Images taken by the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8
Monday, September 9, 2013
No Snow Capped Mountains
How does Climate Change effect us? In obvious ways, like more severe weather, but also in ways it's hard to comprehend. Like getting a visual example of what happens when our climate is too warm to allow snowfall on mountain tops which then melt and feed our water supply.
Snipped: Elephant
Butte Reservoir dwindled to its lowest level in 41 years during the
summer of 2013, despite monsoon rains in early July. It had been filled
nearly to capacity for most of 1985 to 2000; the left-hand image from
1994 shows it about 89 percent full. At right, it has been reduced to
about 3 percent. Elephant Butte is fed by the Rio Grande and is New
Mexico’s largest reservoir. It provides water
for about 90,000 acres (364 square kilometers) of farmland and nearly
half the population of El Paso, Texas. Spring runoff from mountain
snowpack was well below average in spring, 2013, and anemic rains
throughout the beginning of the year left 80 percent of New Mexico
grappling with either “extreme” or “exceptional” drought, the two most
severe categories.
Images taken by the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8
Images taken by the Operational Land Imager onboard Landsat 8
Monday, August 26, 2013
Simple Spirituality ~ Dalai Style
Yes... it IS that simple folks!
All peoples, no matter how remote they are from others, all have some form of religion.
For me, there is a huge difference between religion and spirituality. You can have both, but they are not the same thing.
Religion is about practice and practices and dogma and conformity. Which is not a bad thing. That depends on the tenants of the faith you follow.
If your religion gives permission to do harm, then of course there is an issue. If your religion takes you to dark places, that is not spirituality, that is a cult.
But if your practices are creating giant sand Mandela's to make you feel connected to the Universe by placing tiny grains of sand into a galaxy of colors and shapes, following a ritual can be a beautiful thing. Lighting a candle can be a beautiful thing, singing a hymn can be a beautiful thing. Listening to the telling of an ancient fable can be a beautiful thing. So I am not knocking Religion in and of itself.
Spirituality is as individual as we are.
We may have similar beliefs, similar practices and methods for connecting ourselves to the Cosmos... but at the end of the day.... the ONLY thing that counts in life... is what happens within your being. Treat the world as you would yourself.
Your body and mind and spirit are all you need.... the rest is just icing on the cake... :)
The more you try to understand the world you live in, the more spiritual you become. It's about seeking truth and every day beauty, no matter where or when.
We build monuments and buildings to worship... so we can remind ourselves. But you don't have to do that. You can look up into a star filled sky, you can watch a hummingbird drink nectar from a flower, you can listen to the rush of a fast moving river or the crash of a wave and you ARE in a church ...
It's that simple.... :) Really.
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Minimum Wage or Minimum Morality?
Yeah... we'll show em how great America is.. errrr ummm... NOT.
Well... that is unless you gauge success by the fact that the employers of minimum wage jobs make millions in profit. We are knee deep in greedy bastards and devoid of morality.
Now go watch Honey Boo Boo child or the Kardashians....
Image Credit
So how do we fight this? Simple... don't vote for politicians who are in the pockets of greedy corporations.
We are a democracy last I checked and that means that we the people can decide who represents our interests.
But you also have to be semi intelligent. You have to understand on some level how things work when it comes to politics.
Politics is not something any of us can afford to be ignorant about. If we bury our heads cause it's too hard to follow, then we can be taken advantage of.
We fund oil companies that are swimming in money already and yet don't fund schools... WHY do you think that is folks????
They want to keep the poor and working middle class dumb. Then they can tell us what ever they want to manipulate us into voting for politicians who are just sales reps for big business.
Who is hurt by minimum wage that is over $12 or $16 an hour... no one!!!!! Because if you buy a pizza that may cost you 50 cents more, it's okay cause you are earning a decent wage.
Well I have to admit that it will effect some people, like denying yourself that 5th house on the beach with the 5 million dollar boat parked at your own private dock. Or not buying that $350,000 bracelet or not having a car elevator so your car doesn't get it's feet wet if your beach house gets hit by a hurricane maybe every 10 years.
Morally... those people could give up a tiny portion of their profits just a tad so you don't have to pay more for your pizza and just be a moral human being.
No one needs to make so much money that they have more homes and cars and boats then they can possibly ever use. Unless of course you let your employees live in them while you are rotating through your collection. Yeah... that'll happen.
