Can you remember much about the good ole days? Maybe the first question should be: Do you think they really were "the good ole days"? I sure do remember those days and I believe there were many good things about them. Let me tell you why I feel the way I do about those days and see if you agree with me. Here are some valuable reasons to consider:
* Crime did not seem to be as rampant and violent.
Now maybe this was not always true where you grew up. But If you lived in small town America it probably was true. It did not dominate the daily news then and it was not as brutal either. There usually were not a large number of crimes in those days.
* You could go out at night without fear of being accosted.
I do not remember many incidents when especially women, had to be so fearful when going out in public then. When I think of the neighborhood where I went in those days to pick up my date, I shudder today when I think of it. Because that area now is so crime infested. Not having an automobile in those days, I had to walk several blocks to her house when I got off the bus. When I left her house after the date there was no fear to stand on the corner late at night to wait for a bus.
* Parents could discipline their children without fear of reprisal
Discipline in most cases then meant a simple word called " NO". And in most cases it was never challenged. If it was, the next action was usually a "swat on the fanny" with a hand, yardstick, or a fly swatter. I do not hear of many parents using this method today, do you?
Sometimes just being told to "sit in the corner" or having a privilege taken away from you was enough to remedy the problem. Now, do not misunderstand me, I sure do not condone any kind of violence to discipline a child. But swatting a kid on the backside with a fly swatter or a yardstick, is that a violent act? Some may think so today. I will not say there were some parents guilty of violent discipline back then but generally that was not the case.
* Mothers were more likely to stay home raising children than working
Most mothers then felt the responsibility to stay home, at least when children were at an early age. Generally there was not as much of a need for them to earn a second income for the family as it is now. If there was a reason they usually found a way to do that while still staying at home. (Taking in washing was common then) My mom worked in the family florist business in later years. This was generally during some of the major holidays. But by then my sister and I were old enough to be there, too.
* Divorce was not as widespread
The odds of staying married for a long time then were much greater than it is now. Couples seemed to work out their problems much better in those days. Today it is not as shameful to get a divorce. I do not remember hearing the phrase "single Mom" back then. If you did it was most likely because the husband was deceased then the mother being divorced.
* Most people seemed to be more polite and courteous
One thing that was drilled in my head back then was to say "thank you" whenever someone either gave you something or paid you a compliment. And I had better not forget to say it, either. Men were expected to open doors for the "opposite sex". Even to pull out the chair at the table and push it back after she was seated was also the normal thing to do. I hate to say it but I do not see much of that practice happening as much today as back then, do you ladies?
These are just a few things that I remember in those early years that made the "good ole days good" Now I admit those times were tough, and we did not have all the modern conveniences that we have today. No TV in those early days, no computers, videos, cell phones, dial up phones (you called the operator and she rang the number for you) And the phone number was usually a short one. The phone number at our florist shop is one that I will never forget as long as I live, it was "5" Yes, a simple number "5" Can you believe that?
My children today cannot believe that the "big thing" for our family to do then was to sit in the living room at night and listen to the radio. Yes, the R-A-D-I-O. (you seniors remember that, don't you) And we listened to our favorite programs. "Fibber McGee & Mollie" "The Lone Ranger" "The Shadow Knows" "The Great Gildersleeve", "Amos & Andy", "Abbott & Costello", and many others. Those are the ones I remember most.
The radio we had then was a beautiful floor model. It stood about 31/2 feet tall and about 20 inches wide with large speakers in front. When we got our first TV it was mind-boggling. We could not believe it. There were pictures that talked, WOW!
Now listen! I am not sure I want to return to those days even though there were many pleasurable moments to remember. Life did seem to be simpler and I wish we could restore some of those same conditions and moments today that we experienced then. Don't you?
Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved Sonny Julius
Sonny Julius is a retired sales supervisor. He encourages anyone who is not totally satisfied with their life to "take charge" and develop the ideal lifestyle they desire most. He did exactly that at the age of 44 years when he became dissatisfied with his life. He developed and used his 8-step formula to make a major career change. It is available for free to anyone wanting to improve their life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33194
Tuesday 23 February 2016
Raising the Teen Driving Age to 18
This article is designed to raise the concern about teen driving fatalities and what can be done to drastically reduce this alarming statistic. While this article may be sensitive to some readers in certain industries, we would like to raise the question as to what can be done to make our teens better drivers and how to alert others on the road that a new driver is behind the wheel.
Our previous article raised the question of whether the driving age in the country needs to be raised to age 18. With more teen fatalities on the road each year than the amount of deaths reported from 9/11, we must consider changes to our laws governing teen driving. From another perspective one could say that the number of teen deaths on the roads in the U.S. are greater than the number of deaths reported of U.S. soldiers before and after the war in Iraq! Are our roads a war zone?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,657 drivers aged 15 to 20 years killed in 2003. In 2002, the number killed in the same age range was 3,827. While one would never make light of 9/11, let us consider the amount of energy, government changes, money, war - to name just a few - put forth after 9/11. If only a fraction of this energy had been given to the teen driving problem, perhaps we could have reduced teen driving related deaths in 2002 and 2003 - a staggering total of 7,484.
Following is a combined statement from
- Gordon Booth, Chief Instructor of Drivetrain, Inc. in California, http://www.drivetrainusa.com, and
- Eddie Wren of Drive and Stay Alive in New York, http://www.driveandstayalive.com, regarding our teen driving problem:
"Research in several countries has shown not only that the younger people are when they start to drive the higher the chances of having a serious or fatal crash within the first year of driving, but also that a young person's brain is not fully developed until after the teenage years have passed, and that this, in turn, also reduces a young person's abilities as a safe driver.
Wisdom and any genuine desire to protect young people both undeniably dictate that it is better if teenagers do not start to drive until they are at least 17 or preferably 18 years old.
It is noticeable that if parents can hold back a female for 6 months, so they do not start driving until 17 or 18, then one sees them mature at least 12 months. With males a hold back of about a year equals a maturity increase of about 6 months."
Inexperience, risk taking behavior, and immaturity are cited as primary reasons for these accidents. Increasing the driving age to 18 would not necessarily change all three primary reasons. Therefore, we must consider other possible solutions as well, such as the driving education process itself.
Driver Education Comparison
Comparing our driver education process with other countries is an important step in exploring possible solutions. Using Germany as an example, we were able to obtain the following information directly from the German driving school online at http://www.fahrschule.de
First you must be at least 18 years of age.
After you have completed the driver education course and school you are on probation for 2 years. During these 2 years a lesser driving violation would require you to re-take the driver education course. A more serious driving violation would call for your driver's license to be revoked. In either case when your driver's license has been granted once again you will be on probation for 4 years.
The driver training course covers almost 28 hours of classroom education followed by 35 hours of driving school on the road to cover varying conditions of day, night and autobahn experience with an instructor.
The above only covers a small portion of the driving laws in Germany. It is evident, however, that the United States does not have these requirements.
How to drive a car?
Teen driver's aside, it is reasonable to suggest that many adults who have had their driver's license for years are not knowledgeable enough on how to drive a car. They may be traffic regulation experienced, but what about actually using the vehicle? During the driver education process we should include how to handle a car under different conditions -- road conditions for rain, snow, ice, what to do if you have to slam on the brakes at higher speeds, sudden unexpected responses requiring split second decisions, how to handle the automatic and manual transmissions - to name just a few.
