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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

At left we see a reminder of what mega-billionaire David Koch said when asked, regarding taxation, what he thinks is fair.  He responded, “I get to keep my money.”

Yes, there really are people who don’t recognize that they live in a functioning society.  We are all the beneficiaries of national defense, criminal justice, fire fighting, law enforcement, libraries, FEMA, airports and other elements of infrastructure, etc.

If most of us were suddenly thrust into wealth of tens of billions of dollars, we’d be a bit less despicable.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

In my recent post: Can Trump’s Supporters Overthrow the U.S. Government?, I made the points that a) some of the lower level military people are Trump supporters, but that b) if the military is engaged against an uprising, the orders given to the foot-soldiers will include the line: As your commanding officer, I’ll do my best to make sure that anyone who commits treason against his country spends 20+ years in prison.  

In response, a reader comments: Support for Trump right now is 36%, and there is no reason to think that it’s any higher or lower in the military.  

Actually, it does happen to be different in the military; in fact, it’s much lower.  I base this on the facts that:

According to a poll conducted by the Military Times, approval of Trump was far less than 50% while he was in office, and it was especially dismal among officers.

These people, from buck private to full general, regard themselves as people of high integrity and loyalty to our country and its constitution.  They didn’t sign up to get rich; they chose a career path based on devotion to a worthy cause.  I’m not saying that real estate agents, stock brokers, and truck drivers are indifferent to honor, but, for those who carry guns to defend our country, it’s all that matters.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

No one, regardless of their intelligence, broadcasts messages that they know make them look stupid.

Even around this rural, “God and country” part of Central California, which is dominated by Republicans, the Trump flags and bumper stickers have slowly vanished over time, as it became clear–even to these people–that Trump is a criminal.

My point is that these messages simply go away; they are not replaced with signs that read, “I voted for Trump, but I came to realize that I’d been conned.”

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics
As they say, Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in the middle.
Here’s Lloyd Smucker, a mis-representative from PA, district 11.
An election denier
Objected to certification of electoral college votes
Voted against impeachment or conviction of Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection
Voted against creating an independent commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack
Voted against holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress
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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Not according to the author of the meme here, who seems to be asserting that our military will prevent such an occurrence.

The caveat I see here is that some of the lower level military people are, at the same time, Trump supporters.

However, the leaders of the armed forces are intelligent people, strictly loyal to defending the Constitution, rather than a criminal conman.  If the military is engaged, the orders given to the foot-soldiers will include the line: As your commanding officer, I’ll do my best to make sure that anyone who commits treason against his country will spend 20+ years in prison.  

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Sorry, but I completely disagree with the author of the meme here.

Trump hasn’t even begun to use stupidity, violence, and criminality against his country.  Watch what happens when he’s indicted on charges of seditious conspiracy or treason.

A few years from now, a measly six-figure violation of campaign finance law will be totally forgotten.  Stormy Who?

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Interesting thought here, but is it true?

I grant that politicians, generally, are in love with the power, which makes them terrible leaders.  So, if it were possible, from what profession would you choose a person to lead a country, knowing nothing about them than their vocation?

I’m going with philosophy professor.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

From a reader:

Connecticut’s largest lake (Candlewood Lake) is really a 100-year-old hydroelectric facility. Water is pumped from the Housatonic River through a gigantic tube and into the lake, where the water is stored until it’s needed to generate electricity. Then, the water is released through the same pipe, cascading 230 feet downhill (Niagara Falls is 188 feet), powering two generators based under the brick Rocky River Hydro Generating Station. When it opened in the 1920s, it was the first time that humans had pumped so much water up such a high elevation. The 11-mile-long lake stretches from **Danbury ** to Sherman. Hear the unbelievable story behind the building of the lake on the next episode of Amazing Tales from Off and On Connecticut’s Beaten Path.

Thanks for this.  Pumped hydro represents more than 95% of the energy storage we have online at this moment, though it will gradually give way to batteries.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

It looks like Alex Jones is transferring large amounts of cash to his family and friends in order to avoid paying the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims the $1.5 billion a judge and jury ordered him to fork over.

I recall the words that a bankruptcy judge told an old friend of mine: “If I find that you’ve hidden a dime from this court, you’re going to jail.”

Doesn’t bode well for one of the world’s most despicable human beings.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

It’s a good thing that the United States has a military that is strong enough to deter foreign aggression, because we really are a divided nation.

And, in terms of division, it’s likely to get worse before it gets better.  That’s because Trump, who still commands the loyalty of tens of millions of hateful American morons, is about to get indicted, probably for an array of felonies he committed before, during, and after his term as U.S. president.

Trump himself is calling for his followers to “protest,” and we can only wait and see what form that takes.

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