Look at what the CEO of Costco does.
I embrace success. I don't knock folks who work hard and make money. What I do have a problem with is morally bankrupt people stepping on the throat of another while you take all you can get your greedy hands on.
Pharaoh sits on gold thrones in robes of silk, while the people of his domain slave in mud pits. Get it? Cause that is what is happening folks... it's the oldest battle in the world. Greed versus Good... do you vote for Ramses or the guy with the sack cloth robe? Vote for Ramses if you want to work in his mud pit.
Don't let them keep you ignorant. Go to a library and teach yourself. If you can read, you can educate yourself and then you don't need to take a back breaking job and only earn $7.25 an hour.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Don't like the idea of Obamacare? Then Opt out!
I have been saying this for a long time now and I am finding more and more folks who are saying the same thing.
If you are so opposed to Obamacare, then there should be a way for folks to opt out of it. Obama really should call your bluff. But he won't cause he cares too much about the people in this country, even the ones who hate him. But it would be fun to see how fast folks would change their positions wouldn't it? Ah yes... one can dream!
If you are of the belief that family and friends and neighbors and Churches should pick up the cost of your medical care, then you should, by all means, be allowed to do just that! I would vote for that.
And if you can't pay for your care and your "circle" can't pay, then you should not be allowed to get medical treatment. Right???
That would be unfair you say????
But isn't that what your argument is? That people should pay for each other and only folks who can pay should get medical attention?
In case you are not aware, the entire point to Obamacare is that no one person has to bear the burden of medical costs. That's a good thing people. It's something a sane, logical person would hope for!
That as a democratic society, we all agree that certain things need to be taken care of and that all of us have to pay to cover the costs of our society. That IS Democracy.
We drive on public roads, we have public schools, libraries, public water works, police, firemen, and so on, because we all need these things. So we all pay to ensure we have them.
Why is medical care hands off? Why is that not as important? It should be the most important thing, because if we are all healthy, then our entire society thrives.
Medical care should not be a "for profit" industry. Of course folks should be able to earn a living and a good one. What they should NOT be able to do is charge so much that it is beyond obscene. Go to a hospital and ask for an aspirin. Do you think it really costs $20 a pill? Why do you think it costs that much?
The big fear that is being shoved down the throats of "poor" Republicans (which still confuses the hell out of me how that even is a thing) is that you will have to pay for someone else's medical costs. They force feed you this dribble to scare you. You stay scared of the boogie men and they make tons of money off your fear.
Look out!!!!
Maybe your money will go towards paying for a gay person or a black or Mexican or some mother with 50 kids.... how horrible!!!
Think of how horrified THEY are paying for racists and homophobes and bigots?
But here is the reality... if you don't pay a little via a system that covers us all, then IF YOU get sick and have to go to the doctor, and we continue to have people getting treated with no medical coverage.... who the hell do you think will pay for them in the end?
YOU WILL... cause all they doctor will do is pad the bill so that you are now paying for the folks he could not charge.
If you have any common sense you will understand that it's to your benefit for us all to be covered.
If you don't, then start saving your chickens to pay your doctor next time you get sick and see how fast he will show you the door.
If you are so opposed to Obamacare, then there should be a way for folks to opt out of it. Obama really should call your bluff. But he won't cause he cares too much about the people in this country, even the ones who hate him. But it would be fun to see how fast folks would change their positions wouldn't it? Ah yes... one can dream!
If you are of the belief that family and friends and neighbors and Churches should pick up the cost of your medical care, then you should, by all means, be allowed to do just that! I would vote for that.
And if you can't pay for your care and your "circle" can't pay, then you should not be allowed to get medical treatment. Right???
That would be unfair you say????
In case you are not aware, the entire point to Obamacare is that no one person has to bear the burden of medical costs. That's a good thing people. It's something a sane, logical person would hope for!
That as a democratic society, we all agree that certain things need to be taken care of and that all of us have to pay to cover the costs of our society. That IS Democracy.
We drive on public roads, we have public schools, libraries, public water works, police, firemen, and so on, because we all need these things. So we all pay to ensure we have them.
Why is medical care hands off? Why is that not as important? It should be the most important thing, because if we are all healthy, then our entire society thrives.