This type of training can be performed in driver simulation courses that are currently available from RoadSafety.Com (http://www.roadsafety.com). Larry Selditz, President of RoadSafety.Com had this to tell us:
"For the past 18 months we have been involved in a research and development project to bring effective vehicle simulation to novice drivers and others. While simulators have been around for years, the operative word here is "effective", science-based simulation. We recently completed the Research and Development phase of this project and are now in the process of helping to develop a cost effective commercially viable simulation product. One of our Vice Presidents, Mr. Fred Craft, is forming a new company utilizing the technology we helped develop. Fred is an industry expert in advanced vehicle simulation and I believe he would be an ideal contact for input for your article. I have forwarded a copy of your email to Fred.
I have always been a strong advocate of training and believe it is a key component to developing safe driving SKILLS. That is exactly what a simulator can help achieve. Our vehicle and driver monitoring system, a "black box", is the key to developing safe driving HABITS. As my friend Ron Thackery, Vice President of Risk and Safety for American Medical Response, once told me "what you monitor you can control - what you don't, you won't". That applies to teenagers as well as paramedics. American Medical response operates the largest fleet of ambulances in the world and uses our black box to control and improve driver performance. The same principles that have reduced the number of ambulance crashes by more than 90% are used in the "black box" we developed for teenage drivers."
Economic Implications
The primary industries affected by increasing the driving age to 18 are the automotive manufacturers, auto insurance, gas and driving education companies. This basically covers the largest firms within the auto industry.
The automotive manufacturers would only see a delay in purchases by a factor of three years and only for the first three years that the driving age was raised to 18. Most 18 year olds would receive their driver's licenses during the summer after graduating from high school.
The auto insurance companies would hopefully gain revenues by not having to pay out insurance claims due to car accidents created by the 15 - 18 old teens. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates approximately 300,000 motor vehicle crashes resulting in injuries for this age group per year, which is above the figures for the fatalities mentioned earlier in this article. Therefore, auto insurance industry would have a gain from raising the age limit and not having to pay out 900,000 claims from car accidents over a three year period from age 15 to 18.
Gasoline companies would see a reduction in their revenues with the reduction of gasoline usage. Whether 15 - 18 year old drivers generate a significant impact upon the revenues of gasoline companies is unsubstantiated as of this writing. However, it would be safe to surmise some level of reduction would be apparent. The reduction of emissions would indeed benefit our planet.
Driving schools would see the most significant impact. Short term they would lose business for the first 3 years. Those three years could be used, however, to help provide them support by both State and Federal governments. The amount of financial effort that has been put forth after 9/11 against terrorist continues to question if only a fraction could be used in this effort to help save our teenagers. During these three years, assisting them to prepare courses should be considered. Long term the driving schools would actually fair better as they would have more hours per student to charge.
Affects upon the Family
For parents with new teen drivers with permit licenses going through a state Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program, there will be no affect in the initial implementation of changing the driving age to 18. Parents with teens that have their operators license and who have allowed their teens to drive on their own will most likely find themselves having to continue to "chauffeur" their 16 - 18 year old teens to their various activities. While precious time would be encumbered, you can get comfort from the fact that your teen is still alive, your car is not damaged from an auto accident and your insurance has not doubled because of a teen driver on the policy.
What if we do not change the driving age?
I have a philosophy that the difference between utopia and reality is a choice. A choice by an individual or a group to make a change or move in a different direction. The statistics about teen driving require a change. If changing the driving age to 18 is too big of a leap today, then we can take smaller steps to help teens have better education and understand how to drive a car instead of blindly using a deadly weapon.
We need to review what the driving schools are asked to teach the students. The requirements need to include not only traffic safety, but car driving training under differing conditions. The number of hours required behind the wheel should equal the number of hours required for the course, which is currently around 30 hours. Parents would spend more money to achieve this, but the additional cost is insignificant compared to the lives of their loved ones.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) should be a requirement nationwide and include a probationary period for all new drivers to last through age 18. Traffic violations during the probationary period should require re-taking the driver education course -not with adults that are in a defensive driving course, but with other teens. Asking the teen to re-take driver education through the same school they received their initial education would be a consideration. Tracking the teens that re-take driver education and the driving schools they attend would also help understand if there is a driving school that may not be properly educating the teens.
Driving school vehicles are always well marked while students are driving on the main roads. Unfortunately, that requirement does not extend to the family vehicle for new drivers in a GDL program. All family vehicles with a new teen driver should be required to have at least one label on the back of the car while the teen is driving and through age 18.
Bumper stickers are not always practical when a teen is occasionally driving the car and stick-on vinyl to the window does not address night-time driving issues. The technology exists today to use car magnets that are thick, reflective for the night and are durable. These types of car magnets can be found at Auto Safety Magnets. http://www.autosafetymagnets.com Identifying these almost 2 million vehicles on the road should be a requirement on a national level.
In Conclusion
We hope the above information was helpful to address the problems, the need, and identify options if the driving age remained status quo or if it were raised. We hope the information was comprehensive to show the economic implications and the hindrances to raising the driving age. With these alarming statistics why have state and federal governments, as well as, the automotive industry jumped to the rescue? Have financial issues during hard economic times been put ahead of our youth? We have to "cowboy-up" to a resolution about this national problem.
Resource of information on driving safety for parents of teen drivers. Our content relates to student drivers with permit learners driver license or teen drivers that have their operator drivers license. Learning to drive and undergoing drivers ed, driving school or traffic school for driving lessons for drivers in training.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32608
Our previous article raised the question of whether the driving age in the country needs to be raised to age 18. With more teen fatalities on the road each year than the amount of deaths reported from 9/11, we must consider changes to our laws governing teen driving. From another perspective one could say that the number of teen deaths on the roads in the U.S. are greater than the number of deaths reported of U.S. soldiers before and after the war in Iraq! Are our roads a war zone?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 3,657 drivers aged 15 to 20 years killed in 2003. In 2002, the number killed in the same age range was 3,827. While one would never make light of 9/11, let us consider the amount of energy, government changes, money, war - to name just a few - put forth after 9/11. If only a fraction of this energy had been given to the teen driving problem, perhaps we could have reduced teen driving related deaths in 2002 and 2003 - a staggering total of 7,484.
Following is a combined statement from
- Gordon Booth, Chief Instructor of Drivetrain, Inc. in California, http://www.drivetrainusa.com, and
- Eddie Wren of Drive and Stay Alive in New York, http://www.driveandstayalive.com, regarding our teen driving problem:
"Research in several countries has shown not only that the younger people are when they start to drive the higher the chances of having a serious or fatal crash within the first year of driving, but also that a young person's brain is not fully developed until after the teenage years have passed, and that this, in turn, also reduces a young person's abilities as a safe driver.
Wisdom and any genuine desire to protect young people both undeniably dictate that it is better if teenagers do not start to drive until they are at least 17 or preferably 18 years old.
It is noticeable that if parents can hold back a female for 6 months, so they do not start driving until 17 or 18, then one sees them mature at least 12 months. With males a hold back of about a year equals a maturity increase of about 6 months."
