Recycling awning cover isn't always a good idea

As paint over wears thin, the former identity starts to break through. Was once the Newsstand International. Now is a smoke shop. I would have not noticed, walking past frequently, but a friend was visiting town and saw it right away. Looks a bit cheap. Smoking is kind of a tacky habit anyway.

Select Congress by random lot. A work around Citizens United ruling obstacle to better represent people

Choose legislative body by random lottery, rather than election. Then it doesn't matter how much money one spends on the campaign. Winning the seat is just up to random lottery. If the legislative body is large enough, it would represent a random cross section of the population.

This idea came to my mind after listening to a Diane Rehms interview with Kevin Bleyer about his book "Me The People: One Man's Selfless Quest To Rewrite The Constitution Of the United States of America." While he mentioned the idea of selecting the president by random lot, I got to thinking how about a legislative body instead? Problem with selecting the president randomly is that you're stuck with only one president and the lottery could pick a real "bone head." On the other hand, given 100, or more, rolls of the dice for a legislative body you would begin to get a random distribution across the entire population.

This would be a total rewrite of the government. It might not be called democracy anymore though maybe only one body of the legislative branch would be selected this way. The other body could still be elected, by popular vote. It would be a new twist to the concept of "checks and balances." Not totally unprecedented in our society, we do have random selection of juries in the judiciary branch. Somewhat random selection, that is. Why not random selection in part of the legislative branch?

Currently, those who are elected are the ones who run the most popular campaigns. Often the ones who can get the most money backing. Not really representative anymore. Attempts at reforming campaign finance never seem to work very well. There's always ways around the best intentions. Always ways to circumvent the rules.

Then along comes the Citizens United Ruling by Supreme Court which really screwed things up. Gives corporation unlimited ability to dump money into the process.

So much money is now running politics that people have become cynical and say that we have already lost the democracy. Money runs it all. Might as well not even vote.

Since democracy is basically already dead and gone, I guess (maybe I'm not quite that cynical) time to change the system. This is especially true at the national level. Local government may not be quite as ruled by money due to things being on a smaller scale.

How about selecting the Senate this way. Get a random selection across the population. Some would be boneheads, of course, but a large enough random lot would chose people from many walks of life not well represented now. There would probably be some farmers, teachers, janitors, solders, scientists, small business owners, electricians and so forth. A better representation than just slick campaigners and lawyers.

I'd say choose the Senate this way since the House means each district only has one representative for that district. At least with the senate, each state would get two tries and having the lottery come up with a decent politician.

Ideally, the body of random legislators would be selected at large, rather than from states or districts. Maybe we could replace the House, rather than the Senate, but have it selected at large. Members of the House could represent various walks of life, rather than representing geographical districts.

Of course those who don't wish to run for office could be taken out of the pool of potential legislators. People could sign up for the "lottery" if they wanted to have the chance to serve. Then, in rare instance, if your number gets selected, you head to Washington DC to sit in the body.

Under this system, many legislators wouldn't know much about politics and there would be this danger (or maybe it's not that bad of a danger). Other branches in government might lead and bully the random legislative body around. I might turn into something like the Washington insider pros leading around the freshmen in the body picked by random lot. The "seniors," figuratively speaking, from the President's office, other legislative body and the bureaucracy, in general, bullying the greenhorns around.

It wouldn't be a perfect system, but what we have now isn't perfect either. What we have now has been pretty much corrupted with too much campaign money. The idea of random selection, for some of the legislators, is worth contemplation at least.

Fourth Of July at the Cern Labs

Looks kind of like fireworks, but it's the kind of output particle accelerators show looking for the Higgs Boson. Big press conference is planned at European Cern Lab this Fourth Of July. Speculation is that they may feel confident enough to announce having found the Higgs. If so, it's a Fourth Of July to remember.

Cut, cut , cut Congress' bark louder than it's bite

Just in the nick of time, even Republican controlled House Of Representatives didn't allow the cuts to happen that would have doubled interest rates on student loans and brought a lot of highway construction to a halt. Talk of cuts sound good until they actually hit the people dependent on those things. Meanwhile, tax cuts stay in place so we continue adding to deficit.

