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Can Hemp Save the Planet?

2009-03-29T16:20:00.004-04:00

A summary of the plant Cannabis Sativa

Cannabis hemp is one of the most important and individualized plants on earth. The potential for industry and manufacture using cannabis hemp far exceeds any other crop, and it's undoubtedly the number one renewable cash resource for the world. The hemp industry has provided jobs and commerce since the beginning of history, as well as medicine for hundreds of ailments. Beyond that, Cannabis is a staple resource of mankind and will build the foundation for our new era in the 21^st Century.

Cannabis hemp is as old as we are. The first woven fabric was made from Hemp fiber somewhere in 7,000-8,000 B.C. One of the earliest Chinese founders of civil-ization, farmer and philosopher Shen Nung preached as early as 3750 B.C. the use of cannabis hemp as fiber.[i] Pictures survive of him clothed in cannabis leaves. Nearly all (90%) of ship’s sails in history have been made from hemp. Russians have used it as a food source in times of starvation for many millennia. People have used the substances in cannabis as medicine and for spiritual recreation as long as man has walked the earth, including many famous figures in history.[ii] In 1941 Henry Ford built an automobile using natural plastics made from hemp, among other plants.[iii]

Cannabis hemp is a member of the botanical order urticales. The Latin name is Cannabis sativa L., and it is an annual, woody, herbaceous crop. A hearty, pest-resistant organism, the plant grows from seed to maturity in only four months. Two crops can sometimes be harvested in a single year. Cannabis can grow anywhere from 3 to 16 feet or more in a season. The stalk is rigid and produces a bark fiber. Growing cannabis hemp takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and cleans our air. Cannabis grows with more speed and efficiency than any other plant besides bamboo. Cannabis can grow in almost any climate, and on soil so marginalized other plants would not survive. The roots strengthen the soil and prevent erosion, unlike food crops and tobacco. The leaves of the cannabis hemp plant contain nutrients, and when the growing cycle is complete the leaves fall off and deposit nutrients.

In the last century the cannabis plant was stolen from us in a myriad of deception and lies. Even today, current laws in many countries prevent people from harvesting this vital, renewable resource. We nearly stopped using the plant altogether, but in the last decade cannabis has made a comeback. Even with excessive import costs, cannabis hemp stores (selling mostly clothing and accessories) are springing up around the country. With the growing need for cannabis in society, this market will expand and widen in the 21^st century.

Growing cannabis hemp and using it for production and manufacture would create a whole new standard of industry. By stimulating the environment rather than destroying it, we would reach a new balance with nature. Combined with global awareness and the communication possibilities of the Internet, we can effectively build an entirely new base for our economy. Every man, woman, and child on the planet will live on a better earth because of cannabis hemp.

It is time to take charge. Each of us must do all we can to encourage the cultivation of cannabis hemp. Education is the most important weapon for freedom and peace, and cannabis is the best tool to support our society in the coming century. Let us teach each other. Encourage communication and acceptance, and spread the word. Cannabis hemp is our future. We must embrace it.

FINAL NOTE:

Cannabis hemp is also sometimes known by a different name: marijuana. The history behind marijuana and its association with cannabis hemp is quite intricate, and is only briefly discussed below in the section concerning cannabis medicine. This document is meant to provide basic information about how we can use hemp in our lives. People especially interested in information about marijuana (more appropriately called resinous cannabis) should read the companion document to this one, “cannabis hemp and marijuana.” Anyone interested is also encouraged to visit any of the numerous Internet websites on “marijuana culture.” For political and activist information regarding cannabis, one of the best sites on the web for current is www.drugwarroom.com.

THE USES OF HEMP

Cannabis hemp is absolutely the most necessary plant in our lives. With a seemingly endless variety of uses, it will affect everyone on the planet in the next century and many in just the next few years. The nature of the plant allows it to provide for nearly all of the things we use in our lives.[iv] In the 21^st Century, cannabis is destined to become the most necessary crop on the earth.

