What A Chaotic 2 Weeks!!

Let me get this straight: in two weeks, a hurricane devastates the Texas coast, knocking out power for a week(at least!) to the fourth largest metropolitan area in the U.S., the Fed bails out AIG, a gargantuan financial entity holding billion$ in bad mortgages, and now Congress is preparing to mortgage our future and possibly deliver a blank power check to the Treasury Secretary, who works for the Bush White House...hmmm...
Well, fellow Citizens, even the disparate parties in Congress are coming together to pull the reigns of a stampeding Administration that is trying to "fix" our financial debacle!
Congress has been known to "cow tow" to this Constitutionally-challenged White House. And, thankfully, this Administration will be finished in a few months!
All the while this is going on, thousands of Citizens in Texas are just trying to pick up the pieces from a natural disaster... let's hope Congress can pick up the pieces of an unregulated Fed and nearly criminal Wall Street!
We must hold our representation in Washington accountable! We Americans must make our voices heard this November 4th!
Let's hold our Constitution high off the ground to prevent any more trampling from future Administrations!!
Let us all keep a CLOSE eye on the election polling places! No more "stealing" elections!!
Whew! This feels good to unload a bit...

Enough Posturing Already!

After researching the Electoral College and how it works, I was reminded my Presidential vote is only moderately important- less than half of the state's Electoral College Votes are required to vote according to the popular preferences. Where "Joe & Jan" voter really counts is at the Congressional level! Our votes directly put Representatives and Senators in office! So, America, let's go find those candidates who are willing to try to reduce or eliminate our dependence on foreign oil! Please check out the "Pickens Plan", invest extra funds in CNG technologies and business, rally your neighbors and local politicians for sponsoring wind and solar farms (turning vacant land into collection points!), take advantage of tax breaks on installation of private solar energy systems for your homes! We could realistically reduce our national security threat from the "War On Terror", repeal the unconstitutional Patriot Act, rebuild the powerful manufacturing base that has been outsourced the previous eight years and take back control of our proud independent history of ingenuity and self-reliance!!
Of course, a Presidential Election allows Americans the leverage of political promises being honored (so long as we hold our elected officials accountable!) by NOT relying on the corporate sponsored media! Use the net and all of the tools it offers to communicate with our friends and neighbors and, most importantly, our Representatives! Let's just put "party politics" on the back burner, disregard the likes of Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity and criminals like Karl Rove and take back our country!
WE must move forward with our U.S.Constitution as our torch, lighting the way to the proud, independent and free country our Forefathers dreamed of and planned for!
I know...I get a bit fired up on some issues! But then, I refuse to be a "dumbed down'
placated citizen of the "North American Union", a member of the "sheeple" masses who blindly swallows the Washington D.C. message of signing statements, wiretapping, unfounded terror threats, manipulation by fear and lies, deliberate misleading and corporate/political complicity of the national "news" media, among other issues!
Let's rebuild our relationships abroad, with enemies and friends alike! If we exemplify our inner compassion, make the effort to learn about other peoples and societies, and just find common ground, we WILL reduce the inspiration of those who may wish us harm! Take away the "fuel" of occupation and strong-arm tactics and only then can you win the hearts and souls of the people!
O.k., enough of my relevant grandstanding!
Let's rebuild our industrial base, but this time based on National Security and reverence for the environment and future generations! Hey! We can even find a bit of prosperity along the way!!

Let's Not Wait...

The candidates from 2 of the major parties are wound-up and ready to unleash their character assassinations of each other, incorporating innuendo and suggestion as their weapons of choice instead of fact and evidence...will Americans be drawn into this veritable cat fight, or will we make the changes that need to happen? Drive, spirit and ingenuity are hallmarks of our great history. Our industrial era was spearheaded by maverick thinking and disaffection with the status quo! Oil refining and coal usage drove our industrial growth, fueling those entrepreneurs, providing countless jobs and sustaining growth through the 20th century!
Unfortunately, the ramifications of our industrial might have been blatantly revealed- carbon emission pollution, dependency on foreign oil from hostile suppliers, desecration of our beautiful land from irresponsible coal mining, and a "sheeple" mentality that pervades American society! This mentality is borne of incessant reliance on the "propaganda machine"- our sensationalist news media and "Enquirer-inspired" print media!
Let's use this campaign season for productive purposes! Find those Legislators who want to keep their jobs or elect the ones who see today's America at a key turning point! All polls be damned! Talk to your friends, family and neighbors! Join local action groups- the power of like-minded individuals coming together for change is energizing! Read T. Boone Picken's Plan and see it all displayed and explained! We can reduce and eliminate our foreign oil dependence! Hey, we have reduced our usage significantly since the speculator assault this spring!
Let Obama and McCain do their thing! Let's start the change we can believe in on a local and state level! look for candidates who are truly in touch with reality!!

A Green Life Can Start Anywhere!

"Green living"...where do we start?
Searching for "green" on any search engines results in many eco-friendly sites! Narrowing your searches to "green cleaning" or "green energy" will still display numerous results! We must not use the excuse "I don't know where to begin" anymore!
All the while we are exploring our options to adjust our lives to save and replenish, we utilize tools that are not necessarily "green-friendly"...our computers!
These devices, these portals to the rest of our world, do leave a serious carbon footprint!
We can reduce this footprint with a few behavior adjustments to our "green" searches.
For a start, turn your computer off or unplug it from the wall when not using! Don't leave the plug in the outlet, either! This will halt "phantom" power consumption. Even leaving your cell phone plugged in after the recharging cycle still consumes power...I find my laptop seems to function more efficiently after I shut it down when not using!
Have your power saving/management options enabled and properly configured for periods when your computer is temporarily not in use.
During usage, only have your screen as bright as you need it - unnecessarily bright screens really chew the juice.
If you're going to use a screen saver, use a blank (black) screen - animated screen savers just consume electricity unnecessarily.(I know this is not pretty...)
For your next computer, consider a notebook instead of desktop - these use under 50% the electricity of a desktop machine. (I believe many consumers are moving in this direction already!)
If you can afford it, buy extended warranty with your new system so there's less likelihood of you needing to junk the computer within the first few years if an expensive repair is needed. Go ahead, make the salesperson happy! They get credit for the upsell and realistically, you may end up saving money in the long run!
Before purchasing a new computer, consider upgrading the hardware in your current machine. Some extra RAM (memory) or a new hard drive may be all you need to restore life to your current system. According to this site, the energy needed to churn out a new computer is enough to power a system for a decade!
When you do replace your current computer system, donate it rather than bin it if possible. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, e-waste is now the fastest growing aspect of the municipal waste stream. You can find places to donate your computer to on Earth911.org
These are just a few helpful tips and this is where I continue to increase my functional knowledge so I can reduce my carbon footprint!
Check out GreenLivingTips.com for more info!
Reducing our footprints can also result in lower costs in our lives! The same thought process can be used for health insurance and home refinancing! Always remember, you are the consumer and the suppliers need you to exist!