I'm not against these needed programs and it is interesting to note that even the Tea Party Republican Congress steps back from the political abyss of pulling the plug on constituents.

Tax cuts tend to be "front loaded" (cut the taxes now) while spending cuts tend to be "back loaded" (kick the can down the road several years before cuts go into effect). This interest rate increase for student loans was passed 5 years ago, according to news I have read, but just before actually coming to pass, they backed off.

Even Tea Party Republicans tend to have trouble saying "screw you" to the American people, except in general terms like saying, "cut government." It's easy to say cut government while government is a theoretical entity, but when specific cuts hit people, like students, who have votes, it's a lot harder.

My part in GLBT history display at Wilson Library

Back when I was in college, I collected a bunch of posters and articles from gay and lesbian activities around campus. Years later, I donated that archive to a growing collection of artifacts about GLBT activism that is being maintained by Western Washington University's Center For Pacific Northwest Studies.

Yesterday, I just found out that they did a display with some of my things in it along with contributions from other folks.

Looks good.

Rode my bike up to WWU campus and took a few pictures of the display.

To right side of sky bridge entrance between Haggard Addition and Wilson Library.

Poster for a dance they did in 1975. I forgot who created that artistic poster, but I kept it.

My impressions about a class I took on gay people that was taught in 1975. Written down from an oral history project.

Supreme Court preserves Affordable Care Act

Good news though it's not out of the woods yet. Right wingers pledge to take the battle against affordable healthcare to the voters in November 2012 and Congress. Outcome of 2012 election will be another important step. Hopefully Democrats will do good. The Affordable Healthcare act, often also called "Obama Care" isn't perfect, but it's a step toward something better than what USA has now for healthcare financing.

Two pictures of mine have come out in a book

About World Naked Bike Ride. Author Richard Foley who has been corresponding with me and many other cyclists worldwide. 250 photos are in this colorful book with lots of text about the WNBR movement. Available at bookstores and sites like Amazon. Forward written by a Conrad Schmidt of Vancouver, BC.

Even here in Bellingham, we have had WNBR rides for the past 4 years which I've documented with links to some images on Flickr.

I think of the ride as being more an advertisement than a protest. An advertisement for the fun and erotic bicycling lifestyle.

Facebook: too big to grow?

You've heard of banks that are too big to fail. How about corporations that are too big to grow? Less talked about, but possibly a telling issue as people discuss the need to grow our economy and create jobs.

Little doubt that Facebook has been an extremely sucessful company. 800 million users worldwide, influential in social change, a household word. All this before Facebook started trading on the stockmarket. Can they top what they've already accomplished? Did Facebook wait too long before their ipo? Did their stock go public just in time for them to reach market saturation? Is there anymore room to grow?

This is an issue facing many larger than life corporations as well as our economy as a whole. Is there more room for expansion or are many of our corporations just too large? No room to grow and thus facing stagnation. Where will the new jobs come from?

Another problem has to do with the transition toward what is called an "information economy." Futurist author Alan Toffler talks about civilization going through various transformations. We've gone from the stoneage to the agricultural age. From the agricultural age, we've progressed into the industrial era. Now we are headed into the information age. Each transition brings economic disruption as old jobs die while new jobs and ways of doing business emerge.

The information age seems to be a tough one for figuring out how to make money, or, to put it a better way, "monetize the activity." No wonder Facebook stock dropped as soon as it went on the market. There is a lot of enthusiasm and activity on Facebook with people posting worldwide, but does that energy translate into money?

I see this as an analogy for the information age. An era when our old modles of business that were developed for the industrial age are less useful today. Newspapers are struggling in the same way. Does journalism still pay, or is it being somewhat replaced by what is often called "crowd sourcing?" Seems like we are entering a golden era for volunteerism and grassroots networking on the internet, but meanwhile, how do we pay for food and rent as well as other things that are still influenced by our industrial mindset.

