So I saw a video on youtube that talked about the Tactical Framing of the Green New Deal by mostly republican mouthpieces. So of course I had to go read the resolution. If you’re unclear a resolution is go here and look. It’s pretty interesting to see the cogs of government get exposed.

Now for the actual resolution text you can read it here.

I’ll summarize now. I’ll start with the final paragraph of the text:

(O) providing all people of the United States with—

(i) high-quality health care;

(ii) affordable, safe, and adequate housing;

(iii) economic security; and

(iv) clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food, and access to nature.

All of the above are laudable goals. Though I’m not certain what among them other than clause IV has to do with it being Green.

However earlier on in the text it says:

(B) repairing and upgrading the infrastructure in the United States, including—

(i) by eliminating pollution and greenhouse gas emissions as much as technologically feasible;

(ii) by guaranteeing universal access to clean water;

(iii) by reducing the risks posed by climate impacts; and

(iv) by ensuring that any infrastructure bill considered by Congress addresses climate change;

(C) meeting 100 percent of the power demand in the United States through clean, renewable, and zero-emission energy sources, including—

(i) by dramatically expanding and upgrading renewable power sources; and

(ii) by deploying new capacity;

Let’s take it by point – ok I agree eliminating pollution – that is in fact a very tall order. It will suck up billions or perhaps trillions of dollars. And corporations aren’t going to play ball on this.

I do like universal access to clean water. The universe only knows that water systems in the U.S. are hodge podge of little fiefdoms. But it doesn’t say HOW we’re going to get to universal access to clean water.

Reducing risks posed by climate change is laudable too – just how do we pay for that?

Now meeting renewable energy goals of 100% – not so much. That is unless we figure out very quickly how to do nuclear fusion, and perhaps make truly safe fission plants. Those are green technologies too.

But all in all this section isn’t too offensive.

Now as to how we pay for all the proposals in the bill, I see a lot of leveraging and investing mentioned but no specific funding sources. That’s what people are focusing on.

So let me be clear, what the Germans did during World War II in my opinion is indefensible.

But one thing bothers me about the entire book. One is the vengeance thing. The Bible is littered with prohibitions on vengeance.

For example in Proverbs 20:22 it says:
Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

Do not say, “I’ll pay you back for this wrong!” Wait for the LORD, and he will avenge you.

Go here to see more on the prohibition of vengeance in the Bible. 

That is the message I remember from when I was a Catholic. Vengeance isn’t mine to deliver. That part stuck in my morality.

It got to the point where the U.S. Justice Department started getting sloppy in their prosecutions of alleged Nazi’s in the U.S. I’m in the section where John Demjanjunk – he went through our justice system, was extradited to Israel, tried there and sentence to death. But at the eleventh hour they discovered the Demjanjunk wasn’t Ivan the Terrible but just a cog in the machine.

And in the case of others whom the Justice Department focused its attention on certain Nazis in the U.S. I think they went a bit too far in their persecution. In one case someone started using pipe bombs against those the department had targeted.

Look being a Nazi is abhorrent to me. But people do in fact change. I’ve seen it so much in my life. The zeal of the Nazi Unit in the Justice Department just irritates me.

 

 

So my very good old friend and I were talking earlier. We were getting at why lots of African-Americans and even Native-Americans are lactose intolerant. It was then I mentioned how Native-Americans got here – when there was a land bridge connecting Asia with North America.

So I started thinking – the cow it’s main evolution occurred in Europe of all places. So it makes sense that the states in Africa never adapted to that. Then we got on the evolution of mankind, up out of Africa and into Europe and across the Caucuses region into Asia.

For example – I can tolerate lactose. In milk, cheese etc. But my old friend cannot tolerate the lactose. Plus she can’t tolerate pork.

But then we hit on it, in many places in Africa they had chickens, goats, sheep etc. Those are meats that my friend has no problem with.

I find the whole thing fascinating.

Even though I don’t believe in god anymore I do know we are coming up for St. Patrick’s day and the Festa di San Giuseppe aka St. Joseph’ Day. Now the key about that latter Zeppoles a little puff pastry with boiled cream, whipped cream and a cherry. Delicious.

Trying to find an Italian bakery in the Atlanta area is a challenge though. I guess I’ll have to ask around.

Well my eyes are itching, my throat is itching, my sinuses feel like they’re on fire. It’s allergy season in Georgia.

Gotta pick up some antihistamine. I was warned it comes early down here and no doubt. Thing is with post nasal drip – the sinuses then get involved and it’s no god damned fun.

Well this week so far has been interesting. First there’s the fact that someone has been suffering from enterovirus problems. And my mind when that happens stops wondering if the plethora of medications he’s taking might be exacerbating the problem.

Then the gears start turning and I recall something about statins – they have him on statins because they SAY his cholesterol is high. Now I’ve read a lot about statins and the net effect is they don’t do much except give one what I euphemistically call the Hershey Squirts aka diarrhea.

So for the time being he’s off the avorastatin. Because the side effects of that particular bit of nastiness is the Hershey Squirts.

In the job search the company I spoke with last week emailed, they’re still interested in me. Plus I have another headhunter phone screen tomorrow. Something has to give soon.

The above photo is one of Sugar, our friend Ky’s Boyfriends Grandmothers dog. They’re watching her for the weekend.

It appears I’ve made a new pal in Sugar. That photo above is her sleeping right next to me.

Other photos:

Yeah – dogs like cats know when you’re wearing black. The above is sugar asleep atop me. She’s a sweet dog. Alas not ours. But getting to share this cutie over the weekend was great.

 

So today while we were in the car our friends phone rang not once but twice with robo-callers trying to hawk stuff.

It was then I had the thought – I wonder how secure those robo-diallers are. Just imagine being able to hack into one and be able to change the outgoing message to something totally rude and dismissive of the telemarketer. Here’s a script I imagined you might put on the robo-caller:

“Hey there I’m a rude fucking robot and I’ve been hacked. Heap all your scorn and derision upon the businesses participating in this service. Have  blessed day.”

That last part was because a cashier in a supermarket said that to me. I thanked her for it. She was being very pleasant and I saw no reason to go into Atheist beast mode. It’s a lesson I learned when I was a kid to choose my battles.

I noticed something else down here in Georgia, people are friendlier than I’d been told to expect. Really nice change from the northeast.