Inexperience, risk taking behavior, and immaturity are cited as primary reasons for these accidents. Increasing the driving age to 18 would not necessarily change all three primary reasons. Therefore, we must consider other possible solutions as well, such as the driving education process itself.
Driver Education Comparison
Comparing our driver education process with other countries is an important step in exploring possible solutions. Using Germany as an example, we were able to obtain the following information directly from the German driving school online at http://www.fahrschule.de
First you must be at least 18 years of age.
After you have completed the driver education course and school you are on probation for 2 years. During these 2 years a lesser driving violation would require you to re-take the driver education course. A more serious driving violation would call for your driver's license to be revoked. In either case when your driver's license has been granted once again you will be on probation for 4 years.
The driver training course covers almost 28 hours of classroom education followed by 35 hours of driving school on the road to cover varying conditions of day, night and autobahn experience with an instructor.
The above only covers a small portion of the driving laws in Germany. It is evident, however, that the United States does not have these requirements.
How to drive a car?
Teen driver's aside, it is reasonable to suggest that many adults who have had their driver's license for years are not knowledgeable enough on how to drive a car. They may be traffic regulation experienced, but what about actually using the vehicle? During the driver education process we should include how to handle a car under different conditions -- road conditions for rain, snow, ice, what to do if you have to slam on the brakes at higher speeds, sudden unexpected responses requiring split second decisions, how to handle the automatic and manual transmissions - to name just a few.
This type of training can be performed in driver simulation courses that are currently available from RoadSafety.Com (http://www.roadsafety.com). Larry Selditz, President of RoadSafety.Com had this to tell us:
"For the past 18 months we have been involved in a research and development project to bring effective vehicle simulation to novice drivers and others. While simulators have been around for years, the operative word here is "effective", science-based simulation. We recently completed the Research and Development phase of this project and are now in the process of helping to develop a cost effective commercially viable simulation product. One of our Vice Presidents, Mr. Fred Craft, is forming a new company utilizing the technology we helped develop. Fred is an industry expert in advanced vehicle simulation and I believe he would be an ideal contact for input for your article. I have forwarded a copy of your email to Fred.
I have always been a strong advocate of training and believe it is a key component to developing safe driving SKILLS. That is exactly what a simulator can help achieve. Our vehicle and driver monitoring system, a "black box", is the key to developing safe driving HABITS. As my friend Ron Thackery, Vice President of Risk and Safety for American Medical Response, once told me "what you monitor you can control - what you don't, you won't". That applies to teenagers as well as paramedics. American Medical response operates the largest fleet of ambulances in the world and uses our black box to control and improve driver performance. The same principles that have reduced the number of ambulance crashes by more than 90% are used in the "black box" we developed for teenage drivers."
Economic Implications
The primary industries affected by increasing the driving age to 18 are the automotive manufacturers, auto insurance, gas and driving education companies. This basically covers the largest firms within the auto industry.
The automotive manufacturers would only see a delay in purchases by a factor of three years and only for the first three years that the driving age was raised to 18. Most 18 year olds would receive their driver's licenses during the summer after graduating from high school.
The auto insurance companies would hopefully gain revenues by not having to pay out insurance claims due to car accidents created by the 15 - 18 old teens. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates approximately 300,000 motor vehicle crashes resulting in injuries for this age group per year, which is above the figures for the fatalities mentioned earlier in this article. Therefore, auto insurance industry would have a gain from raising the age limit and not having to pay out 900,000 claims from car accidents over a three year period from age 15 to 18.
Gasoline companies would see a reduction in their revenues with the reduction of gasoline usage. Whether 15 - 18 year old drivers generate a significant impact upon the revenues of gasoline companies is unsubstantiated as of this writing. However, it would be safe to surmise some level of reduction would be apparent. The reduction of emissions would indeed benefit our planet.
Driving schools would see the most significant impact. Short term they would lose business for the first 3 years. Those three years could be used, however, to help provide them support by both State and Federal governments. The amount of financial effort that has been put forth after 9/11 against terrorist continues to question if only a fraction could be used in this effort to help save our teenagers. During these three years, assisting them to prepare courses should be considered. Long term the driving schools would actually fair better as they would have more hours per student to charge.
Affects upon the Family
For parents with new teen drivers with permit licenses going through a state Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program, there will be no affect in the initial implementation of changing the driving age to 18. Parents with teens that have their operators license and who have allowed their teens to drive on their own will most likely find themselves having to continue to "chauffeur" their 16 - 18 year old teens to their various activities. While precious time would be encumbered, you can get comfort from the fact that your teen is still alive, your car is not damaged from an auto accident and your insurance has not doubled because of a teen driver on the policy.
What if we do not change the driving age?
I have a philosophy that the difference between utopia and reality is a choice. A choice by an individual or a group to make a change or move in a different direction. The statistics about teen driving require a change. If changing the driving age to 18 is too big of a leap today, then we can take smaller steps to help teens have better education and understand how to drive a car instead of blindly using a deadly weapon.
We need to review what the driving schools are asked to teach the students. The requirements need to include not only traffic safety, but car driving training under differing conditions. The number of hours required behind the wheel should equal the number of hours required for the course, which is currently around 30 hours. Parents would spend more money to achieve this, but the additional cost is insignificant compared to the lives of their loved ones.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) should be a requirement nationwide and include a probationary period for all new drivers to last through age 18. Traffic violations during the probationary period should require re-taking the driver education course -not with adults that are in a defensive driving course, but with other teens. Asking the teen to re-take driver education through the same school they received their initial education would be a consideration. Tracking the teens that re-take driver education and the driving schools they attend would also help understand if there is a driving school that may not be properly educating the teens.
Driving school vehicles are always well marked while students are driving on the main roads. Unfortunately, that requirement does not extend to the family vehicle for new drivers in a GDL program. All family vehicles with a new teen driver should be required to have at least one label on the back of the car while the teen is driving and through age 18.
Bumper stickers are not always practical when a teen is occasionally driving the car and stick-on vinyl to the window does not address night-time driving issues. The technology exists today to use car magnets that are thick, reflective for the night and are durable. These types of car magnets can be found at Auto Safety Magnets. http://www.autosafetymagnets.com Identifying these almost 2 million vehicles on the road should be a requirement on a national level.
In Conclusion
We hope the above information was helpful to address the problems, the need, and identify options if the driving age remained status quo or if it were raised. We hope the information was comprehensive to show the economic implications and the hindrances to raising the driving age. With these alarming statistics why have state and federal governments, as well as, the automotive industry jumped to the rescue? Have financial issues during hard economic times been put ahead of our youth? We have to "cowboy-up" to a resolution about this national problem.
Resource of information on driving safety for parents of teen drivers. Our content relates to student drivers with permit learners driver license or teen drivers that have their operator drivers license. Learning to drive and undergoing drivers ed, driving school or traffic school for driving lessons for drivers in training.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32608
Blogs Are Increasing Our Sense Of Democracy AND Yield Interesting Insights For Media Researchers
Even though blogs as a new medium don´t appear to be very powerful or visible in the larger public debate, it is an encouraging sign for democracy that the top ten blogs are read by most newseditors of the mainstream press.