Reader board at Carver Gym on WWU campus.

How many widgets do we have to make to pay the bills and are the widgets we make being properly compensated? Tangible products are the easiest to measure in terms of GDP. Do we need all the material posessions we buy and sell in order to create our economy? Can the Earth support all the billions of new families entering middle class life in places as far flung as India and China in an economy measured with the flow of goods and to some extent services?

These are important questions to ponder as we transition toward what could be a golden era of information trading. Like a global conversation, we're doing it, but there is an old phrase that says "talk is cheap."

It's time for some new thinking about our economy.

I participated in 4Th annual World Naked Bike Ride in Bellingham

Follow link to my album on Flickr. Another fun event. Low carbon footprint can be fun. Ride took place June 10 2012.

Obama uses more drones than Abraham Lincoln did. Wait a minute.

Obama gets blamed for using drones more than Bush, but maybe drone technology was not as prevalent during the Bush years. Technology is changing fast. One can say Obama uses more drones than Nixon did and for that matter Abraham Lincoln. Future presidents will likely use them more while using piloted aircraft less. It is, however, disappointing that humans still wage war.

Exposing children to junk food advertising may be worse than exposing children to nudity

Disney corporation has recently anounced that it plans to phase out junk food advertising in the parks and media outlets it manages by the year 2015. Seems like a good idea. It's suggested that other corporations could make this voluntery decision as well.

I got to thinking that society expends a lot of effort trying to protect children from being exposed to public nudity. Also, of course, pornography while these things are legal for consumption by adults. Supposedly, this is to protect vulnerable children from psychological harm. Well, what about junk food advertising that may contribute to uncontrolled lifelong desire for eating poorly? Corrupting children to a life of obesity.

Seems like much of the marketing that children have been exposed to is possibly more harmful than nudity, at least. What harm would nudity cause? A life of heightened and uncontrollable sexual desire?

Seems like we have taken a lot of things for granted in society. Junk food advertising, for instance. Then people get real worried about other things, like nudity.

Is nudity really that harmful, or is junk food advertising harmful as well as many other things we take for granted? Interesting to ponder these questions.

At least in the area of junk food, I'm glad to see more concern about the potential of harm. Nudity; maybe it's less of a worry than people have thought in the past.

Social norms keep changing with the times.

Main point of Obama's comment today. Public sector isn't doing fine

But the campaign gets lost in sound bytes.

Republicans are giving President Obama flack for saying that job growth in the private sector is doing fine. They are seizing a sound byte to make it look like Obama is out of touch.

Since then, Obama has admitted that the private sector isn't really doing fine. Recovery is anemic at best. While a lot of political hay is being made out of whether Obama was mistaken, or not, in saying that the private sector is fine, a more important point is being lost. The public sector is retrenching.

Well, maybe that's part of the reason why job growth in the private sector is anemic. Like it or not, the public sector is a big market for goods and services created by the private sector. Softness in the consumer market is probably the main reason why private sector growth is anemic at best. Who wants to invest in expanding production if they don't feel there's going to be a market for that production?

Some conservatives are happy that the public sector is shrinking since they feel that the public sector is not the way to stimulate the economy.

Conservatives keep asking whether the public sector is a good way to lead a recovery; especially while the public sector is so far in debt.

Maybe it is. Maybe it's not a good way to lead a recovery. If not, then one needs to ask, is there another way to stimulate the private sector, besides growth if spending in the public sector?

Increasing exports comes to mind; for instance.

Regardless of whether growth is in the public sector or the private sector, here is the big question I keep asking. Is there a way to grow the economy without destroying our natural environment? If we can answer that question, we're on our way to recovery.

Krugman's stimulus ideas are good, but there are some problems with stimulus as well

Lots of liberals, like myself, praise Paul Krugman's economic analysis calling for more generous government spending in time of depression to help stimulate the economy. Still, there are some problems with this idea.

