July 11, 2010
February 19, 2010
February 15, 2010
A Chance
Have you ever had that feeling that you needed to buy a lottery ticket, or maybe that you needed to sit by the phone? And then you won $4 or $10 bucks on the lottery, … or that a dear old friend called that you have not talked to in 40 years?
Well, I got that felling right now, but not about the lottery nor the phone, BUT about our community. The community of Yuma county Colorado.
Google, you know Google, the search engine folks? Well, Google does a whole bunch more then just linking you to Subway Sandwiches, they also create networks. That’s right, networks. Google just announced that they will provide gigabit internet service to your doorstep! What is gigabit blah blah? Well that blah blah is internet communication speeds 100 times faster then what you have experience so far! Think of it, your new granddaughters picture loads instantly when your kids in Metrapolis, with their fancy internet connections, send it!
Or, now this takes some thinking, what if the whole community gets together and spins a plan that actually benefits the entire community? Maybe that plan is something simple like display where all the buried utility lines are, so that you can instantly decide that when you dig a fencepost in your yard that you will not hit a gas line. Or possibly televising the County Commissioners, the City Council meetings, the Town Council Meetings, or … meetings live over the internet. The community could do all of that in HD (just like those fancy Satellite TV Providers) AND the community could watch those shows/meetings/FYI’s in their homes!
Can that really happen? You bet your sweet bippy it can happen. But the community, i.e., the local governments have to act. They have to apply with Google for Google will experiment with their roll out launch of this system. If you are in the least be curious, may I suggest that you watch this short you tube show, then visit the Google page to sign up our community. It also would not hurt to contact your representative on the County Commissioners, Town Council, or City Council.
January 22, 2010
Black and Blue Health Care Plan
Ah, Politics. With Massachusetts electing a Republican to replace Ted Kennedy, they now have enough votes so that the Democrats can not steam roll them over with the proposed Health Care bill. So at this time, the poor soul that does not have an employer provide insurance or if he/she can not afford $500 or more a month for health insurance is still screwed. Who is the real winner of the health care debate debacle? The health insurance companies. Plain and simple, do you think that the insurance companies have not been spending billions to prevent or influence the health care plan? Bet your sweet bippy they have. And who is paying for their expenses? You are, the folks that have insurance. All that has happened so far with politicians getting involved in the health care parade is that a few political’s have thicker wallets (yes, some of that money that you are spending on health insurance is now in a politician’s campaign funds) and that some folks that can not afford health care have died. No, that is not an exaggeration. Folks are dieing while politicians and insurance companies get rich.
July 31, 2009
A breath of fresh air …
Don’t know if you folks remember the national news back when the Democrats were getting together for the national convention (DNC) in Denver? There was some flaq over how the Democrats were promoting ‘green credits’ and one of the examples they were promoting was a wind turbine that didn’t ever work? Supposedly the turbine was fixed by the actual DNC convention time.
Well, this is that turbine, getting fixed. Not again, for it has never produced its intended amount of electricity. Come to find out, the generator that hooks directly to those huge propeler wings was the wrong one. They kept on trying nickel and dime repairs until all hope ran out and finally deemed just to replace it with the right generator.
This ‘repair’ has been going on for over a year!
(btw, the picture on the news link above is mine too) 
September 6, 2008
2 months, just two months until it might just happen. What happen? The Presidency won because of a vice president elect nominee. Sarah Palin has created such a buzz in the political realm that it seems that she starts off the news broadcast on every station since her selection by republican national presidential nominee select John McCain. A personal observation is that Palin is attractive as an electable nominee simply by what the political and media machines are accusing her of, that being that she lacks political experience. One such attack implied that she was just a simpleton like the everyday person. Being an everyday person myself, I am thinking that maybe, just maybe that might be a good thing? I guess the question is, is there enough everyday simpletons left in the US to elect a president by his/her vice-president nominee?
(please remember that I am not trying to influence your vote )
August 24, 2008
Coincidence, I’m sure?