If blogs are taken serious by news editors, they´re very likely also read by the people behind the scenes in political organisations. Fact is, the top blogs all got their rankings in different ways and everyone´s got a fair chance to actually be heard. This inspires a lot of blog writing and feed back is mostly very gratifying even though circulation might be limited.
The masses involved in writing surely are having a pseudo sense of democracy. Perhaps the first experience of its kind in world history. Writing can make you experience an extra dimension to your normal existence and if politics is the subject a great sense of direct involvement with power is felt. Perhaps that´s why the euphoria about war reporting from the backrooms and cellars in almost impossible circumstances was seen as so tremendous on the outset. It felt very much like listening to illegal radio stations and the music sounded extra good for the few involved.
Research numbers have brought us back to reality though. The initial figures on blogging tell a much less inspiring story. Ordinary people, aside from writing enthusiastically in their pre-formated online gyros, themselves barely depend on what other people write for their news intake. Pew Research Center of the US reported that in 2003, 4 percent of ordinary Americans refer to blogs for information and opinion. Even the most popular blog on the web - garners only a fraction of the Web traffic that major media outlets attract.
But to say that blogs have no impact on the political debate would be as inaccurate as saying that sources the media quote have no impact on (the tone of) their wider stories. Even though blogging is in no way organised and everybody out there is just screaming their message in -at first- empty empty space, some voices are eventually heard and if what they are saying is noteworthy or revealing important information that otherwise would not be known, you can say a blog is impacting on the wider debate.
From a media research point of view, blogs provide priceless information about the collective response of ordinary people to breaking news and their grouping by subject matter and keywords provides great information about the structures that are beginning to emerge in cyberspace at large, something that had not been achieved and that the established media or the search engine community on its own would never be able to accomplish. Larger and more popular blogs are mainly rising in fame because they show they have an excellent sense of judgement when it comes to news gathering, analysis and insight.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33538
If blogs are taken serious by news editors, they´re very likely also read by the people behind the scenes in political organisations. Fact is, the top blogs all got their rankings in different ways and everyone´s got a fair chance to actually be heard. This inspires a lot of blog writing and feed back is mostly very gratifying even though circulation might be limited.
The masses involved in writing surely are having a pseudo sense of democracy. Perhaps the first experience of its kind in world history. Writing can make you experience an extra dimension to your normal existence and if politics is the subject a great sense of direct involvement with power is felt. Perhaps that´s why the euphoria about war reporting from the backrooms and cellars in almost impossible circumstances was seen as so tremendous on the outset. It felt very much like listening to illegal radio stations and the music sounded extra good for the few involved.
Research numbers have brought us back to reality though. The initial figures on blogging tell a much less inspiring story. Ordinary people, aside from writing enthusiastically in their pre-formated online gyros, themselves barely depend on what other people write for their news intake. Pew Research Center of the US reported that in 2003, 4 percent of ordinary Americans refer to blogs for information and opinion. Even the most popular blog on the web - garners only a fraction of the Web traffic that major media outlets attract.
But to say that blogs have no impact on the political debate would be as inaccurate as saying that sources the media quote have no impact on (the tone of) their wider stories. Even though blogging is in no way organised and everybody out there is just screaming their message in -at first- empty empty space, some voices are eventually heard and if what they are saying is noteworthy or revealing important information that otherwise would not be known, you can say a blog is impacting on the wider debate.
From a media research point of view, blogs provide priceless information about the collective response of ordinary people to breaking news and their grouping by subject matter and keywords provides great information about the structures that are beginning to emerge in cyberspace at large, something that had not been achieved and that the established media or the search engine community on its own would never be able to accomplish. Larger and more popular blogs are mainly rising in fame because they show they have an excellent sense of judgement when it comes to news gathering, analysis and insight.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33538
Another Doomsday, Another Dollar: Shifting Science Towards Peace & Ecology
In his book, "Our Final Hour," Cambridge professor and Britain's "Astronomer Royal" Martin Rees predicts humanity has no more than a 50/50 chance of survival into the next century and that by 2020 a million people will perish due to scientific error or terror. Some would call him prescient, while others would interpret his words as alarmist, resembling a layer cake with environmental fears on top of nuclear fears on top of chemical and biological threats, ad infinitum. With a sci-fi flare, he warns of runaway technology, human clones and an ability to insert memory chips into the brain.
Doomsday predictors get much the same respect as the "toxic fumes" sign at the local service station; they impart their wisdom, yet we yawn. Situations which seem grim and overwhelming, even potentially lethal, tend to be ignored. Attention on more immediate and "American" concerns, such as consumer goods and personal advancement, monopolize our daily thoughts. This is arguably foolhardy and indicative of the "another doomsday, another dollar" mentality.
Rees is not a lone voice on the scientific stage. The "Bulletin of Atomic Scientists" reports we have seven minutes until our final bow at midnight. Other reputable experts surmise that a "gray goo" or nanotechnological catastrophe poses the greatest threat. This involves the invention of miniature, self-replicating machines that gnaw away at the environment until it is devoid of life. It need not be deliberate sabotage--as in technological warfare by one nation against another--but could result from a laboratory mishap.
Astronomers speak of fugitive asteroids that could destroy major sections of our planet within the next 30 years. Others point to atom-crashing tests and their potential for a lethal strangelet scenario. Strangelets are malformed subatomic matter, which could distort all normal matter and dissolve the earth in seconds.
There are streams of alerts from environmental experts who tell us natural disasters are on the rise. They warn of climatic change and tell us the world's species die at a rate 1000 times greater than they did prior to human existence due to habitat destruction and the introduction of non-indigenous species into the ecosystem. Their conclusion? If we do not reverse the damaging trend, Earth itself will be extinct.
Should we open our minds to doomsday predictions? And if we accept them, what is the next step to insure or increase our chance of planetary survival?
In his book, "Science, Money and Politics," Daniel Greenberg follows a trail of suspicion. He condemns what he believes to be the self-serving, greedy scientific community with its bungled research, conflicts of interest and findings that never see the light of day due to suppression by corporate sponsors. But this seems to be an overly cynical, embellished perspective; there are surely many scientists dedicated to discovery and social responsibility, apart from any personal gain. And we should not forget that offering controversial insights can be at a cost; proponents of "radical" theories often expose themselves to public and professional ridicule.
Regardless of skepticism, the "Pascal's Wager" game plan seems a good bet. This essentially means we should not gamble with eternity, but instead urge the scientific community to take precautions since Armageddon allows no second chance. Better to err on the side of life, even if it means some black holes will go unexplored and some research grants will be pulled.
Precaution means building contingency plans--such as shields and containment measures--into emerging technologies so that if an experiment goes awry, a safety net will kick into place. It means the scientific community should better police itself. It means committees or boards--both local and international--should be established for oversight and regulations, much like Albert Einstein proposed in 1947 to maintain worldwide peace. Many nation-states and multinational corporations are known for fighting even minimal efforts to regulate dangerous technology, and they must be countered.
