This is the same exact racial attack Breitbart contrived when Shirley Sherrod was victimized.

Obama Harvard Tapes Exposed on Hannity (click title to entry - thank you).  

Evidently, Hannity is attempting to take up the Breitbart mantel.  Somehow that is fitting.

...Breitbart, (click here) the conservative who posted Sherrod's comments on his website, told our Gannett colleague Chuck Raasch that his point was to expose the audience reaction at the NAACP banquet; Breitbart said that he was trying to expose the same kind of racism that the NAACP has accused Tea Party members of practicing....


It is really interesting this topic should come up, because, the then President of the Harvard Law Review, Barak Obama was the first African American President of the Review.  He was speaking out regarding the efforts to foster diversity at Harvard Law School.  President Obama entered Harvard in 1988.  


Nineteen years earlier, it was the Harvard Law School minority students that demonstrated for a black faculty member.  Derrick Bell was then the executive director of the Western Center on Law and Poverty at the University of Southern California.  It was the minority students at Harvard that caused the university to find Dr. Bell and hire him to teach there.


So, when Dr. Derrick Bell felt compelled after nineteen years of being the sole black professor at Harvard and realizing he was getting older and there was no movement toward diversity beyond his hire by Harvard, it was President Obama that answered the call of the minority law students again in support of Dr. Bell's position.


This is not a radical thing to do at Harvard.  It is a way of bringing focus to an issue and have it resolved. The black minority at Harvard is in a unique position to help society move change along and accept difficult decisions.  What President Obama did was in the traditions of Harvard when the university was too set in its cornerstones.


Great institutions, like Harvard, are great institutions because they are set in rock solid cornerstones that endure over time.  But, great institutions also realize their short comings. So, to have a group of minority students assemble peacefully in the company of Dr. Bell, whom had a very unique position at Harvard, to bring attention to the lack of diversity within the university structure was indeed welcome and necessary.


I am sure Dr. Bell had been writing on behalf of diversity for most of those nineteen years to the Harvard Board of Trustees and the President of Harvard, but, when the lethargy became too obvious it was up to the students to shake things up a bit.  So, in the great tradition that is Harvard, the students can very well be the hub of change.  If the students feel under served by the 'establishment,' if you will, then they weren't being properly prepared for their careers to follow.


As a minority student at Harvard and a leader within that minority it was Barak Obama's place to participate in honoring Dr. Bell's initiative and he carried out that responsibility no differently than he carries his responsibilities today in the Oval Office, with dignity and purpose.


Unfortunately, the Right Wing Media in the year 2012 has completely lost its moral compass and once again a minority in the USA has been targeted for hatred and this time it is the President of the United States of America.


When is this racism and bigotry going to stop?


In the last election is was Muslim radicals on the front cover of The New Yorker.  That was nothing short of incendiary.  Now this with Murdoch's network.  Is incendiary the only mechanism to destroy reputations and dignity of African Americans in the USA?  


Breitbart died.  His racism should die with him.

The Plutocracy at work through corrupt politicians. Is anyone surprised the House is investigating?

230 miles per gallon


That isn't anything to laugh at and the petroleum industry rather fight than switch.


Is it any wonder there is propaganda abounding about this incredible invention.


How long have we waited?  


KIMBERLY S. JOHNSON
Huffington Post
August 11, 2009

General Motors (click here) said Tuesday its Chevrolet Volt electric car could get 230 mpg in city driving, making it the first American vehicle to achieve triple-digit fuel economy if that figure is confirmed by federal regulators.

But when the four-door family sedan hits showrooms late next year, its efficiency will come with a steep sticker price: $40,000....

That was in 2009.  The Chevy Volt now costs less.  Yes, less.  


The current e-page for the Chevy Volt states $31,645 (click here) with a monthly lease payment for 36 months of $349.00.  The e-page states (Someone had to be first.)  I agree.


So, unfortunately, the Right Wing Propagandists are all about propaganda about this incredible invention by Chevy.  No different than they were about GE's CEO.  And the list goes on.


There was an investigation about complaints regarding the Volt and the conclusion states it is no more dangerous than cars of other fuel types.  There wasn't really a consumer complaint, there wasn't a consumer accident and for that everyone is grateful.  The possibility of an electric fire manifested when the car was tested under controlled conditions.  In other words, the National Highway Safety Administration tested the Chevy Volt to determine if in worst case scenarios there could be problems.


They found one.  The vehicle that was tested caught fire three weeks later.  There was damage that occurred when the car was involved in the 'test crash.'  The damage caused the ion battery to ignite.  The purpose of the vigilance is obvious, this is the first of its kind.  No one wants tragedy and if there are to be problems then the industry needs to know how to protect itself from lawsuits and recalls.  The consumer is being put first.  So, in response to the findings of the National Highway Safety Administration GM built a better car.  They put in more supports around the ion battery to protect it from impact and therefore any potential for danger.  