Krugman says the time to stimulate is now, during depression, and the time to cut back for reducing the deficit is during times of prosperity. Problem is, even during prosperity, there often isn't enough for everyone since poverty remains even in prosperous times. This makes it hard to cut back at anytime as we become accustom to a certain level of spending.

Here is an interesting aside. I heard a conservative talk show host criticize Krugman using the nation of Germany as an example. He said that Germany is calling for austerity during the European financial crisis yet it still has only 5% unemployment. He says, look, Germany is for austerity and it has low unemployment.

Problem with that talk show host's logic is that he is really comparing apples and oranges. Germany does not have our big military to support. Germany has a more affordable health care system than USA. I hear that Germany encourages people to go to part time work schedules when business slows down. This really helps keep the unemployment figures lower as people are still technically employed even while working part time. I've been an advocate of more acceptance for job sharing here in USA.

Also, I'm sure Germany is a bit more socialist than we are anyway. More expensive gasoline due to a tax. More expensive electricity, so I read, and a big percent of their electricity comes from solar. Americans would probably grumble loudly if we lived like the Germans. Our sprawling suburban style development would choke on their high gas prices.

It does work in Germany, but what about USA? Basically our people and our culture are too obese to make that kind of argument for austerity. Even conservatives here in USA are not serious about real austerity. Our military is too large, the paychecks for our corporate executives are too fat, we are too addicted to sprawling cities, cheap oil and expensive health care.

Maybe we can change, tho, and be more like the Germans.

Some pictures of 4Th annual used appliance soapbox derby in Bellingham

Appliance race where people make soapbox derby cars out of old appliances in Bellingham. Race down Maple Street between State and Cornwall. Sponsored by appliance reuse shop called Appliance Depot.

Crowd along Maple St. near some new downtown apartments.

I took photos while the go carts where being pushed back up the hill.

Refirgerator headed back up the hill for another downhill run.

Human brake.

A dryer mobile.
Below pictures taken June 2010 at a different location, Bay Street.

Appliance Races drew crowd to corner of Holly and Bay Streets. The buildings look kind of neat from that corner. Old B&B Furniture Building at left; a triangular shape. Mount Baker Apartments and then the tallest building is Bellingham Towers. It's Bellingham's old downtown skyline.

Bicycling a washing machine. Legs through the lint screens.

It was a race, but I can imagine these would make good entries in a parade as well.

Chuckanut Ridge compromise, like I suggested years ago

Recent article in Bellingham Herald says that Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville has proposed a small fairly dense neighborhood be built in part of the Chuckanut Ridge area. That's similar to the idea I came up with way back in 2005 during the heyday of the Chuckanut Ridge controversy.

Back then, the land was in private hands and developers were proposing a subdivision of over 700 homes to be built. Bellingham's open space advocates were outraged fearing the loss of that forest. They were suggesting the development be stopped.

Stopping that development which was on private land would have been a hard nut to crack. The city could buy the land, but I think the price tag was around $18 million. Quite a sum. It would deplete city funds which might have been better used for things like parks and trails in other more "park starved" areas of town; like, for instance, the Cordota Neighborhood.

Here's the compromise I suggested in my 2005 blog entry.

Build a few high rises in one corner of the property and leave the remainder as open space. That would be my kind of solution. Encourage non family and non car oriented folks who can live in small units. Provide bus service. Cluster the housing into mostly high rises in one corner of the land and preserve much of the remainder for open space.

Then the land cost could be justified and much of the forest could still be preserved.

Well, since then, 2008 came along and the real estate market crashed, nationally at least. Horizon Bank, which was heavily invested in that land went belly up and the price came down.

Eventually the city bought at a much lower price than was being ask before 2008 so the forest remains. Still, the city had to borrow some money from it's Greenway's trust fund to cover all the cost. In the long run, this could jeopardize green space in other parts of town, plus there may be some legal questions about using the money in that way over the long haul.

Basically it means the city needs to come up with some money to pay back the fund, thus this proposal to sell off some of that land for a fairly compact development. Most of the land could still remain forest while the city pays back some of the cost of the original purchase, thus shoring up city funds again.