Medical care should not be a "for profit" industry. Of course folks should be able to earn a living and a good one. What they should NOT be able to do is charge so much that it is beyond obscene. Go to a hospital and ask for an aspirin. Do you think it really costs $20 a pill? Why do you think it costs that much?
The big fear that is being shoved down the throats of "poor" Republicans (which still confuses the hell out of me how that even is a thing) is that you will have to pay for someone else's medical costs. They force feed you this dribble to scare you. You stay scared of the boogie men and they make tons of money off your fear.
Look out!!!!
Think of how horrified THEY are paying for racists and homophobes and bigots?
But here is the reality... if you don't pay a little via a system that covers us all, then IF YOU get sick and have to go to the doctor, and we continue to have people getting treated with no medical coverage.... who the hell do you think will pay for them in the end?
YOU WILL... cause all they doctor will do is pad the bill so that you are now paying for the folks he could not charge.
If you have any common sense you will understand that it's to your benefit for us all to be covered.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Legalizing Pot - You have to be stoned not to!
We see commercials every day for new exotic blends of vodka flavors and apple flavored beer, hard lemonade, including tropical scenes of hipster couples with lime wedged long necks between them.
Then there are all the ads we see for anti-depressants or ads for the ones that "enhance" the anti-depressant that may not exactly be working for you so that now you can take two drugs in unison, which may or may not cause you to kill yourself as a side effect according to the commercial.
Now imagine commercials for Weed. It might not be the images you think of stoners chowing down on a bag of chips and watching cartoons either. It could be for things that actually help us as a society.
We certainly don't see images of drunks slumped over on the floor in commercials or drivers being handcuffed for being over the limit or ambulances taking away victims in the ads we see each day for booze... you just see the fun you could be having.
If it were legalized, you could see commercials that do the same kind of marketing for pot. The commercials wouldn't focus on partying with frogs or dogs or horses, but instead have more to do with things other then just having fun getting plastered.
You might see how the oil from the plant can cure illness or replace fossil fuels. You might see how it does a better job at helping pain then any drug a chemist mixes up. You might see how the fiber from the plant can make clothing and other textiles. You might see the benefits of the seeds as a nutritional supplement. The list of positives is astounding.
Yes... you can get stoned out of your mind...but how is that different then being high on pain killers your doctor prescribed or being so drunk on wine coolers that you vomit in your dates shoes?
Legalizing pot is not going to be a free pass to get stoned. We still need to make sure you are under the same regulations you would be for any other substance that could render you stupid or dangerous.
The economic boost it could provide is also something that should make folks jump at the chance to legalize it. You don't have to be a stoner to want this to become legalized.
List of links:
Then there are all the ads we see for anti-depressants or ads for the ones that "enhance" the anti-depressant that may not exactly be working for you so that now you can take two drugs in unison, which may or may not cause you to kill yourself as a side effect according to the commercial.
Now imagine commercials for Weed. It might not be the images you think of stoners chowing down on a bag of chips and watching cartoons either. It could be for things that actually help us as a society.
We certainly don't see images of drunks slumped over on the floor in commercials or drivers being handcuffed for being over the limit or ambulances taking away victims in the ads we see each day for booze... you just see the fun you could be having.
If it were legalized, you could see commercials that do the same kind of marketing for pot. The commercials wouldn't focus on partying with frogs or dogs or horses, but instead have more to do with things other then just having fun getting plastered.
You might see how the oil from the plant can cure illness or replace fossil fuels. You might see how it does a better job at helping pain then any drug a chemist mixes up. You might see how the fiber from the plant can make clothing and other textiles. You might see the benefits of the seeds as a nutritional supplement. The list of positives is astounding.
Legalizing pot is not going to be a free pass to get stoned. We still need to make sure you are under the same regulations you would be for any other substance that could render you stupid or dangerous.
The economic boost it could provide is also something that should make folks jump at the chance to legalize it. You don't have to be a stoner to want this to become legalized.
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List of links:
- Legalizing Marijuana May Help Save the US Economy, Reduce the Prison Population, and Stop the Drug War Death Toll
- Hemp For Life
- Forbes Magazine Article
- Documentary Film On Benefits Of Industrial Hemp
- Hemp Facts NMH.org
- Purdue University Paper: A New Crop with New Uses for North America
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