Hmm, the Thursday before the DNC starts up in the State Capitol of Colorado, the wind blows enough to stir up the blades of the wind turbine in Wray! Face the State (.com) broke the news (several weeks ago) about our little profit maker for the school district where they get money from green (or carbon) credits when sold through a promotion offered by the DNC even though the darn thing never actually worked! Does anyone else wonder if enough money is thrown at something, for example let’s just say the Wray Turbine and the School District, that enough arm twisting can be applied without raising the cackles on the back of the publics hair? No, no, no, I am not suggesting anything, but it sure is a coincidence. Though it is funny that they get quicker service then you or I might? Maybe I am just too cheap, but maybe if we demanded more money for services not applied or implemented, maybe we would get better service? If ya’ had some money’s maybe the next thing ya’d know, ya’ might be getting a call from the Guv’. Na, but maybe you might get a call from someone that does support the Guv’ financially about how to setup an offshore bank account? Has anyone else noticed that at time the wind turbine resembles the peace symbol of the 60’s? If not, peace, y’all
August 1, 2008
Like I said before …
and here comes the response;
When I am right (I am usually really lucky), am I right or what? lol
July 31, 2008
Politics
Before you read anything, I am not endorsing anyone for president but I do find the art of politics rather humorus. For example, the latest John McCain commercials that cite Obama as being wrong about this or that while Obama is saying that he stands for a change in personal attacks in politics. The irony in it for me is that John knows that Obama has to either ignore his attacks by not responding in an attack against him, or Obama needs to attack and prove that politics is the same old dirty bed linen that we have always have had. 
July 29, 2008
Carbon and DNC and …
I got an email from a feller that seems upset about what Face the State had to say about the Wray Turbine’s non-functionality. I thought you all would enjoy it;
Hello,
Please see the following letter to the editor/op-ed submission:
A few days ago, Face The State broke the news that a wind turbine that was supposed to be producing clean energy to offset the emissions from the Democratic National Convention in Denver in fact produces no electricity at all. Apparently, “massive equipment malfunctions” have kept the wind turbine offline ever since its ribbon cutting last February.
The criticism from the right has been quick and fierce: one Colorado Republican lawmaker called the DNC’s plan to green its convention a fraud. Another called it a sham. Blogs on the right have labeled the plan a boondoggle and a scandal.
None of those characterizations are remotely true. The wind turbine project in Wray, Colorado was third-party verified and additional – meaning the project wouldn’t have been built without the funding from the sale of carbon offsets. (Ironically, had the wind turbine in Wray been producing electricity all along, critics might have attacked it for not being additional.)
Even if the turbine isn’t producing electricity now, it will eventually. And viewing the money the project received from carbon offsets as anything other than a long-term investment in the future of the local community and the health of the planet would be short-sighted and narrow. NativeEnergy, the offset marketer that sources the project for the DNC (and a direct competitor of ours) deserves credit for helping get the turbine built, not criticism.
The real problem in the case of the Wray turbine is not that money spent to support it was misappropriated, but rather that one, carelessly chosen project could come to taint public perception of the entire voluntary carbon market. In fact, the voluntary carbon market is booming and having a real impact on global warming, in spite of some high profile marketing blunders.
On one level, the situation highlights what people are most afraid the carbon offset industry doing – taking money and providing nothing in return. But carbon offsets exist precisely to provide that influx of capital. Without it, we’re going to have a difficult time transitioning to a clean energy economy.
NativeEnergy’s statement on the episode, posted on its website, is essentially correct: “The situation clearly demonstrates why renewable energy projects like this project need upfront capital to overcome challenges on their path to operation.”
The Wray wind turbine may need an extra part. It may need more attention from the school district that is managing it. But this is no scandal or boondoggle.
- Russell Simon
Carbonfund.org
Best,
Russell Simon
Communications Manager
Carbonfund.org Foundation
rsimon@carbonfund.org
(240) 334-3681
That ought to teach us all a lesson! You don’t suppose anyone might tell us just how much money the school district is getting in these carbon footprint deals?