Not a bad idea.

Wow! was 2005 7 years ago? Seems like it was just yesterday.

Congratulations Space X for successful mission of Dragon Capsule

A step in the history of expanding human commerce to more areas than just this planet. Some folks say private enterprise must have growth and an expanding economy to function. Since we are running out of elbow room on this earth, expanding into space is one answer. Space X is the first private corporation to launch a spacecraft to the International Space Station. The unmanned supply mission brought supplies into orbit, docked with the space station and then returned to Earth successfully. A historic step in bringing commerce to space. Several companies are now starting to get into the space launching business.

Naked and / or nearly naked bike ride 2012 planned for Bellingham

Sunday June 10 Around 11:30 PM to get ready ride at 1. Starts from yard behind 717 N. Forest Alternative Library.

Reprinted from Zack's posting on Facebook.

Some ride to feel free, others to protest an "indecent exposure" to fossil fuels. Whatever your reason, we invite you to vulnerably share the road with us on this soul affirming event!

Help us celebrate Bellingham's 4th annual Naked Bike Ride! We will start staging at 11:30 with body painting. At 12:30 please come to the legal debrief and discussion of intentions. At 1:00pm, We Ride!!!!

We will be riding on Sun, June 10th so if you have family visiting for graduation, please invite them! All are more than welcome!

Zac was interviewed on The Joe Show broadcast over Bellingham Progressive Talk AM 930 radio. Wednesday June 6 2012.

The Bible is just a book of history and mythology

I grew up in a liberal church that I still have good feelings for. It basically thinks of the Bible as being a document of history and mythology. Can be interesting reading for folks studying the humanities, like reading Shakespeare, but not that good for prescribing how to live our lives, do politics or explain the origins of the world. We have science and a few other tools for that. While I don't use the Bible, I still think it's possible that there is something that folks could call a spiritual dimension to life.

Would a shorter workweek be good for the economy?

Unemployment too high? Doesn't it make sense to distribute the work more evenly? While some people work full time and even overtime, others can't find a job. Would't it make sense to hire more people and relieve the load on the over employed?

Sounds logical, but it also depends on the reasons for the economic downturn. I've been an advocate of a shorter workweek for years, but I just had an interesting epiphany. Reduced work time makes a lot of sense if the downturn is based on environmental limits to economic growth. For instance, if there is a limited amount of work to go around due to things like shortages of water, energy, fish or timber. Then it makes sense to spread the limited work more evenly.

On the other hand, economic downturns might also be blaimed on weak market conditions. Basically this would be people not having money to buy enough products and services to maintain a reasonable level of employment. If this second situation is the case, then shortening the workweek might only exasurbate the problem. People who work less earn less money, thus leading to even softer consummer spending power and then even higher unemployment.

Both situations, as well as other factors, can lead to economic downturns. In some cases, the shorter workweek seems like a great idea, while in others, maybe not.

In the case of economic problens caused by environmental constraints, reducing work hours makes sense. It allows more folks to be gainfully employed in an environment of limits. For those who are now working too much, a shorter workweek can lead to significant improvement in the quality of life. Workers could have more time for family, friends, volunteer activities, excersize and even rest. It can be seen as a way to improve the quality of life without having to expand economic production.

More free time works, of course, if people can afford their rents, mortgages and other living expenses. Things like bubbles in the price of housing tend to sabotoge this concept. "Working less, consuming less and living more fully" doesn't sound very appealing if one cannot afford the rent. Of course downsizing to smaller residences can work, but even rents, or mortages for tiny spaces can be a high percentage of one's income in some locations.

Seems like the thinking for a shorter workweek would be a good way to deal with the worry about economic growth harming the environment. Maybe we can still grow and progress toward a higher quality of life by just figuring out how to give people more free time. Hurray for the 3 day weekend. Civilization can still move forward. It just has to progress toward more quality of life rather than greater consumption. Seems like preserving the concept of progress is important to most people, including myself. Who wants to just stagnate?