There are pragmatic hurdles to be negotiated when trying to impose rules on private parties or on authorities in renegade lands, but the ozone hole "near disaster" demonstrates how the world can cooperate when it comes to life-and-death matters. As cultures dovetail, as communications rise, as borders become more porous, and as the world figuratively shrinks, it will be easier to impose structure and scientific parameters on nations that seem combative today
Science must shift its course and find new mountains to climb. It looks to us for cues. Due to our materialistic bent as a culture, our cursory endorsement of "progress" and our captivation with the Prometheus-like aura of technology, we subtly ask the scientific community to scale those mountains that are the highest (great accolades can be received), the easiest (the path of least resistance) or the most profit-oriented (grant money from special interests or an emphasis on reducing labor so companies can realize greater proceeds) rather than those that are the most ecological and peace-enhancing.
The research community has rivers of creativity and forests of energy that could instead be directed towards rivers and forests. It could move towards ecological preservation and restoration, peaceful alternatives to conflict and a furthering of life on this planet.
We will know a cultural transition is underway when news reports following fires, earthquakes and other disasters address the impact on natural systems and nonhuman species, rather than just the human and economical consequences, such as the number of homes lost. Our capitalistic culture thrives on the fact that nature is cost-free, which in turn, reinforces the notion that it is expendable and devoid of value. This reality must change. Our reality must change. And science must change. It must shift towards peace and ecology. It's as plain as doomsday.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32925
Doomsday predictors get much the same respect as the "toxic fumes" sign at the local service station; they impart their wisdom, yet we yawn. Situations which seem grim and overwhelming, even potentially lethal, tend to be ignored. Attention on more immediate and "American" concerns, such as consumer goods and personal advancement, monopolize our daily thoughts. This is arguably foolhardy and indicative of the "another doomsday, another dollar" mentality.
Rees is not a lone voice on the scientific stage. The "Bulletin of Atomic Scientists" reports we have seven minutes until our final bow at midnight. Other reputable experts surmise that a "gray goo" or nanotechnological catastrophe poses the greatest threat. This involves the invention of miniature, self-replicating machines that gnaw away at the environment until it is devoid of life. It need not be deliberate sabotage--as in technological warfare by one nation against another--but could result from a laboratory mishap.
Astronomers speak of fugitive asteroids that could destroy major sections of our planet within the next 30 years. Others point to atom-crashing tests and their potential for a lethal strangelet scenario. Strangelets are malformed subatomic matter, which could distort all normal matter and dissolve the earth in seconds.
There are streams of alerts from environmental experts who tell us natural disasters are on the rise. They warn of climatic change and tell us the world's species die at a rate 1000 times greater than they did prior to human existence due to habitat destruction and the introduction of non-indigenous species into the ecosystem. Their conclusion? If we do not reverse the damaging trend, Earth itself will be extinct.
Should we open our minds to doomsday predictions? And if we accept them, what is the next step to insure or increase our chance of planetary survival?
In his book, "Science, Money and Politics," Daniel Greenberg follows a trail of suspicion. He condemns what he believes to be the self-serving, greedy scientific community with its bungled research, conflicts of interest and findings that never see the light of day due to suppression by corporate sponsors. But this seems to be an overly cynical, embellished perspective; there are surely many scientists dedicated to discovery and social responsibility, apart from any personal gain. And we should not forget that offering controversial insights can be at a cost; proponents of "radical" theories often expose themselves to public and professional ridicule.
Regardless of skepticism, the "Pascal's Wager" game plan seems a good bet. This essentially means we should not gamble with eternity, but instead urge the scientific community to take precautions since Armageddon allows no second chance. Better to err on the side of life, even if it means some black holes will go unexplored and some research grants will be pulled.
Precaution means building contingency plans--such as shields and containment measures--into emerging technologies so that if an experiment goes awry, a safety net will kick into place. It means the scientific community should better police itself. It means committees or boards--both local and international--should be established for oversight and regulations, much like Albert Einstein proposed in 1947 to maintain worldwide peace. Many nation-states and multinational corporations are known for fighting even minimal efforts to regulate dangerous technology, and they must be countered.
There are pragmatic hurdles to be negotiated when trying to impose rules on private parties or on authorities in renegade lands, but the ozone hole "near disaster" demonstrates how the world can cooperate when it comes to life-and-death matters. As cultures dovetail, as communications rise, as borders become more porous, and as the world figuratively shrinks, it will be easier to impose structure and scientific parameters on nations that seem combative today
Science must shift its course and find new mountains to climb. It looks to us for cues. Due to our materialistic bent as a culture, our cursory endorsement of "progress" and our captivation with the Prometheus-like aura of technology, we subtly ask the scientific community to scale those mountains that are the highest (great accolades can be received), the easiest (the path of least resistance) or the most profit-oriented (grant money from special interests or an emphasis on reducing labor so companies can realize greater proceeds) rather than those that are the most ecological and peace-enhancing.
The research community has rivers of creativity and forests of energy that could instead be directed towards rivers and forests. It could move towards ecological preservation and restoration, peaceful alternatives to conflict and a furthering of life on this planet.
We will know a cultural transition is underway when news reports following fires, earthquakes and other disasters address the impact on natural systems and nonhuman species, rather than just the human and economical consequences, such as the number of homes lost. Our capitalistic culture thrives on the fact that nature is cost-free, which in turn, reinforces the notion that it is expendable and devoid of value. This reality must change. Our reality must change. And science must change. It must shift towards peace and ecology. It's as plain as doomsday.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/32925
Child Labor: Despite the Acts and Laws, This Problem Just Won't Go Away
Too many people think that child labor is a problem of the past. However, a quick glance at recent statistics paints a very different picture.
According to one website*, the global problem of illegal child labor and exploitation has hardly disappeared. Indeed, as the population grows, so, too, do the numbers.
246,000,000 children qualify as child laborers (generally aged 14 and under)
73,000,000 are under the age of 10.
Of these, 2.5 million are in developed countries
Another 2.5 million live in Eastern Europe
Every single year, an estimated 22,000 kids will die in a work-related accident.
The great majority - 127 million - of these working children under fourteen live in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Sub-Sahara Africa, nearly 33% of children under 14 hold down jobs. This number totals 48,000,000!
The top two industries that employ these many millions of children across the globe are the agricultural and the Domestic services. However, these jobs are hardly as cushy as they sound...
Conditions in these countries generally mean danger in the fields or in the "domestic arena". It's no jump of the imagination to figure out what kind of domestic activities were preformed by the large population of little girls (who account for up to 60%) Many of them are exploited and go through fast-track training as prostitutes, black market baby machines, and all sorts of other terrible "careers".
Right now, lack of enforcement is the key obstacle to combating child labor. In many of the same nations and regions where child labor is rampant, the funding and infrastructure of regulatory agencies simply doesn't exist. Someone else is going to have to step in, show some courage and initiative and help to develop safer, sounder and empowering ways to put the families to work.
One of the ways that this is done is the use of micro-loan funding. Loans (almost all of which are less than $1,000.00US) are provided to men and women to fund their trades and businesses. This trend has already swept across many third-world countries and left a slew of success stories in it's wake.
However, this is only the beginning. Advocacy groups and non-profit organizations always need support of every different kind.
Each of us is certainly gifted with some talent, service or even contact that can make a difference in the lives of our children, and through them, the fate of our future.
