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Saturday, November 19, 2005

EPA to Allow Pesticide Testing on Children

Click the link to learn more and write the EPA:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/epa6.cfm

Friday, November 18, 2005

Iraqi terrorists getting more deadly

Today’s terrorist attack on an Iraq hotel involved a suicide bomber truck which took out the concrete wall outside. The plan was for a second truck to drive through the hole and blow up the building. The only reason that didn’t work is because there was too much debris to drive over.

The terrorists are getting smarter. You can bet that if they can’t get a vehicle that can drive over the debris, they’ll send in soldiers on foot. I don’t think I’m sharing anything they aren’t already figuring out themselves after watching the news. Our side better be prepared, or a lot more lives could be lost.

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Online gambling

With online gambling, you can lose your home from the comfort of your home.

Alito's opinion

Alito gave his personal opinion about a public matter.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Ethanol after all?

While in Manchester, Iowa, last weekend for my grandmother’s funeral, my son and I, as well as my brother and his wife, stayed at Hansel’s B & B Inn. (I added a summary of the funeral and some remembrances at http://tomstream.blogspot.com/2005/11/my-grandmother.html).

Bob and Neola prepared some great breakfasts, and Bob was interested in my hybrid so I showed him the engine and took him for a drive. Bob has worked in farming, including tractor maintenance. Afterward, we got to talking about alternative energy sources, and he raised an interesting point, that a corn byproduct of ethanol can be used as cattle feed. Sure enough, I found an article about cattle feed and another about ethanol byproduct as a soil treatment:

http://www.matr.net/article-11057.html
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2004/040924.htm

Neola added that the process is becoming more efficient. In his book "The Party’s Over" published in 2003, Richard Heinberg said the most optimistic studies showed only a 34% energy profit and "nearly all of the continental US would be required in order to grow the feedstock."

This new information would mitigate that somewhat. If you can get double-duty out of the land, then perhaps you could make a run at sustainability. Still, I have three concerns:

1. Would it really be efficient enough?
2. According to the Twin Cities Green Guide, livestock consumes 80% of U.S. corn. Animal rights concerns aside, can this be sustained?
3. Ethanol still produces carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, renewing my fears of global climate change. If Peak Oil doesn’t get us, maybe the weather will!

Wednesday, November 09, 2005

Cam Gordon!

The Democrats can’t shut the Greens out of Minneapolis politics. Dean Zimmerman and Natalie Johnson Lee lost their council seats after the majority redistricted them to face other incumbents and the FBI raided Zimmerman’s home based on secret recordings made at a public event. Zimmerman mounted an impressive radio campaign on the local Air America affiliate, but was unable to overcome the damage, reminiscent of the 1996 Richard Jewell Olympic park bombing smear. All was not lost, however. Cam Gordon picked one up for the Greens!

In 1993, Cam and I worked as volunteers for the Citizens Reform Network, lobbying to help pass John Marty’s landmark campaign reform bill. After Cam saw what the Dems did to Marty’s gubernatorial campaign in 1994, he joined the Greens. In 2001, the council election outcomes were reversed, with Dean and Natalie winning, and Cam losing by the narrowest of margins (Dean lost by 46 votes). Cam has served well as a spokesperson and party chair, and I am confident he will make a great Minneapolis City Council member!

The crime, not the person

I like the idea of asking Bush if he would pardon Libby. I would phrase it; "Will you pardon anyone convicted of hampering the CIA leak investigation?"

Monday, November 07, 2005

Local election choices

City Council: Pentel and Scanlon.
School Board: Green, Hooker, Magnuson, Walsh.

Click "Comments" for my reasoning...

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

My grandmother

Evelyn L. Harper, 94, died Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2005 at the Good Neighbor Home in Manchester, Iowa .

She was born Jan. 12, 1911, in Bremer county, on the family homestead two miles west of Frederika to Ella (Ladd) and James H. McDonald. She attended the Douglas Township country school, later graduating, with honors, from Frederika High School.

She married Bernard Harper and they farmed, near Frederika during the depression years, eventually, moving to Waterloo in 1940. Evelyn had a successful career as department manager for the Waterloo Credit Bureau for 14 years before moving to Fayette where she and Bernie bought a plumbing and heating business. A few years following Bernard's passing in 1986 she moved to Manchester with closer proximity to immediate family members.

Evelyn loved people and took great pride and interest in the families of her many friends in Bremer County, Waterloo, Fayette and Manchester. With her remarkable memory, she was a great resource for relatives returning to the Bremer County area, seeking information about ancestors. She would, not only, give them lineage but, also, delightful anecdotal histories.

Evelyn was preceded in passing by her father, mother, two sisters: Lucille McDonald Wills of Riverside, California and Florence McDonald MacNicoll of Madison, Wisconsin; and, an older brother, John, who died at birth.

Survivors are Marilyn Harper Cleland of Golden Valley, MN. James Harper, Sequim, WA, David Harper, Manchester, Iowa, twelve grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.