Of course some folks would say that environmental constraints on the economy are not absolute. The economy does find ways to substitute and do business even when limits are reached. For instance, rather than constrain oneself with limits on natural fisheries, just build fish farms and grow a lot more salmon than was ever available before.

More than a few environmentalists will cringe here.

But still, the world is full of examples of new technologies and innovations that allow economic output to continue growing inspite of perceived limits. This factor also tends to make the shorter workweek a less popular idea among more than a few economists.

Still, I like the idea of having more time. It's a quality of life issue. Having more time is a way to improve the economy without necessarily having to always grow the economy.

Freight train going by as I write this blog post on a sunny day in Boulevard Park.

When the downturn is related to soft markets, rather than environmental constraints, a shorter workweek could be seen as exasurbaing the problem. Paying folks even less money to participate in the market. I just read that California is asking many of it's state workers to cut back to a 4 day workweek. Why? To conserve, not the environment, but the state budget. Seems like fiscal conservatism and environmental conservation have some things in comon. Limits. In the case of the state budget, it's a limited amount of money. Limits inspite of the fact that less government spending can put a damper on economic growth as state workers are a big part of the market that shops in private business. When there's a shortage of revenue, states can't just print money. In the long run, states have to balance their budgets.

The Federal government, and the Federal Reserve banking system can print money; so to speak. This gets into the arguements about fiscal stimulus versus a more "low growth" approach. We can print money, but there is the downside that printing money can lead to inflation.

Should we not worry too much about future inflation and print money to put people back to work? Are we too worried about deficits if the downturn is caused by anemic consummer spending?

A similar question could be ask if the downturn is caused by environmental limits. Are we too worried about harming the environment so we kill too many projects that create jobs?

Another question to ask is this. Are there ways we can use new technologies and business practices to create jobs in spite of various limits?

And finally, why are we trying so hard to create all these jobs and all this consummer spending. Wouldn't a lot of people be better off with more free time?

These are questions that there are no definate anwers to. It's good food for the discussion, however.

Some employers will say that they must give some workers overtime, even in a soft economy. They would say that there is no one else readily available to do the job who has the needed amount of training and credentials. This is when there is too much work that needs to be done; like a construction project that needs to hurry and get the job done on time.

Would my shorter workweek philosophy sabotage their business?

Not really, simply because I wouldn't advocate legislation requireing a shorter workweek. In each situation, people and their employers, need to work out what is best for their given circumstances.

Problems happen with "one size fits all" solutions. One size fits all as imposed by governments, or even businesses for that matter.

Rather than proposing legislation, I just wish to have good discussion. It's good to have conversation about the various balances between work, free time, preserving the environment and even preserving the budget. Downsizing and reducing the workweek doesn't get enough airplay.

Aside from legislation, discussion can help to progress human culture.

Let's be less productive. Interesting article in New York Times that someone brought to my attention. Discusses shorter workweek, but suggests another approach. Slowing down at work and going for quality rather than quantity of output. New York Times article by a Tim Jackson, professor of sustainable development at the University of Surrey and the author of "Prosperity Without Growth: Economics for a Finite Planet."

Going nowhere, but still outside

On Bike To Work Day, YMCA has "class outside." Stationery bicycle fitness class gets to go outside on that day if the weather is nice; like having the math class go outside.

Downtown Bellingham Celebration Station for Bike To Work and School Day. May 18, 2012.

America's addiction to automobiles could sink Obama presidency?

That would be bad since things like gay rights and Supreme Court nominations are effected by the presidency. Americans grumble about high gas prices.

According to one conservative talk show host I listen to, Dr. Bill Wattenburg, Obama's administration may be shooting itself in the foot by overlooking natural gas for fueling vehicles. Instead, Obama officials have opted for more distant and harder to implement strategies; green energy technologies. Natural gas is not quite as green as some of the other ideas, but it's greener than oil and according to Dr. Bill, it is so plentiful here in USA that prices could be a lot lower than the oil based gasoline that so many Americans are grumbling about now.

