chuck kottke

Happy Birthday LEA :sunny::sunny::sunny:Happy Birthday LilyC :chef::hat::flutterby::flutterby::flutterby: Seize the Day!! :) (and a piece of cake too ! )

Well, I don't know exactly what's afoot up there in leafy Canada, but it looks like the government has gone corporate, thus loosing much of the best things Canada stood for. We've gone down that route for much too long, and the results are not good for most citizens. Less safety nets, more problems. Hope you Canadians can reassert sane government for yourselves, and be the example for the rest of us (and we really need someone to look towards for progress, since the U.S. has gone goofy lately!). Un-elect corporate control, that's where I think the problem is. Separation of State and Corporations.

What I think it is is identification and simplification with some group, and nations offer a sense of team oneness. Often though what a country really stands for is a set of principles, or a way of thinking or being, cultural beliefs that are similar, or some shared history. Nationalism makes citizens act like a cheering section for their home team, and that can be bad or good, depending on the motivator and mood the country is in. More and more we are going global, so I think there is sometimes a reaction to this, in the fear from the loss of identity makes some turn inward. And crisis can bring out the best or the worst in people (Aussies resemble us Americans that way I think. Tea party marches against Mexican workers is a prime example here of the xenophobia. Zealanders I just figured would be more relaxed, given the natural disposition of citizens from exotic places - what gives there?). But also, the media has a lot to do with it - they sell airtime with excitement, and the escalation in the intensity of that excitement makes them emphasize things that will draw an audience, and I suspect for political reasons they incite people to act as angry mobs towards others not from their group / country. Often it can be for economic reasons, the fear of job loss to someone from another country, the rich playing games with the minds of working class citizens. It is a thing though, isn't it?! Rome had it, all countries share some sense of the zaniness of nationalism - defining ourselves by some identifier, as though that conferred some superiority, or some uniqueness. Uniqueness is good, snootiness isn't. And this "us" vs "them" thing - I think Pink Floyd had a good song about that...

X&Y - I knew it! :rolleyes::laugh3: Alright, Ypsilanti Michigan, U.S. :) Speedy beat me again! Altiplano Bolivia:sunny:

Zurich Switzerlanders!

Lots of X cities in China - otherwise we'd be hard pressed to find X cities for this game. thanks China! :) How about Zurich, Australia (pardon!)

It all depends on which Wavelength Our minds are on!! :cool:

Malteds are good! :P Venetians make better malts methinks though! How about Winthrop Harbor, Maine, U.S.A.!

Tampa's nice! Warm, sunny, beaches, pina coladas! :sunny: And indoor ice hockey?! Now that's a surprise! Stockholm I only know from pictures!! Those Swedes have great cities though! How about, hm... how about Utica, NY ok I know I'm slow!:laugh3: Then Venice!! Glass blowing, water, art!!

I might do that! It would make it better for a lot of people who have trouble remembering, or just no hand strength, and give them a greater sense of security and independence. Although, it might take some installation, be a bit bulky, and who knows what it would add to the price of a scooter / electric chair. Although, like any new technology, those with the means will be early adopters, then the price usually comes down with mass manufacturing... I still cling to the idea of putting a thin film photovoltaic layer on car finishes, another automatic recharge thing, and even if it only adds maybe 1/4 of the power required per car per day sitting in the sun, that would be a good start! What other innovations could be made more common?

Quebecois ! ;) Rotterdam, The Netherlands (in the nether regions of the universe!)

I hope so too Nancy! Basically it's an electromagnet with an AC pulse, the car has the opposing winding and core to pick up the magnetic flux and convert that changing field to Ac electricity, then rectify it to DC and charge the batteries. Simple, and I have seen a few common appliances that already have inductive chargers (electric tooth brush, electric shavers) . I wonder:bulb2:, maybe they could use the same technology for those scooter chairs? Then the elderly wouldn't need to worry about plugging in the cord to charge the batteries, as long as they park it over the charging coil at night..

Ricardo, the answer is to (1) not panic, and then (2) just exercise regularly as a habit, and shave off all the hair on your head - that way, you'll be a faster runner or swimmer! :P :laugh3: OR, just don't worry so much - maybe try some of those hair growth tonics, and go to an aerobics class if you can? Otherwise, be your own disciplinarian, and burn off the fat, build that muscle! :biker::whip::) (And I'm in the same boat too, am going to do something about it! (just as soon as I plug the holes in this sinking ship here!))

Pisa Italy!:sombrero:

Interesting news from the Green Car Congress! Green Car Congress The inductive charging system looks neat - just park your car on a pad, let the system charge, pay for the power, and off you go! I like it - no need to plug into anything, and I would imagine a home and work version could be made commonplace - have one installed, and every night when you park the car, it gets recharged on schedule - really care-free!:)

It depends on which route I take to work - the Klondike Bar is on a nice scenic route through Oconto County, and my neighbor used to think it funny to stop in and ask how much for a "klondike bar" :laugh3: To which the bartender would reply, "oh, about $125,000 - that would about do it!" officially the Klondike Saloon, probably capitalizing on an earlier notoriety, when another Klondike had a gold rush going on! If you want to see a Klondike Bar: File:KlondikeWisconsinDowntownBar.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

