chuck kottke

:rolleyes: Thanks! Never could the need be greater to end the buying of our government: Motion to Amend | Move to Amend Some say money talks, but what it says is pretty one-sided!

It is a matter of protecting the commons, things to which we all rely up to be managed fairly and to provide fair and equitable access to. Access to the press for elections purposes should be a matter of equality, as selecting the next congressman or parliamentarian isn't the same as choosing which brand of cereal one desires. Those things we hold in common require our collective protection, whether that is water, clean air, ocean fish, or access to the airwaves.

Hold your breath while swallowing water, and keep swallowing and swallowing until the glass is empty, swallow some more then, don't let up for as long as you can, then sit calmly and breath really slowly, relaxed, and easy in an almost trance-like state. Listen to some Pink Floyd Breath in The Air if that helps. Whatever calms you after the repeated swallowing. ..that works for me, but I must stay very cool and calm after the swallowing session, just sitting calm as can be...

:) The more the mystery, the more people want to know!;) Like reeling in the big muskie, you gotta use the right lure, and the just the right action.. Under the sea, in an octopuses garden, in the shade..

What compels me towards complete government pay and pensions for life and no private income or investments is the end games that are otherwise easily run by politicians around the spirit of the laws we create. I know it would be a hard thing to get passed, although if it we to take effect only for the next election cycle's freshmen congressmen and president, leaving all existing congressmen off the hook, it might just pass, though then the old incumbents would be like big old muskies hiding in the deep waters of congress, and until they left office and lobbying positions, there would be a persistent problem of government working for the big money tycoons. It is hard to pass real reform when the people most in need of reforming are the ones who have to vote for the reform measures... A chicken and egg problem! :laugh3:

But one has to consider the odds. Hm, let's see.. Odds of being struck by lightning, 1:600,000. Odds of being hit by a falling meteor, 1:100,000,000. Odds of winning the lottery, 1:195,000,000. Odds of bowling a 300 game, 1:11,500. Odds of getting a hole-in-one while golfing, 1:5,000. Odds of enjoying a sunny day while walking in the park, 1:3. :laugh3: So, for every lottery winner, two people get hit with a meteor! (hopefully not the same one!:P) Well, the smaller jackpots obviously have more winners, so if you just like the fun the idea of winning gives you, well hey, no big deal. Just don't bet on winning the millions, or if you think those odds are good, better wear some well grounded metal chainmail armor, as lighting strikes are about 400X more likely to arrive before the big check does! :stunned::lol:

I seem to be running into a logjam on finding eco-friendly car interiors.. anyone know of some? But I did run across this interesting auto, Nissan's Denki Cube, and with Nissan's philosophy - Symbiosis of people, vehicle, and nature - sounds like they're on the right track!:) Nissan's Denki Cube Electric Car | GreenCar.com

*******************| World Music Link TV . :cool:.| ********************'

Happy Birthday Renato, :vuvuzela: :laugh3: Party On!

I am a lobster

This can't possibly be legible. thyius cant possiubly bve lkegiblkew :laugh3: Stay Human Dstay Humazn

>Welcome here! :) You have an exceptional grasp of English from what I see before me. Heavens, I would have a difficult time conversing in German, so you're doing very well! Glad you could see them live at those venues, it must have been great! Keep Germany Sunny, and once again, glad you could join! :sunny:

If we are to be true to ourselves, we must support men and women who choose to follow their conscience, and appeal to a higher power of ethics and justice. The final check on our government's actions are those rare individuals willing to tell the truth, despite a climate of complicity; they do so at great risk, and they deserve our full support. Bradley Manning Support Network » On 40-year anniversary of Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg calls for immediate termination of court-martial

I found this site pretty interesting in relation to amendments: ESRA: Environmental and Social Responsibility Amendment to the U.S. Constitution | Tikkun Magazine

:laugh3: Wow, that's a bargain!! Sure that's correct? I suppose the waiting list is super-long though, it might be 20 years after anyone books a flight that we actually get to ride into space!;) Weightlessness is cool though.:cool: Hey, how come you know so much? Did you book a flight into space?:surprised: So "expected by this time to have them for 6000 Euros a weekend" suggests they're not quite available yet(?).. That's so sweet of you - aww, to rebuild a city in need, you are so thoughtful.:hug:This is the city in Spain you mentioned that got damaged from a quake? I just spoke to some people who have friends in Christchurch, NZ, and the most of the downtown is cordoned off, because of the dangers of collapsing buildings, so they're waiting to go in and fix things. Seems like there are a lot of places hit with quakes that need help! Helping charities that help people with disabilities, that's very compassionate and caring - I think you deserve the 166 Million Pounds of anyone does here! and nature and cultural businesses, sounds fantastic! Experience the festivals of the world too - that would be fun!

