In This House ….
Remind me to stay far away from this guy’s house.
The sad/funny part of this: If his house is burning down, the government fire department will be there as soon as humanly possible to extinguish the blaze.
Tagged with: libertarian
Has the GOP Sold Its Soul?
At left is something that I hope you will find to be worth your time.
The problem is the common Republican is completely unaware that he’s sold anything.
He sees what’s happened since Trump was elected as perfectly honorable.
This dichotomy is where the current-day United States comes crashing down into so much rubble.
Tagged with: common Republican
Quakerism and How It Affect Its Adherents
At left is the clock tower of the William Penn Charter School, founded in Philadelphia in 1689. Tomorrow I’ll be traveling back there for my 50th reunion.
Over the last 334 years, William Penn and the Quaker heritage has had a profound influence on each of the members of its student body, by means of an education built on principles of nonviolence, honesty, racial equality, brotherly love, and respect for the natural environment.
Some say that progressives’ brains are hard-wired to care about these ideals. The old “nature vs. nurture” argument has been a part of science and Western philosophy for the last 2500+ years.
I can’t cast the deciding vote, but I can tell you that nurture, having been imbued with these values in my K – 12 years, has shaped me into a better person.
Lies About EV Charging
Kathi Horton sent the meme here and adds, “Yet another reason not to go EV at this point – they really haven’t thought through all the impacts of this technology.”
Actually, “they” have a pretty good grasp on this, but you don’t.
EV charging, where it’s not offered for free, is priced according to the energy used, i.e., dollars / KWh. In California, the cost to the user in a commercial (for-profit) setting is typically $0.30 / KWh for Level 2 charging. A typical EV with a 100 KWh battery goes 340 miles, meaning the cost is 8.8 cents per mile.
Again, this is a worst-case scenario; most charging is either done at home, at much lower rates, or is provided gratis.
Blurring the Line Between Ignorance and Knowledge
Think of the context in which Marcus Aurelius said these words 1900 years ago.
There was no social media, no QAnon, no cults built around the rejection of science.
Yes, I’m sure there were “bulls*** artists,” but they didn’t represent a threat to the entire society of Rome.
The GOP “Hasn’t Stopped”
Exactly who actively participated in the attempt to overthrow the U.S. government remains to be seen, but this guy is 100% correct that these efforts have not stopped.
First, we need each one of these traitors to face justice, and then we need legislation that eliminates all forms of voter suppression.
God Needs Your Money, and He Needs It NOW.
Here are people whose platform reads as follows:
There is a revolution of light that is breaking forth out of the heart of our nation and it’s overtaking the darkness! There is a divine shift taking place RIGHT NOW! We are living in the midst of the beginning of a Great Awakening!
God has established a purpose and a plan for us and for the nations! God needs US to be HIS hands and HIS feet here on earth to STAND IN FAITH against those who seek to spread the lies of the enemy!
Join hands with fellow believers and SIGN THE DECREE to STAND IN FAITH!
• STAND IN FAITH that righteousness, truth, and justice shall reign in this land!
• STAND IN FAITH that no weapon formed against God’s people shall prosper!
• STAND IN FAITH believing that the best is yet to come for the United States of America!
God is not done with this nation, and neither are we. The best is yet to come!
And guess what? They need your money!
I’m reminded of the late, great social critic George Carlin who said, “God is all-knowing and all-powerful, but He just happens to have trouble handling His money!
Tagged with: social critic George Carlin
Climate Change and Wine-Making
I just met a woman who has a close connection to Robert Mondavi, who, some time ago, had addressed a group of about 25 extremely wealthy people and explained why he sold his $400 million and his father’s $600 million wine businesses. Why did they cash in their chips at this particular point in time, given that the industry, particularly for those who can play at the high-end, is going through the roof?
Climate change.
Mondavi told this tightly focused, high-powered group that, within the coming 10 years, global warming will make most of their holdings incapable of producing the quality of grapes that enabled them to sell certain vintages of their Opus One for ~$500 per bottle.
As one might have expected, a few of the uber-rich laughed up their sleeves. Climate change? Isn’t that for the socialists?
According to what my new-found friend told me, Mondavi replied, “You’re entitled to whatever you want to believe. In my family, we track with science, not Republican politics. Make your own choices. And good luck.”
Tagged with: Climate Change and Wine-Making
This Is What Stands Between Us and Environmental Sustainability
At left are the words of legendary environmentalist Paul Hawken, which convey the true barrier to climate change mitigation and other forms of ecological stewardship, i.e., that as a civilization, we care very little about one another’s well-being.
The plummeting costs of solar and wind are good, but they can only take us so far.
FWIW, this is why the meat of the 2GreenEnergy blog has shifted over the years from the technology and economics behind renewable energy to something that is far more central to the challenges we face if we are to survive as a species: how we need to organize our society around what is truly important.
Tagged with: environmental sustainability
Concerns about God’s Presence in American Society
The meme here is from a group that asks, “Are you concerned that our culture has rejected God?” A couple of observations:
The quote they picked is more specific than acceptance of God; it’s Christian. In fact, it explicitly rejects all other religions. That should get the attention of Jews, Muslims, etc.
More to the point, most Americans have the precise opposite concern, i.e., that religion is being forced into our government and our culture at large.