I think consumers can have confidence in the Chevy Volt.  The car is being examined over and over to insure there are no problems, after all they are on the road.  There are going to be 'fits and starts' with new technology.  That is a given.  It happens to all products and APPLE knows all to well the problems it's consumers had with the first iPhone and the interruption in signal due to the need for bumpers.  Now, a car isn't an iPhone, but, the point is this is new technology and stuff happens.


The other electric car, the Nissan Leaf, has been having far less public relations problems, but, this is not GM.  GM received a loan.  GM is doing well.  GM is the focus of hatred by the Right Wing Political Machine, no different than GE's CEO has been.  


I can't thank GM and GE enough for their dedication to this country and it's current President or whom this technology would not be possible yet today.  


The Nissan Leaf (click here) doesn't have the gas engine component that the Chevy Volt does.  At the Nissan Leaf e-page there is a comparison of other vehicles including the Chevy Volt (click here).  It is called competition.  I think that falls under capitalism in definition of where that might contribute to fairness in pricing for consumers.  


There are some differences.  The Nissan Leaf charges in 7 hours whereby the Chevy Volt charges in 4 hours.  The Volt has a tailpipe and has to go through emissions testing where the Leaf does not.


The battery range is interesting, the Leaf 100 miles before charging and the Volt 40 miles before charging.  Something tells me GM is still a little to attached to the internal combustion engine, but, then it is better on long trips.


And this is really cool, the Nissan Leaf has a photovoltaic solar panel rear soiler.  I think that is more than interesting.  It is not standard, but, it is an option.


Nissan even provides consumers with a CO2 comparison (click here).


Be it GM or Nissan this is more than the USA consumer ever hoped for and we should be delighted these companies have shown interest in providing this technology on the good faith it will be received well and hopefully will be a growing market.  I am grateful to them.


To add to the dialogue is my opinion we cannot do without this market and we need to encourage its growth, especially when it comes to road planning and placing charging stations in fueling areas along major highways and interstate systems.  We don't have a choice, we have to remove the production of CO2 from Earth's benevolent troposphere and that is simply a fact.  This technology will not go away and should not be allowed to disappear.

WASHINGTON — A GOP-led House committee (click here) is challenging the Obama administration's investigation into Chevy Volt batteries that caught fire last year, raising questions about whether the government's partial ownership of General Motors Co. created a conflict of interest.

The report by the Republican staff of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform said it was “deeply troubling” that safety regulators waited several months before telling the public that a Volt battery caught fire three weeks after a government crash test. The fire happened in June but was not made public until November — “a period of time that also coincides with the negotiation over the 2017-2025 fuel economy standards,” the report states, adding that it was possible that those negotiations “incentivized NHTSA to remain silent on the issue.”

But in a recent letter to committee chairman Darrell Issa, R-Calif., National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Administrator David Strickland said that the agency's investigation into the Chevy Volt “is completely unrelated to the fuel economy standards rulemaking.”

The committee is set to hold a subcommittee hearing on the issue this morning. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the report ahead of its official release....

It is dirty politics and absolutely nothing more.  There is no need for an investigative hearing, GM was extremely interested in the findings of the tests and modified the production model.  What need is there for this investigation by a House panel?  

Case closed: NHTSA ends Chevrolet Volt fire investigation (click title to entry - thank you)

Jan 23, 2012 2:30 PM

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed its safety investigation into fires that erupted from three Chevrolet Volt battery packs after severe crash tests by the agency.

“Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. Generally, all vehicles have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash,” NHTSA concluded. The agency said it “remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle.”...


The production is stopped for awhile and it is legal for a company to do that and it does not spell death to the electric car.


...A GM spokesman said Friday (click here) that the company will shut down production of the Volt from March 19 until April 23, idling 1,300 workers at the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant....


...GM sold 7,671 Volts last year, below its original goal of 10,000 cars. The company stopped publicly announcing sales targets last year. It sold 1,023 Volts in February and 603 in January.

“The fact that GM is now facing an oversupply of Volts suggests that consumer demand is just not that strong for these vehicles,” said Lacey Plache, chief economist for auto information site Edmunds.com.

GM spokesman Chris Lee said the company was “taking a temporary shutdown” of the assembly line.

“We’re doing it to maintain our proper inventory levels as we align production with demand,” he said....