;) Glad you caught that - he had the right ideas, dreams are the stuff of future realities, if we choose to make it so. Wow, am I getting a bit bombastic there or what?!:laugh3: But I think in part it is true, what ails us is creating things that improve the world in the human sense. Turning swords into plowshares is more than just a saying. We were promised a peace dividend, but one can only get a peace dividend if one invests heavily into peace, and all the things that make peace possible. Several questions remain as to how to close the revolving door. We could simply say no lobbying or consulting jobs with firms or affiliates that have lobbyists in the halls of power; or we could fully compensate all elected congressmen & presidents for life, and disallow all other sources of income for them, so they are strictly beholden to our interests as citizens. They would be well paid of course, and given pay for life, in return for not taking money from special interests. Mike prefers the former, as checking the conflicts of interest from lobbying jobs may be sufficient, and it would be hard to make a case for restricting a person's freedom to invest or earn income as they wish. I prefer the latter, as holding office is a special case, where to ensure loyalty to the citizens and to the higher principles upon which we stand, it would be wise to ensure that there is a wall of separation between the influences that can corrupt and the citizenry to which they should be beholden. It's hard to plug the holes on a sieve, better to start with a tight water barrel I think. But what do you think?

Joe Satriani isn't the source for Clocks, I'll attest to that. But he thinks he invented time itself!:laugh3: And we all know time came from the Chamber's brothers. :cool:

166 million pounds sterling, which works out to approximately 265 million dollars US, so that would be plenty enough for maybe a trip into space! :sunny: (Just sayin', there's more than lap dances and private concerts). OK, maybe those are important too. :P Maybe I could afford the local gentleman's club!?:dance::toff::wacko:

>> Wow, much more civilized than here, although I don't pay attention to the lottery winners and such... don't know if they're given such options. But wouldn't the bank teller be suspicious if you go to the bank to deposit it?:laugh3:

Imagine what is possible - a government that promotes the general welfare of all, opening up opportunity and meaningful careers that work to benefit all of humanity. Instead of pouring our resources, lives, productivity, and time into so much wasted effort, having elected a government accountable to each and every one of us, the economic force could be moved to produce more solar and wind energy infrastructure, incentivise energy efficiency efforts for our homes, offices, and factories. We would have the ability to shift from bombers to wind turbines, from nuclear refineries to solar-powered desalination plants for the deserts, from excesses in unproductive hardware to things that actually provide real benefits, and stimulate economies in the poorer nations so that jobs and prosperity flourish, so the tendency towards piracy and acts of extremism become unattractive, as lives improve and prosperity build a wide global middle class, empowering democracies the world over, and creating lasting harmony. 3 Trillion dollars poured out in "defense" spending, when all the tallies are in, as I hear it told. 3 Trillion. That's enough to change the whole equation of energy production, water availability, the world could become so prosperous if that were properly invested, wars would be a thing of the past - making it unnecessary for any people to be so reliant on rare commodities such as oil, boosting research and development into renewable forms of energy and materials, so common elements and materials could provide almost all the material needs for us. We're not so far off from this possibility, but we have to pull the right levers, get honest government in place everywhere we can. You might say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I wonder, how anyone could keep the information hidden from the public? :laugh3: I'd just give most of it away to people in need here, there, everywhere, buy em all a beer, and maybe keep a few quid for a rainy day. :wink: Who would want to be king anyway?

Greetings! Come round more often, the doors open, kick off your shoes and stay a while.

Sounds sweet! "The city's a flood, and our love turns to rust. Were beaten and blown by the wind, blown by the wind." ... which reminds me, I've got to go do some body work on my car! :laugh3: From Iron Age to Woodie! :cool:

It took me years to get to the Bananas level;) - before I figured out the ghosts. Lots and lots and lots of frustrating games before I got good at, that's for sure. :laugh3: Hope you're enjoying the summer. :cool:

Hello from the cool temperate forests of Wisconsin:elf:, To the warm Arab spring!!:) Just wondering what are your thoughts on happenings in Egypt, Libya, and the Sudan? Is this a trustworthy source for news: Egypt Daily News, Egypt News