So, earnestly ask yourself, "What can I do to put a stop to this terrible tragedy?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33851
According to one website*, the global problem of illegal child labor and exploitation has hardly disappeared. Indeed, as the population grows, so, too, do the numbers.
246,000,000 children qualify as child laborers (generally aged 14 and under)
73,000,000 are under the age of 10.
Of these, 2.5 million are in developed countries
Another 2.5 million live in Eastern Europe
Every single year, an estimated 22,000 kids will die in a work-related accident.
The great majority - 127 million - of these working children under fourteen live in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Sub-Sahara Africa, nearly 33% of children under 14 hold down jobs. This number totals 48,000,000!
The top two industries that employ these many millions of children across the globe are the agricultural and the Domestic services. However, these jobs are hardly as cushy as they sound...
Conditions in these countries generally mean danger in the fields or in the "domestic arena". It's no jump of the imagination to figure out what kind of domestic activities were preformed by the large population of little girls (who account for up to 60%) Many of them are exploited and go through fast-track training as prostitutes, black market baby machines, and all sorts of other terrible "careers".
Right now, lack of enforcement is the key obstacle to combating child labor. In many of the same nations and regions where child labor is rampant, the funding and infrastructure of regulatory agencies simply doesn't exist. Someone else is going to have to step in, show some courage and initiative and help to develop safer, sounder and empowering ways to put the families to work.
One of the ways that this is done is the use of micro-loan funding. Loans (almost all of which are less than $1,000.00US) are provided to men and women to fund their trades and businesses. This trend has already swept across many third-world countries and left a slew of success stories in it's wake.
However, this is only the beginning. Advocacy groups and non-profit organizations always need support of every different kind.
Each of us is certainly gifted with some talent, service or even contact that can make a difference in the lives of our children, and through them, the fate of our future.
So, earnestly ask yourself, "What can I do to put a stop to this terrible tragedy?"
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/33851
FEAR, Doom and Gloom, We are all going to die, Ah hah hah ha hah?
Should we really be in fear of International Terrorists? Should we worry about a nuclear war, Y2K, planet alignment, comet or asteroid killing us all, Tsunami, SuperVolcano, are you scared yet? You should be we have been bombarding your brain for centuries and now we have mass media. Wake up and be scared. FEAR. This is nothing new to humankind. God is coming back, Nostradamos, Armageddon, end of days, revelation, please fear me now? Not enough for you? Did I mention Hurricanes, Earthquakes, bioterrorism, bird flu, mad cow, aliens. What? You still are not buying into it? What is a matter have we not programmed you better than this? Did you turn off the TV? Stop reading newspapers? We are playing this on every channel, station, radio, TV, print medium? Ever heard of the Internet? Yah we are using it to; FEAR; Fear I tell you.
Mankind has been doing what mankind does innately for 160,000 years. We have 10,000 years of recorded history showing nothing less. Those in charge lead by fear, it seems to be a great motivator of the human species so remember that and be scared, FEAR. Why would those who wish to control change such an easy level, just hit the fear button and all of a sudden you are in control. Think about it.
We change the setting and then expect the whole of mankind to do any different than the current mess of civilization. Well that is purely silly. The innate characteristics of the species must be factored in to every decision made by leaders at any level, if they are to deny those innate qualities they always lose. Therefore fixing the problems of a city, country or even the entire World is relatively simple. You do things, which give incentives to individuals of the human race, which fulfill such needs and innate desires. Every decision for forward progress should be based on incentive to get what the people and individual want, desire and need for their happiness and genetic make-up of this social being or you change the genetic make-up, which I suppose will occur within the next 100-200 years. You cannot simply try to nurture those things which have been going on for 160,000 years within a couple of hundred.
Do you ever wonder what mankind's leadership will come up with next to make us fear? Silly humans, you'll believe just about anything. Now keep your mind closed and FEAR. We thank you all; AH hah, hah, ha, ha. Fear !
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34139
Mankind has been doing what mankind does innately for 160,000 years. We have 10,000 years of recorded history showing nothing less. Those in charge lead by fear, it seems to be a great motivator of the human species so remember that and be scared, FEAR. Why would those who wish to control change such an easy level, just hit the fear button and all of a sudden you are in control. Think about it.
We change the setting and then expect the whole of mankind to do any different than the current mess of civilization. Well that is purely silly. The innate characteristics of the species must be factored in to every decision made by leaders at any level, if they are to deny those innate qualities they always lose. Therefore fixing the problems of a city, country or even the entire World is relatively simple. You do things, which give incentives to individuals of the human race, which fulfill such needs and innate desires. Every decision for forward progress should be based on incentive to get what the people and individual want, desire and need for their happiness and genetic make-up of this social being or you change the genetic make-up, which I suppose will occur within the next 100-200 years. You cannot simply try to nurture those things which have been going on for 160,000 years within a couple of hundred.
Do you ever wonder what mankind's leadership will come up with next to make us fear? Silly humans, you'll believe just about anything. Now keep your mind closed and FEAR. We thank you all; AH hah, hah, ha, ha. Fear !
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34139
El Nino and Hurricane Season Connections
In the media we have heard discussion of weather, we have heard that Hurricane season can affect LA Nina, but can El Nino effect Hurricane season? Yes obviously it is all connected and last time we checked pollution and wind and rain and Hurricanes did not have to go through a check point at any man made border or lines drawn in the sand fought over with life and limb by a surface dwelling species killing its own kind. Meaning of course the Mother Nature or the weather could care less what you call the country or ocean it flows over or rains upon. It is impartial in every sense of the word. Or so say the modern one-God believer members of our race in this millennium. Previously the Greeks with their many Gods believed they were controlling it all and actually did care about the boundaries of mankind.
Still with all the data and trends and all the information collected by NASA and the NOAA, everyone claims that they do not know. No forward looking statements as the Chicago Mercantile manipulates trading based on even this friendly conversation about the weather predictions of 2005-2006 season in this article. Anything to move the market as the market makers become ingrained in predictions like the late Harry Fishbeck of LA TV or the Hippy Dippy Weatherman of the 60's and 70's dude?
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/enso/mlbnino.html .
The fact is we do not know if La Nina is coming in 2005-2006, we know that it will be a big Hurricane season, but we do not know how big or how late in the season it will go. We do not know what the Atlantic Hurricanes of 2005-2006 will do to change the weather patterns of the Pacific leading into the next Spring and Winter Seasons. But we do know that we must keep a watchful eye and prepare ourselves. All air flows and weather patterns affect each other, there are hundreds of variables all interacting and for the most part we won't know which ones will take presidence in our most extreme weather of the year, but we will know soon enough. Maybe we will see you on 'Storm Stories' so stay safe and think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34259
Still with all the data and trends and all the information collected by NASA and the NOAA, everyone claims that they do not know. No forward looking statements as the Chicago Mercantile manipulates trading based on even this friendly conversation about the weather predictions of 2005-2006 season in this article. Anything to move the market as the market makers become ingrained in predictions like the late Harry Fishbeck of LA TV or the Hippy Dippy Weatherman of the 60's and 70's dude?
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mlb/enso/mlbnino.html .