It would seem as though the consumer demand increased from last year with the uptick of the February 2012 numbers.  It was expected to have a slow down in demand with lithium ion battery questions.  The average of both January and February is 813 per month.  At that rate, GM will sell 9756 Chevy Volts which is very near the 10,000 they were hoping for last year.  

If Nissan can be daring enough to produce an electric car that does not require a gas engine then GM needs to have more confidence in it's place in the market.  The Chevy Volt is the cutting edge between Hybrid and completely electric, there is a place in the consumer market for it and GM should NOT be shy about accepting that demand seriously.  "Chevy Runs Deep."

It doesn't get more obvious than this. Biodiesel works. It does not require fracking or drilling.

It has a return on renewables that cylinder natural gas does not.


It doesn't have a Wall Street return for the petroleum industry that Romney's Energy advisor is seeking and that is a fact.  


But, biodiesel gets the job done and of all things we don't have to dump USED VEGETABLE OIL into land fills.  


Imagine getting viable fuel from a fast food joint.  That would give them better cash flow, too.


The problem with a lot of the changes the American consumer WANTS in their lives that supports their MORALS and local economies is that it doesn't feed Wall Street.  

Consider this in regard to ethanol.

"King Corn" (click title to entry - thank you) is a documentary made about corn production in the USA and how it penetrated the USA human diet.  It is still an important documentary.


One of the silliest commercials I have ever witnessed are the ones stating "High Fructose Corn Syrup is the same as Sugar for your body's metabolism."


That was always the point of health advocates.  They wanted to have consumers educated to the fact sugar comes in many forms.


In those commercials the point is lost by those seeking to dilute the reality of what is bad for you can come in many forms.  The point about high fructose corn syrup was made by most health advocates that it is no different than sugar and therefore don't consider it any differently when reading ingredients on a food container.  I find that commercial not only silly but offensive because the advertiser actually believes they can CON the American consumer to think that health advocates are evil people trying to deceive them.  The opposition to 'what is good for America' are nothing short but ruthless.

That aside, consider where corn will go when there is far less used in the American diet.  High Fructose Corn Syrup will never disappear, no different than OREOs will never disappear, but, with a USA centered on healthier living there will be far less demand for corn as a food source for people.


E85 as a flex fuel is a far better alternative in the immediate future.  However, I jumped for joy, when I watched the first major commercial for the Chevy Volt.  Electric cars are by far the safest form of transportation for the American Family today and in the future.


In the USA there is very little use of E85 and that is unfortunate.  What is found throughout the country are E10 or E20.  When I run across those options I find I get far better gas mileage and it is consistent.  If I purchase E10, I get 10% higher mileage per gallon, if I purchase E20 I get 20% better gas mileage.  The ethanol is known to provide better performance and it does.  So, while the cost may be about the same as regular gasoline, it provides better performance.  


I strongly believe in electric passenger vehicles, but, the infrastructure for fueling has to be available in places other than a person's garage.  It limits the MARKET SHARE of the product.

CNG (Cylinder Natural Gas) is an answer for trucks used for heavy load capacity, but, not the USA consumer.

The fuel carrying structure is not adaptable to passenger cars  without compromising safety.  


Natural Gas is natural gas whether it comes in liquid or gas cylinders.  It is explosive.  The incidence of safety problems will increase with mass use of the product.  That is a statistical reality and one of physics.


The fuel storage capacity will require heavier construction, make the vehicles heavier and in reality there is not that much savings to consumers in the way of cost when it applies to passenger vehicles.  


...All Ram 2500 (click title to entry -thank you) Heavy Duty CNG pickups are powered by Chrysler’s 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 that has been modified to run on both conventional gasoline and compressed natural gas. New valves and valve-seat materials have been added to the redesigned cylinder heads – a move necessary to allow the engine to run on both compressed natural gas and conventional gasoline. It also gains an additional fuel rail and injectors for the compressed natural gas. Finally, new spark plugs and a new engine management computer monitor the engine when running either fuel....

For large capacity vehicles that ALREADY have strong structural designs like the trucks President Obama showcased today, CNG is an answer, but, for passenger cars where many people are involved adding weight to the vehicle to insure the safety will not result in a good vehicle for the USA Consumer and their families.


Americans have to make well informed choices and until the CNG vehicles are PROVEN to provide the safest standard on the road, I would never recommend it.  Imagine an entire four lane interstate highway full of CNG cars and imagine a multi-car accident with CNGs flying across the road.  It is a nightmare and I do not advocate any of it.

The Perfect Wave

March 7, 2012
1430:00z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite North and West Hemisphere (click title to entry for 12 hour loop - thank you)


Right now in the loop it is noted there are consistent waves crossing the North American continent and across the Atlantic and Pacific.  There are high pressure centers at the southern end of those waves.