True, Dilbert is a comic strip. I assume you are upset because you think comedic drawings have no merits and nothing to teach us about reality? Do you know what Scott Adams' career entailed, before he took off as a writer of Dilbert? Have you read anything about The Peter Principle ?Peter Principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia How about the Dilbert Principle? The Dilbert principle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But according to Scott Adams, Confusopolies are the problem, driven by a market demon! :P The Dilbert Future - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia In a simple world, capitalism sounds great, but in the real world, it's one of many motivators, and doesn't do a very good job of taking into account the social well being of families, children, the elders, or nature itself. It is a poor fit for care givers, artists, philosophers, historians, naturalists, and more. Neither does it work effectively when one is motivated by a quest for discovery, or the joy of sharing in that knowledge - it is clunky in places like this. Competitors for discovery work in teams, share a great deal of past discoveries, and aren't necessarily interested in money as the ultimate reward; hence, Jonas Salk. And I think one might look at the concept of a meritocracy within government structures as one way to motivate and ensure teamwork or improvement of services. The mail gets delivered on time and efficiently. If capitalism unfettered is so great, then why did we have such problems with the robber barons of commerce early in the 19th century, in terms of their mistreatment of laborers, or the rigging of market schemes to such a great extent recently when regulations were taken off? Plus, things aren't so simple when nature itself is severely impacted, as our very survival is depended on the web of life being healthy, for we are all part of that web. Governments are there for reasons, and must regulate in the market for the sake of fairness, protection of the commons, and for investments in the wellness of the social fabric we are a part of. It is when moneyed interests become too large, and their influence ultimately corrupts the very essence of democracy, that is when we are in trouble. We revolted against the East India company and it's government-in-tow back in 1776, one begins to wonder if large oligopolies again, under the control of a very few super-rich, are not presenting a similar threat to peace, liberty, checks and balances, and representative governance. In a structured society, we need something better, or some greater assurance of checks upon the abuses of power associated with unfettered capitalism and it's barons of commerce.

Genesis came from outer space! :P Really though what I've read says they started in 67' in Godalming England. How about Arctic Monkeys?

> Yes, that is true, many will opt for the standard business model. But if other avenues were open, perhaps more people will decide to go another route? If a company treats workers as family, then there is harmony. Often though, if companies get greedy and unfair, the workers are left with three options - (a) form strong unions, demand better treatment, (b) revolt, © find a better form of a cooperative venture to be a part of. Often if less is available, there is less opportunity for change, and some circumstances warrant other forms of incentives. > With the poor economy & outsourcing matter, I think we could use some protections for our own businesses, as much of the rest of the world does just that. And disincentives to outsource everything, which today allows the company to become just an upper-management shell. Cutting corners for more profits is alright if it doesn't harm workers here, I agree - lots of pressure to work harder, little increases in real wages, adjusted for inflation. Then the whole factory is sent overseas. That should be stopped, as we need our jobs to keep the economy strong enough here, or else our economy will implode, and so will the rest, as it's all tied together today. Yes, the fat cats on Wall Street set up the failure, and then rewrote the rules when it all fell in - to favor themselves, and then set up an even bigger house of cards. They should have been held to account for the scams they ran, and for all the damage caused from those risky schemes! It was clearly criminal in nature, what they did. But they re-wrote the rules by buying influence in Washington, then ran their rackets. The devil is in the buying of elections, and the revolving door. And I see the same - small businesses going under from unfair competitive advantages of mega-corporate businesses. The salary caps too makes sense, even though some might argue that a successful CEO deserves more compensation - but experimental evidence suggests the opposite to be true - pay someone too much, and their performance actually drops! Which leads me to wonder, if a company is worker-owned, then even the top paid workers, who manage, never can control the whole business without building consensus. The business requires votes from all the workers before it does something, and looks out for the well being of its members. I think it might be a better path..

:rolleyes: Hopefully a sweet, fully ripe, pitted date! :P Did I even learn a thing today...?:thinking: hm.. the extensive network of roots or underground rhizomes from which milkweed plants sprout up in spring - interesting to see that part of the plant, and the little shoots coming out of the sides - a plant essential for the Monarch butterfly! :flutterby: King of the lepidopterans..

:stunned: OOOOKAY. Sounds like some pretty serious place then. Quite the environment to work in it sounds! Yes, there you go - just tow the helicopter off the field a little ways, that sounds acceptable. Paint it with the team logo, and you're set!:laugh3: But we're getting a little off topic, as green cars go...

I saw the footage - he was harmlessly munching on popcorn like a rabbit, watching TV!

:stunned::rolleyes: I did not know of them till now - quite interesting! :laugh3: I see then - aha - and is their philosophy from the Marx Brothers? Marxism?:disguise:

Perhaps, but perhaps not. I can't estimate the probability, but if there were an effective inquiry, who knows what might happen. Let's say some of the members of the Seals who were there and saw what happened were willing to testify in exchange for protection and prosecutorial immunity - the truth may then be revealed in court. Or if the recorded footage of Bin Laden's shooting is made available through a subpoena and is presented to the court where the case is being investigated, we might find out the truth. Or maybe other witnesses may all testify independently, and after cross-examination, based on their eye-witness account, shed some light on the truth as to whether Bin Laden posed a real threat or not. Or if someone had orders to kill and not to capture Bin Laden, that may be revealed. Seems like Judge Garzon was privy to information indicating that Bin Laden could have been arrested and brought to trial, so I wonder...