The fact is we do not know if La Nina is coming in 2005-2006, we know that it will be a big Hurricane season, but we do not know how big or how late in the season it will go. We do not know what the Atlantic Hurricanes of 2005-2006 will do to change the weather patterns of the Pacific leading into the next Spring and Winter Seasons. But we do know that we must keep a watchful eye and prepare ourselves. All air flows and weather patterns affect each other, there are hundreds of variables all interacting and for the most part we won't know which ones will take presidence in our most extreme weather of the year, but we will know soon enough. Maybe we will see you on 'Storm Stories' so stay safe and think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34259
La Nina in 2005-2006?
For the proper LA Nina effect you will need cooling of the Pacific Ocean surface waters. Since La Nina follow El Nino do we believe this will happen in 2005-2006 season? Was the huge rainy season in Southern California really caused by El Nino? No one called it El Nino, but the five or six serious storms sure indicated an above average level of rainfall. The answer is we should know later this year. If we start to see that CA coastline is the coolest area in the country at least during the July - August Transition, then that will be a telling sign for us.
Even so it takes more than a few months to be sure that La Nina is really coming. Some do not feel that the hot Pacific Trend has not changed significantly yet. A lengthened and heavy Hurricane season which is expected in 2005 by climate experts will have activity which will spill over the central American nations into the Pacific Regions and head up onto Baja, we will probably see two such heavy tropical storms or even Hurricanes in that region in 2005. If you get significant activity and it pushes the Hurricanes into the Pacific late in the season keeping the jet stream and trade winds back then you will have a harder time telling if you can get a significant trend to cool waters fast enough to get a LA Nina effect.
You still could get one if the Hurricane season lasts late and issues such as Volcanic Eruptions, Fires, Gulf War type calamities taint the skies over the Pacific blocking ultra violate rays and solar activity from warming the water to the moderate rates needed for normalcy. A close passing comet could put dust into the atmosphere, fires in the Chinese Grass Lands could cause a dense atmosphere; just about anything, this is why it is so hard to predict. Meaning trying to figure out the weather is harder than hell, in layman's terms. It is just to early to say, but scientists are looking at this because it greatly effects our water supplies and drought issues. Think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34255
Even so it takes more than a few months to be sure that La Nina is really coming. Some do not feel that the hot Pacific Trend has not changed significantly yet. A lengthened and heavy Hurricane season which is expected in 2005 by climate experts will have activity which will spill over the central American nations into the Pacific Regions and head up onto Baja, we will probably see two such heavy tropical storms or even Hurricanes in that region in 2005. If you get significant activity and it pushes the Hurricanes into the Pacific late in the season keeping the jet stream and trade winds back then you will have a harder time telling if you can get a significant trend to cool waters fast enough to get a LA Nina effect.
You still could get one if the Hurricane season lasts late and issues such as Volcanic Eruptions, Fires, Gulf War type calamities taint the skies over the Pacific blocking ultra violate rays and solar activity from warming the water to the moderate rates needed for normalcy. A close passing comet could put dust into the atmosphere, fires in the Chinese Grass Lands could cause a dense atmosphere; just about anything, this is why it is so hard to predict. Meaning trying to figure out the weather is harder than hell, in layman's terms. It is just to early to say, but scientists are looking at this because it greatly effects our water supplies and drought issues. Think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34255
Arsonists & Eco-Terrorism
Many of us have feared that eco-terrorist arsonists would continue attacks such as the Hummer Dealership in LA and the construction fires in San Diego. These people have been often featured on the weekly newsletter at Firehouse.com as arsonists, which is what they are. Oh they claim to be pro-environment and then they go and pollute the air, vandalize and cause millions of dollars in property damage.
As many of you know The FBI is adamant about getting rid of Arsonists and eco-terrorists. The group originated out of Canada and have used the Internet to recruit US Citizens to help in their cause, thus making eco-terrorists: International Terrorists. But what as citizens can we do to prevent these fires and vandalism. One way is to start a Neighborhood Arson Watch Program in areas near forests or resorts to catch them. Here is a plan online:
http://www.lancewinslow.org/arsonwatch.pdf
For the record let us point out the problems in Canada with the Industry and the Indians. With the clear-cutting there, with the lack of Water Quality Control Boards is an issue, which must be addressed there. This was one of the original concerns of this eco-environmental groups before they decided to use arson as a weapon. Yet they come here and influence our citizens who live in the cleanest country in the world, with some of the best air flowing over it and the best and cleanest water? What the heck are they thinking and why would any US Citizen join such a rotten and criminal group?
With the latest fires in Canada in the resort towns last year, which these people may have been responsible for and the fires outside the Bitter Root in MT, we may determine that these groups are much worse than ever expected. Were they responsible for those too? And exactly how does burning a dealership in San Diego with cars, SUVs and Hummers which are made of plastics, paint, with fuel in them help the environment? The hypocrisy of their mission is all up in smoke and into the environment; help clean air? What a contradiction. And the vandalism is called eco-acts? It is domestic terrorism influenced and recruited from International Terrorism from Canadian misfits and everyone knows that these misfits are huge smokers of Marijuana and many other drugs and tonight we saw a College Professor who says he has been studying them for 15 years and they have a point. What? What is the point?
In Singapore they would have been caned for the graffiti and shot for the fires. We have beautiful state parks, beautiful rivers and a wonderful country. I have been to all corners and to nearly every state park, everything on the Planet you could want is right here in the United States and we have a college professor defending these people. We have Barnes and Noble, Borders and Hastings selling magazines of known eco-terrorist groups. They threaten personal property and say; "if you build we will burn it." Well one day these kids are going to be shot by a landowner defending his property. And like the Deflocked Catholic Priest John Geoghan, I will not lose sleep over it.
The Nature Conservancy has the plan right if you want it to remain open, then go make some money and buy it. Of course half high all day eco-terrorists do not have jobs do they? This is a serious issue and after 9-11 how could anyone even think of condoning these acts or even attempting to justify them? The College professor who has been studying them for 15 years may have collected a lot of data, but I also have been studying these thieves, criminals and arsonists for some time (2 years) and it is readily apparent that there are no redeeming qualities of these individuals. They are by far the worst the human race has to offer as an example of our species. Think about it?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34256
As many of you know The FBI is adamant about getting rid of Arsonists and eco-terrorists. The group originated out of Canada and have used the Internet to recruit US Citizens to help in their cause, thus making eco-terrorists: International Terrorists. But what as citizens can we do to prevent these fires and vandalism. One way is to start a Neighborhood Arson Watch Program in areas near forests or resorts to catch them. Here is a plan online:
http://www.lancewinslow.org/arsonwatch.pdf
For the record let us point out the problems in Canada with the Industry and the Indians. With the clear-cutting there, with the lack of Water Quality Control Boards is an issue, which must be addressed there. This was one of the original concerns of this eco-environmental groups before they decided to use arson as a weapon. Yet they come here and influence our citizens who live in the cleanest country in the world, with some of the best air flowing over it and the best and cleanest water? What the heck are they thinking and why would any US Citizen join such a rotten and criminal group?