Of course fracking for the gas is an issue and Dr. Bill tends to downplay those problems.

Wattenburg thinks Obama should issue an executive order getting the government to buy natural gas powered vehicles when it orders new vehicles. This major buyer would help jump start more natural gas vehicle manufacturing with the related infrastructure, filling stations and so forth to keep the vehicles on the road. We just need a big buyer, such as the Federal government, to get that ball rolling.

He says that finally, a bit late, Obama's energy secretary is starting to take natural gas more seriously and describing it as a "bridge fuel" toward greener technology.

I am not against natural gas, of course, but I'd also add that we should find ways to reduce dependency on automobiles in our city planning and personal lifestyles. If nothing else to reduce obesity.

I hope the gas price situation does not lead grumbling short sighted Americans into sinking Obama's hopes for a second term.

Riprap along the shoreline

Bricks from buildings torn down, concrete chunks and other things along the shore of Boulevard Park. Summer weather is beginning in this area.

Historic moment

The president of the United States has spoken out in favor of gay marriage. Thank you President Obama. His views, and society itself, gradually evolve toward the future. I like front page of New Yorker Magazine May 21 2012.

Bringing coal all the way around Robin Hood's Barn may need more siding track

A tight fit?

If we get the Gateway Pacific coal terminal north of town, it looks like parking and access to Boulevard Park, in Bellingham, might be in question. A consultant says we might need more siding track to deal with congestion between various freight and passenger trains. Siding that could cut off access to Boulevard Park.

Update May 14 2012

A more detailed article has came out in Bellingham Herald May 13 where a railroad spokesperson says that Bellingham siding may not be necessary for the coal port. That siding plan has been looked at as part of the bigger picture for overall increasing of freight and passenger traffic along the line.

It seems like the rail line north of Everett is running pretty close to it's comfort zone for capacity with it's current load.

My guess is, the railroad track capacity issue may be a deal breaker for the coal port plans north of Bellingham. Other port proposals, that are farther south, are also vying for some of that coal traffic. Some port proposals in Tacoma, along the Columbia River and in Hoquium area are being considered.

Some of these ports may be more shallow that the Cherry Point area north of Bellingham, but they are closer to the mines in terms of rail distance since it seems like the coal has to go through those areas first before it comes up this way. The coal comes west through the Columbia Gorge; probably because that avoids bringing it up over the Cascade Mountains?

Maybe we are spoiled? Here in Washington State, we are lucky to be getting most of our electricity from hydroelectric power. China, which burns much of this USA coal, is not so lucky. Some coal trains are already headed through town to a coal port that's just across the border in Canada.

Also we may be kind of lucky, here in USA, in another way. We seem to have plenty of natural gas. There is still greenhouse gas worry from burning natural gas for power, but not as much as from coal generally; though there is worry from the process of fracking to obtain much of the gas.

China may not have discovered as much natural gas, relative to their power needs, as we have here in USA; so far at least

Still the big issue of global warming, on a world wide basis, should give folks pause. Maybe we all, including China, need to push more for things like solar and wind energy. Possibly safer forms of nuclear as well.

I keep reminding people that for various reasons I transport myself mostly by bicycle. My energy footprint is fairly small compared to many Americans, at least.

Birthday celebration for Edward R. Murrow in Blanchard, WA.

Famous radio / TV newscaster Edward R. Murrow grew up in a place called Blanchard, WA. just down the road from Bellingham. He also attended Washington State College (now Washington State University) across the state from Blanchard in Pullman. I grew up in Pullman and remember when they built the Edward R. Murrow Communications Center at WSU while I was in high school. That was my first recollection of Murrow since most of my childhood was a bit after his time.

First TV newscasters I remember were Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. They were on NBC.

Last Sunday in April 2012, the folks of Blanchard decided to hold a festival for Murrow. It's hoped this event will become a yearly tradition.

I bicycled to the event from Bellingham; around 20 miles one way. Made for a nice day.

