All I know is that I have covered my web cam

I'll flip the cover off when I am Skype-ing my son in New Zealand or on conference calls. Other than that...

These people ought to serve some time. I don't care what their motives were.

The T-shirt

Say What? Say Who?

In the wake of another mind numbingly stupid comment from my ex-senator Fred Thompson on how "Glo-Warm" is the fault of some lost notes by a climate scientist, I thought I would share these visionary words from someone we all know:

addressing climate change will require massive investments in innovation aimed at creating the “energy miracles” needed to develop zero-carbon energy sources.

Finding carbon-free energy sources that will provide affordable power for people around the globe is a complex and difficult issue.

There is a six hour course called Earth’s Changing Climate, also by Richard Wolfson, that I recommend to people who want to learn about the science of climate change.

I spoke...about moving to zero-carbon energy, and our need to reduce CO2 emissions 80% by 2050. The talk was called Innovating to Zero...

Yeah my old buddy Al Gore is a climate change advocate and hero...Only these quotes are not from Al Gore. They are from this guy...

Bill Gates

Did Bill Gates Just Give the Most Important Climate Speech of the Year?

Happy Birthday Uppity Women

The 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870. It states that the, "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude."

The women's movement had strongly supported the abolishment of slavery but split with the abolitionists movement when it supported dropping women's rights from that amendment.

It would be 50 more years before women would get their amendment allowing them to vote.

Susan B. Anthony died before the 19th Amendment was ratified. She wrote several thoughts that are often quoted today...

It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.

I always distrust people who know so much about what God wants them to do to their fellows.

If all the rich and all of the church people should send their children to the public schools they would feel bound to concentrate their money on improving these schools until they met the highest ideals.

Happy Birthday Susan B. Anthony  (Feb 15, 1820 - March 13, 1906)! You're looking pretty good for 190 years.

Cheers,

Steve

Climate Change...Bad for National Security

Whoa! This is from the Pew Research. I wonder how long it will be before we'll see all the media and public opinion manipulators have to switch to a new message?


Climate Patriots from Laura Lightbody on Vimeo.

Thanks to Kleinheider

Mystery Bird (new pic)

Is this a Pine Warbler? It has a rump patch of that same buff yellow that shows when it flies. I can't match this beastie up with any of my reference pictures. It ignores the seeds and loves the suet feeder.

Beautiful

Robin Hood Tax?

Winter Olympian

I've enjoyed watching this guy since the first time I saw him compete back in 2002. There's something about the bad boy head to head sports that sets them apart from glitter and judge events. His dad got him into sports to keep him from being a latch key kid after the mom left. He was chunky as a kid and still fights the weight problem if he's not training. He's been involved in international controversy and accused of throwing a race so a friend could make the Olympic team (exonerated totally). He seems to be one of those nice polite people who morph into an animal when the gun goes off. His sport is one of those where the slightest slip can cost you everything and yet he's tied for the most Olympic medals (5) won by an American male. He could easily pick up the two medals he needs to be the most successful Winter Olympian in American History or make the tiniest of errors and fall flat. It's like that for all of the head to head sports and it is agonizing for anyone close to an athlete, knowing how hard they train, how difficult it is to win, and how easy it is to lose.

Apolo_Anton_Ohno

It's too bad these kids have to shill so hard to pay the bills.

And because you probably missed Rachel Maddow's eviceration of the idiots who deny climate change because it snowed in Washington, D.C.



The Winter Olympics are facing a problem because it is in the 50's in Canada right now. All climate change models predict the extremes will get more extreme. Why is that so hard to get across to some people?

Damn the Stimulus...Full Speed Ahead!

There's a message, a moral, and a mission here. See this to the end.

Ernest Shackleton's Scotch Stash Recovered With Brandy Bonus

There's no limit to what some people will do in search of a good single malt Scotch:

The alcohol was removed from the ice by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, which had initially believed there to be just two crates.
Al Fastier from the trust said: "To our amazement we found five crates, three labelled as containing whisky and two labelled as containing brandy."

Famed Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton led an expedition to be the first to reach the South Pole. He failed by 100 miles. When his ship was trapped in ice he took a small crew in a life boat and rowed 800 miles across the Arctic Ocean too South Georgia Island to obtain help and rescue his entire crew. He saved every man but tragically lost his stash of Scotch and Brandy. A distiller hopes to analyze the Scotch and replicate the recipe which has been lost to mankind until now.

Noble work, that!

Not Bad Shine Crazy...Nope, Nope, Nope

That's a Georgia accent if I ever heard one. Matter of fact, I'm from Georgia and I sound just like that...And if you believe that, I've got some TVA fertilizer I want to sell you.

Every Child Outdoors

With video game and HD Tv turning out kids into couch potatoes destined for an old age fighting type 2 diabetes, some folks are trying to reverse a really unhealthy trend. Yesterday the Tennessee State Senate adopted SR705 in support of:

Tennessee Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights

With recent concerns about youth detachment from the outdoors, lack of physical exercise and increased health risks, “Every Child Outdoors – Tennessee” has adopted The Tennessee Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights (TCOBOR).

“Every Child Outdoors – Tennessee” is a coalition of more than 100 supporting organizations including local, state and national organizations and agencies, governments, non-profits and businesses representing health, natural resource, education, hunting and fishing, recreation and youth stakeholders.

TCOBOR is a list of experiences from which every child in Tennessee would benefit.

Studies document that children who engage in these activities are healthier, perform better in school, have better social skills and self-image, and lead more fulfilled lives.

The Tennessee Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights states that Tennessee every child, before entering high school, should have the opportunity to:

Walk in the woods

Play outside

Explore nature

Watch wildlife

Grow a garden

Splash in the water

Camp under the stars

Learn to swim

Climb a tree

Go fishing

Fly a kite

Visit a farm

Mission of “Every Child Outdoors – Tennessee”

To promote and support opportunities that encourage children to engage with and experience the outdoors.