With the latest fires in Canada in the resort towns last year, which these people may have been responsible for and the fires outside the Bitter Root in MT, we may determine that these groups are much worse than ever expected. Were they responsible for those too? And exactly how does burning a dealership in San Diego with cars, SUVs and Hummers which are made of plastics, paint, with fuel in them help the environment? The hypocrisy of their mission is all up in smoke and into the environment; help clean air? What a contradiction. And the vandalism is called eco-acts? It is domestic terrorism influenced and recruited from International Terrorism from Canadian misfits and everyone knows that these misfits are huge smokers of Marijuana and many other drugs and tonight we saw a College Professor who says he has been studying them for 15 years and they have a point. What? What is the point?
In Singapore they would have been caned for the graffiti and shot for the fires. We have beautiful state parks, beautiful rivers and a wonderful country. I have been to all corners and to nearly every state park, everything on the Planet you could want is right here in the United States and we have a college professor defending these people. We have Barnes and Noble, Borders and Hastings selling magazines of known eco-terrorist groups. They threaten personal property and say; "if you build we will burn it." Well one day these kids are going to be shot by a landowner defending his property. And like the Deflocked Catholic Priest John Geoghan, I will not lose sleep over it.
The Nature Conservancy has the plan right if you want it to remain open, then go make some money and buy it. Of course half high all day eco-terrorists do not have jobs do they? This is a serious issue and after 9-11 how could anyone even think of condoning these acts or even attempting to justify them? The College professor who has been studying them for 15 years may have collected a lot of data, but I also have been studying these thieves, criminals and arsonists for some time (2 years) and it is readily apparent that there are no redeeming qualities of these individuals. They are by far the worst the human race has to offer as an example of our species. Think about it?
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34256
Celebrating Our Nation and Heroes
We need to celebrate our Nation. We have lost track of all we are and all we have build here. We negate the hard work, dreams and energy it took to build this country. We need a renewed sense of what it means to be an American. No suggesting substituting Nationalism for what is really missing. We need strong roll models and leadership; we need to have some heroes too. We need both, don't you see? If you look at those little tin can rockets that those astronauts went up in to reach the moon the first time, you might say they were insane and not heroes. I say they did it to move our species forward into the future and they are definitely heroes, brave ones at that.
We have others amongst us who are doing the same today, but we do not even know their names. Help me find them, we should name airports and freeways and bridges after them now, not when they are dead, now. This way we can let them teach us what it takes to be great again. There are so many ten-foot tall dead white men heroes. We have many heroes in history some we have made up. What about the ones we have now, those we can learn from and they can challenge us to go for it. To believe in ourselves and to achieve all those things which need to be discovered, understood and conquered. Yes we see the agony of defeat, but we are not defeated we are the defeator, not the defeatee; Never give up, Never give up, never give up. We need to teach it and believe it to reach it.
We need to see the winners and we need not hurt the image to satisfy our own inadequacies in the never-ending saga of mass media hysteria of "build them up and burn them down." If we are not worthy of the top prize in our own lives, let us work harder to achieve it. Not give up, be defeated or blame others, with the help of our TV set and media pundit telling us what to think. Let us be the strong Americans our ancestors were when they came here to make a better life. Let us throw out the media's views of; us, our government and society; we need not accept such malarkey; we are great, America is great and we as individuals can be great. The Media is wrong and only trying to play on our weaknesses and self doubt, while adding to it to keep their ratings up and by watching this we are letting them. Misery loves company, fight it, and refuse to surrender to mediocrity, fight long and hard to do what is right and for the right reasons; dump the BS. No one has ever gotten anywhere in life that way.
No one ever got to be a good parent, grandmother, schoolteacher or leader without sacrifice. It does not matter what you do; it is hard work and takes discipline to be a standout. Great customer service takes discipline, just like the hard training athletes must endure. Same with the achieving in the military or grades in school. You get out what you put in. If you refuse to go the distance the distance will get you. Do not succumb; do not let anyone tell you, you are not good enough. If you are not, then change, no excuses now. The leaders and heroes did it, so can you? I know you can, do you? If you listen to the media we are all to feel helpless and wait until the next terrorist attack. That is bad advice, think positive, keep a watchful eye and stay proactive. The media just wants you to stay home and watch TV for ratings. Garbage television every night, on every channel, in every language, on every TV ever created. Why do you allow such ridiculous BS in your head? Interviewers interviewing their own reporters? What are they thinking, are you buying this, want to buy some waterfront property in the Mojave Desert?
You know it would be nice to have a few heroes to look up to and give guidance, it would be wonderful to listen to what they have accomplished for the betterment of mankind, it would be great to see who today's heroes are and where they came from, because I just bet deep down they are the same as all of us. If they can do, you sure as heck can too. That would certainly be a great thing to sleep on for those who want to achieve their American Dream. Think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34470
We have others amongst us who are doing the same today, but we do not even know their names. Help me find them, we should name airports and freeways and bridges after them now, not when they are dead, now. This way we can let them teach us what it takes to be great again. There are so many ten-foot tall dead white men heroes. We have many heroes in history some we have made up. What about the ones we have now, those we can learn from and they can challenge us to go for it. To believe in ourselves and to achieve all those things which need to be discovered, understood and conquered. Yes we see the agony of defeat, but we are not defeated we are the defeator, not the defeatee; Never give up, Never give up, never give up. We need to teach it and believe it to reach it.
We need to see the winners and we need not hurt the image to satisfy our own inadequacies in the never-ending saga of mass media hysteria of "build them up and burn them down." If we are not worthy of the top prize in our own lives, let us work harder to achieve it. Not give up, be defeated or blame others, with the help of our TV set and media pundit telling us what to think. Let us be the strong Americans our ancestors were when they came here to make a better life. Let us throw out the media's views of; us, our government and society; we need not accept such malarkey; we are great, America is great and we as individuals can be great. The Media is wrong and only trying to play on our weaknesses and self doubt, while adding to it to keep their ratings up and by watching this we are letting them. Misery loves company, fight it, and refuse to surrender to mediocrity, fight long and hard to do what is right and for the right reasons; dump the BS. No one has ever gotten anywhere in life that way.
No one ever got to be a good parent, grandmother, schoolteacher or leader without sacrifice. It does not matter what you do; it is hard work and takes discipline to be a standout. Great customer service takes discipline, just like the hard training athletes must endure. Same with the achieving in the military or grades in school. You get out what you put in. If you refuse to go the distance the distance will get you. Do not succumb; do not let anyone tell you, you are not good enough. If you are not, then change, no excuses now. The leaders and heroes did it, so can you? I know you can, do you? If you listen to the media we are all to feel helpless and wait until the next terrorist attack. That is bad advice, think positive, keep a watchful eye and stay proactive. The media just wants you to stay home and watch TV for ratings. Garbage television every night, on every channel, in every language, on every TV ever created. Why do you allow such ridiculous BS in your head? Interviewers interviewing their own reporters? What are they thinking, are you buying this, want to buy some waterfront property in the Mojave Desert?
You know it would be nice to have a few heroes to look up to and give guidance, it would be wonderful to listen to what they have accomplished for the betterment of mankind, it would be great to see who today's heroes are and where they came from, because I just bet deep down they are the same as all of us. If they can do, you sure as heck can too. That would certainly be a great thing to sleep on for those who want to achieve their American Dream. Think about it.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/34470
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