by about 7% by 2050.
Damage to forests, rivers, marine life and other aspects of nature could halve living... more
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Ever wonder why the studies purporting to ‘prove’ marijuana’s health risks only recruit subjects who smoke pot 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
"Heavy marijuana use shrinks brain parts
via Reuters
Brain scans showed the hippocampus and amygdala were smaller in men who were heavy marijuana users compared to nonusers. … The men had smoked at least five marijuana cigarettes daily for on average 20 years."
The answer: If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be any purported risks left to write about.
I mean, seriously, imagine if these scientists had tried recruiting 15 subjects who drank at least five shots of vodka every day for 20 years? That is, if they could find 15 subjects who were still alive.
"Marijuana may up heart attack, stroke risk
via Reuters
Heavy marijuana use can boost blood levels of a particular protein, perhaps raising a person’s risk of a heart attack or stroke, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday. …The marijuana users in the study averaged smoking 78 to 350 marijuana cigarettes per week."
The study did not look at whether the heavy marijuana users actually had heart disease.
So here we go again. Three-hundred and fifty joints per week?! Who are these people? And what’s with the caveat at the end of the story? If the purpose of the study is to assess whether there might be a link between ridiculously heavy pot use and heart disease, then why not, you know, look to see whether the subjects actually suffered from heart disease? (Likely answer: aside from the abnormal protein level, the patients were probably otherwise healthy.)
Bottom line: smoking pot all day, every day probably isn’t good for you (though I find it interesting that, even among the most prolific pot users, most of the herb’s purported dangers are either speculative or are only apparent on hyper-sensitive brain scans and multi-tiered neurocognitive tests). Fortunately, 99.9 percent of pot smokers don’t behave this way.
And no, it’s not prohibition that curbs their use habits; it’s the recognition that too much pot is not conducive to an otherwise healthy, responsible lifestyle (just as pounding five shots a day wouldn’t be conducive to, well, life).
So what lesson can be learned from the two studies above (aside from the fact that our government has no interest in investigating the health of ordinary cannabis consumers)? It’s that pot, like alcohol, is best consumed in moderation, and that pot prohibition — even when compared to the excessive use of the drug itself — still poses the greatest threat to health.
By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy DirectorEver wonder why the studies purporting to ‘prove’ marijuana’s health... more
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Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt wants to send a message to people who ride motorcycles with loud, illegal mufflers. He hopes to give regular citizens a chance to help with enforcement. We only see motorcycles about six months out of the year, but to Mayor Jim Schmitt the noise resonates year-round.
"They're so loud and just obnoxious," he said of loud mufflers.
He's sick and tired of souped-up motorcycles with mufflers that aren't street legal disrupting city streets. "It's annoying. It's disrespectful," the mayor said. "It's disrespectful to your neighbor and something that we need to enforce more."
Updated: June 3, 2008 09:28 PM
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=8415133
By Chris DuffyGreen Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt wants to send a message to people who ride motorcycles... more
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Senators who want real action on global warming should go on record with their votes on the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act. The bill as it currently stands is unacceptable unless amended to adopt the scientific standard of 80 percent reduction and strip massive handouts to polluters. Unless these faults can be fixed, senators serious about addressing climate change must reject this bill and focus on passing better legislation next year for a new president to sign.
Please SIGN this!
Senators who want real action on global warming should go on record with their votes... more
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The Amazonian city of Altamira played host to one of the more uneven contests in recent Brazilian history this week, as a colourful alliance of indigenous leaders gathered to take on the might of the state power corporation and stop the construction of an immense hydroelectric dam on a tributary of the Amazon. By Patrick Cunningham in Altamira, BrazilThe Amazonian city of Altamira played host to one of the more uneven contests in... more
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lecoke
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3 years ago
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US Patent 7291944 - Electromagnetic engine
US Patent Issued on November 6, 2007
The electromagnetic engine operates by having the solenoids receive input power from an external electrical power source and providing output power to the output shaft. The magnets include four outer magnets and four inner magnets. The inner magnets have magnetic forces that oppose the magnetic forces of the outer magnets. Electrical power provided to the solenoids causes the solenoids to oscillate the outer magnets. Springs provide stability and assist the solenoids.
Once the electromagnetic motor has reached operating speed, it generates sufficient electrical energy to continue driving the electromagnetic motor for a period of time. Input energy can be supplied to the solenoids by an auxiliary electrical generator. However, the efficiency of the electromagnetic motor enables the output shaft to perform useful work. Useful work may be in the form of a mechanical attachment to the output shaft for the purpose of driving an auxiliary mechanical device. Alternatively, an electrical generator may be attached directly to the output shaft to provide electrical output energy to other electrical devices.
Source: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/7291944/fulltext.html
The device shown in the video is different from the listed patent. Though they both share the same approach to harnessing power from magnetic energy.
US Patent 7291944 - Electromagnetic engine
US Patent Issued on November 6, 2007... more
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An influential coalition of investors has this week called on the US Senate to deliver binding emission reduction targets or risk undermining firms' long-term competitiveness.
The group of more than 50 institutional investors, including Deutsche Asset Management, F&C Asset Management, and the world's largest hedge fund the Man Group, wrote to senate majority leader Harry Reid and senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, calling for a national climate policy to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions by between 60 and 90 per cent below 1990 levels by 2050.
The targets are in line with those proposed under the Lieberman-Warner climate bill, which will be debated in the Senate early next month.
The letter also urges Senate leaders to increase pressure on regulatory bodies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue clear guidance on what climate change risks firms should disclose to investors.
The coalition, which has been organised by ethical investment lobby group Ceres, said there was a strong business case for enacting more stringent carbon targets and legislation.
"Investors hate uncertainty, and that is the problem they face today," said Mindy S Lubber, president of Ceres and director of INCR. "Strong and decisive action from Washington will open the floodgates on large-scale clean technology investments, enabling US investors and businesses to lead instead of lag on climate change solutions."
Oregon state treasurer Randall Edwards, whose office manages $80bn (£40bn) in assets, agreed that far from damaging the economy as its critics claim, the Lieberman-Warner bill would create opportunities for investors. "It is time for Congress to step up to the plate and tackle climate change. Any further delay is inexcusable," he said "The Lieberman-Warner bill would give investors such as myself the ability to see the risks involved so we can begin rebuilding our economy by investing in green technologies."
The calls come in the same week as Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer released an overview of a package of amendments to the Lieberman-Warner bill which are expected to form part of the proposed legislation. The amendments contain a number of measures designed to minimise the financial impact of the planned cap-and-trade scheme, including a mechanism to reduce the price of carbon credits if they hit a certain level and proposals for an $800bn (£400bn) tax relief fund to help consumers cope with rising energy costs.
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Yes, 90% by 2050... That's what I'm talking about.This bill is going to be debated on the floor starting tomorrow. Please contact your senators and tell them that even though this is a start, we need to do much better to pass a more comprehensive bill that truly meets the demands and addresses the adverse effects climate change will have on our country and our world if left unchecked. And that means new forms of energy aggressively brought to market to wean us off the destructive energies that pollute our planet and put us all at risk.An influential coalition of investors has this week called on the US Senate to deliver... more
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