Renewable Energy on Arts Alive, etc!

Here is the audio from a radio show I did on 98.5 FM The Cat in Catskill, NY.

I appologize in advance for the horribly lo-tech slideshow!

Enjoy!


Here's Part 2...

Green Jobs - Do They Have to Have a Color?

In this economy does it really matter what color our jobs are? Seriously. There are dark agents afoot. Lurking. Obstructing the possible creation of new jobs based on "green" technology or "green" principals (i.e. "work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute(s) substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality...") at all costs. There is a green backlash. But this backlash is primarily about semantics.

Illustration: John Shakespeare.

Announce that your company will be creating 250 "green" jobs and rather than being thrilled that there is actual, measureable job growth, a certain contingent of the population will assume that you have just destroyed 500 "real" jobs to get your 250 "green" jobs. And the only way you could have possibly created "green" jobs in this economic environment is by sucking off the tit of the Government Sow.

Can't we just say 250 new JOBS? Do they have to have a COLOR?

Link Bait? Is That Like Crank Bait?

So, I' reading Ian Lurie's killer post "Execute or Die" and I'm LMAO! (OK, so I gratuitously used a txtng acronym and a hyperlink to make me seem hipper. And younger.)

After I read it I'm thinking that while I was working for a 501.3c where I dealt primarily with State and Federal employees administering state and federal dollars - there is NO PLACE that "execute or die" is both more appropriate and less relevant than in that world of do-nothings.

(Copyright © 2010 - Zimbio, Inc. Some rights reserved.)

My New Old Hero: Dwight D. Eisenhower

This is a repost of an excerpt I posted to my Facebook page a while back, but in light of our current situation, I felt it would be prudent to re-post it here. Please forgive my repetition repetition.

As the poet and philosopher George Santayana once said:
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

"As we peer into society's future, we - you and I, and our government - must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convienience the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assests of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heriatage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tommorrow.

Down the long lane of the history yet to be written America knows that this world of ours, ever growing smaller, must avoid becomming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.

Such a confederation must be one of equals. The weakest must come to the conference table with the same confidence as do we, protected as we are by our moral, economic, and military strength. That table, though scarred by many past frustrations, cannot be abandoned for the certain agony of the battlefield.

10 Quick and (relatively) Painless Energy Savers

So, I thought I'd share some super EASY ways to save some energy - and some $.$$ - around the house:

1. Compact Florescent Light Bulbs (CFL's)
• If you haven't changed out your light bulbs already, shame on you! It easy and incredibly efficient - a CFL produces about 75% less heat! And now, there are a myriad of CFL's for almost any residential or commercial application.
2. Power Down your Power Strips
• If you don't want to bother crawling around on the floor or reaching behind your desk to power down your power strips, then look into replacing your current strips with "Smart Strip" auto switching technology. These things are COOL! They automatically power down groups of outlets when not in use - check it out! ---> Smart Strip LCG3 Energy Saving Surge Protector with Autoswitching Technology, 10-Outlet
3. Stop the Air Leaks
• Air leakage is the single most common source of energy loss through heat transfer (eg. cold drafts in the winter, 'hot spots' in the summer). With some simple investigation you can find and stop these nasty energy zappers with some well placed sealant. Spray foam application usually works the best, but sometimes a simple application of caulk or weatherstripping works just as well.