There were interesting lectures and discussion in the old chapel followed by a walking tour of Blanchard. Festivities continued at the old Blanchard Depot (now a community hall) where there was a birthday cake for Egbert Murrow. He changed his name from Egbert to Edward.

Can't have unlimited economic growth on a limited planet? How about asteroid mining?

Lots of talk in the media about some private firms exploring the idea of asteroid mining. Might be the start of a way to expand our economy beyond the confines of Earth in the really long term.

Citizens can participate in scientific research

Citizens can participate in science by joining the Zooniverse web site and looking for patterns in things like galaxies. The human brain is still good at this. I heard several radio interviews about this web site which now has over 600,000 participants. Even deciphering handwriting, I guess, reading old ship logs to fill in weather records. I thought about participating myself, but not sure if I would devote much time to it. One can devote as much, or as little, time as one wants. Maybe looking at thousands of galaxy images to see if any look unusual isn't too tedious a way to spend an afternoon?

I just think this is a cool idea. Participatory science. Sort of like a WIKI. A WIKI allowing you to put in your two bits for research. Zooniverse.org

Image from Zooniverse web site.

Global warming happens so slowly that people can deny it's happening

Some of the general public still doesn't believe global warming is happening; or at least they can't get real excited about it. There are several reasons for this, but one reason might just be the difficulty human minds have grasping gradual and long term issues.

People think in terms of a crisis, like the banking panic of 2008, but global warming is more gradual. If folks are expecting a crisis, it doesn't really happen so they get tired of waiting and put it on the back burner; so to speak.

Most folks think in terms of weather. There is always a lot of random fluctuation in the weather. Some years are warmer than normal, others are colder. These random fluctuations are more pronounced than the gradual warming due to global warming. These random weather fluctuations can confuse the picture. Long term trends seem to be warmer than cooler in most places, but for the most part, weather doesn't look that much different. After a colder than normal winter (which we still can have) folks take pictures of snowbanks around headlines talking about global warming. It becomes a big joke.

Scientists tend to say that global warming is for real. They see the big picture and notice things like glaciers retreating and long term drought in some parts of the world, including, for instance, the American Southwest. On the other hand, most people don't live in areas that are strongly effected by global warming. They get tired of waiting for the so called calamity.

Since we have 5 fingers on each hand, we tend to put emphasis on numbers that have fives and zeros after them. That means the year 2050 is often cited as a benchmark for predictions about global warming. Often scientists are quoted as saying "around 2050 it's likely that..." Well, a lot of post war baby boom generation isn't likely to even be alive then. It's just such a long term worry that many of the average folk have problems wrapping the mind around it.

Our minds are evolved to deal with more short term problems and crisis. Even though global warming is real, average people get tired of hearing about it and waiting. Some effects of it are already evident, but the effects are fairly subtle in most regions. Not quite as visible as something like the 2008 financial crisis, or today's weather.

Maybe a lot of folks don't necessarily deny global warming. They just aren't mentally equipped to react to something that's happening so slowly. People don't seem to be that evolved, emotionally, to deal with such long term issues. Scientists, on the other hand, use their rational minds to discuss the problem, but the average person tends to just think more in the short term and tends to think more emotionally.

Mitt "Wall Street" Romney

Looks like Mitt "Wall Street" Romney is most likely to get the nomination as the Republican candidate. Middle name Wall Street is a good sound byte to stick on his candidacy. People don't like Wall Street even though, in actuality, Wall Street isn't very big. It's just a narrow street in New York City, but symbolic of something much bigger and meaner. There's also a Wall Street in Spokane, WA. but I don't think people are thinking of that Wall Street.

From the transistor radio to the smartphone to ???

50 years ago, pocket radios called "transistor radios" were exciting new technology. Now, there are Smart Phones and Tablets. Amazing all the things Smart Phones can do compared to mere transistor radios. One can only imagine what progress technology will make in another 50 years. Gee, maybe we will have "Smart People!" Imagine that.