Now, entertain this:

Where is the USA drought the worst?  Isn't it under those high pressure areas that repeat with each passing wave?  Yes?  Is this a normal troposphere?  When will the drought cycle end?  Ever?  

It is so difficult to believe there are places along the east coast still recovering from Hurricane Irene.

These are the elements of survival.  Food.  There are still food distribution sites finding a place in the needs of the people there?  Wow.  It did a lot of damage to the country and lives of people.

March 06, 2012

The Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania (click title to entry - thank you) will distribute packages of food staples in Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties to people who were affected by the ravages of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in August 2011.

The distributions will take place from 10 a.m. to noon March 16 at the Salvation Army, 226 Washington St., in East Stroudsburg.

This Special Household Distribution is a temporary program that will end when all of the foods allocated have been distributed. The food is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture....

There is also food distribution by the USDA for help to low income families in some areas of the country.  I am sure the local Social Services Office would know when these distributions take place.

Example:

...Low income families in Lonoke County (click here) will be able to stock their pantries tomorrow when the Central Arkansas Development Council distributes government commodities at nine locations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food items to be distributed may include refried beans, green beans, spaghetti sauce, apple juice, applesauce, canned pork and spaghetti. 

Commodities is a supplemental food program distributed four times a year to low and moderate income families. The program is designed to combat poverty among the low income, especially the elderly and children....

Considering this reality in the USA alone, along with the economic collapse of 2008 and trying to keep everyone in the nation feed and alive, the Obama Administration has had their hands full.  I don't recall ANY "Great job, Browny" moments.

Returning to healthy lifestyles.

By Melodie Warner

United Natural Foods Inc.'s fiscal second-quarter earnings rose 18% as a new contract helped boost the specialty-food distributor's sales.

The company lowered its full-year earnings estimate to $1.79 to $1.86 a share from its September forecast of $1.83 to $1.93 but raised its full-year sales estimate to between $5.11 billion and $5.17 billion from its prior estimate of $5 billion to $5.1 billion.

United Natural, which distributes natural, organic and specialty foods in the U.S. and Canada, has seen double-digit sales growth for nearly two years as it grabs more market share. But restructuring and acquisition charges, along with higher operating costs, have hurt its bottom line of late.

United Natural, which is the primary distributor to Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM), signed a three-year distribution pact with Safeway Inc. (SWY) that became effective in October and had agreed in June to sell its non-foods and general merchandise business to L&R Distributors Inc., saying the products aren't strategic to its business....

That is the way to build a company, expanding market share.  Changing lifestyles are all a part of that paradigm shift.  Expanding markets, helping consumers make better choices while offering different ways to think about meal time and preparation.  Sugar and starch and everything cholesterol is out, healthy is in.

Two Democratic Incumbents were running for the same seat last night.

Due to the redrawing of line from the 2010 census there was an interesting race last night, but, was completely glossed over by the media.


...The election (click title to entry - thank you) is the first of 13 House races in 2012 that pit a sitting lawmaker against another sitting lawmaker. Eleven of those races are primary battles, seven Democratic and four Republican. The additional two races, in Iowa and Ohio, pit a sitting Democratic and Republican incumbent against each other in the general election....


Representative Marcy Kaptur won the race last night in the Democratic Primary.  There was another consolidation of seats in Ohio between two Republicans, but, it was uncontested because Steve Austria decided not to run, so Mike Turner is seeking that seat.


Marcy is a bit of a celebrity.  She appears in the movie "Capitalism, A Love Story," stating the events in the USA government surrounding the global collapse of 2008 was the equivalent of "a financial coup d'etat."  Interesting enough, the Superpac that attacked her didn't cause her to lose the primary, which might speak to the very core of her presence in Congress.  She is a fighter and seeks only to realize the truth and carry it as a message.  She was also in the front lines of protecting women's civil rights with the recent attacks by the Republican Right Wing and its current candidates for President.

Dennnis may have plans beyond the primaries, but, if he doesn't return to the Congress he will be missed.  


What does this mean to the people of any state?  It means that while the Presidential campaign hasn't begun, the Federal and State House and Senate races have begun.  I sincerely believe the way Democratic victories will be realized is at the grassroots level.  So for those seeking to 'make a difference' in their states, volunteer for their local districts and 'get out the vote.'  The Presidential campaign will have a larger dynamic that is 'media driven' as that is the venue of the superpacs, but, the races are still won by the grassroots that actually have conversations with the electorate.


Go, Team, Go!


The race for the legislative offices in any state is beginning after the primaries.  The 2012 election season is ON 


Get out the vote!

Republican Delegate Count

Click on Title of Entry.


It speaks for itself.