What is provided here is just a basic summary of how we can use cannabis hemp. This list is by no means as expansive or inclusive as it could be. Documenting every use of Cannabis is a monolith chore. The information here is meant simply to lay the foundations of understanding. Many people do not know exactly what cannabis hemp can do for our society, and have misguided views about the plant. Here is the truth. Each person is encouraged to read and learn from this document. The reader may feel free to reprint or repeat anything they feel might be of interest.

USES:

Textiles and Fiber

Paper

Energy

Hemp Seed

Building

Plastic

Medicine

TEXTILES AND FIBER

The most common way we use hemp for industry today (and it’s most common use throughout history) has been as a textile fiber. This fiber can be spun into threads to make rope, twine, cords, etc. It can be woven into clothing, fabrics, or linens, as well as accessories such as bags, wallets, bracelets, or belts. Cannabis hemp is much stronger than cotton and does not need pesticides. Hemp could potentially replace all other forms of fabric. It could make our towels, curtains, pillowcases, pillows, furniture fabric, packaging fabrics, aprons, costumes, carpeting, sleeping and resting mats, decorations, and all without excess chemicals and with positive environmental effects. Cannabis fibers are much stronger than cotton or flax, and also resist rain and will not easily wear out. In modern society many companies are already devoted to cannabis hemp products produced from this fiber. Retail stores all around the country carry these fine goods.

PAPER

For many centuries we used hemp instead of wood for our paper. Now there are important reasons to make the switch back to hemp. One acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 4.1 acres of trees. Hemp paper production would use 10-20% the amount of the chemicals.[v] We use more paper now than we ever have, and this means we are cutting down even more of our precious forests. But we can produce paper of better quality using cannabis. Until the year 1883 we made 75-90% of our paper from hemp.[vi] The constitution was written on hemp paper. The first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence were also written on hemp paper (the final version was made from animal skin). Hemp fiber will tear if wet, but when dry returns to it’s full strength. This paper can last for many centuries without deterioration.[vii] Modern technology allows us to make paper from hemp pulp, much the way we make paper from trees today. This would mean fewer chemicals and less harm to the environment, and give us more paper per acre. Using cannabis for paper will mean more forests for our children. The choice is obvious.

ENERGY

Another very important use of hemp is as an energy source. When cannabis hemp is burned it can produce charcoal, fuel oils and ethane for gasoline, or methane for electricity. This previously overlooked aspect is one of the most vital. Fossil fuels are a plague on the environment and cannabis hemp is the only reliable solution to the problem. If we continue to burn fossil fuels we will eventually run out of energy. Cannabis is an effective renewable energy source (we can always grow more, after all), and can provide for all our energy needs.[viii] We already burn waste wood and wood chips for energy, and there are advancing technologies for renewable energy production. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy both have stressed the importance of renewable energy and its role in sustaining our future. As an annual crop with high cellulose content, cannabis is the best plant to burn for our energy needs. Cannabis could give clean energy to everyone. Making the transition to cannabis hemp energy is the next and most essential step in our global evolution, and the first step in the healing of our planet.

HEMP SEED

One of the most beautiful features of the cannabis plant is the seed itself. The oils from hempseed will provide a seemingly endless bounty of products, from shampoo to paint to lubrications to food. Companies worldwide are beginning to appreciate anew this feature of the plant. Natural hemp soaps, cleansers, balms, and various other hygiene products are available to consumers today. Varnish and paints from hemp are easy to make and long lasting, and are cleaner than chemical products.

The hempseed is so useful we can even eat it. We have, in fact, long been eaten hempseed for its protein value, and for essential nutrients and fatty acids. Monks were required to eat hempseed foods at least three times a day. Hempseed can be used for cooking oils. Even birds will naturally choose hempseed among an assortment of choices. Birds in the wild that eat hempseed will live longer and breed more. [ix] We have long made a feedstock of the cannabis seed. Hempseed industries could provide jobs in the United States and help the economy.

BUILDING

Americans are behind the times in terms of cannabis economy. The Dutch, Hungarians, and French already use cannabis as a resource (in fact over 30 countries worldwide already cultivate hemp for industrial purposes). Now in France a concrete substitute from hemp is being developed, and is the start of a giant undeveloped industry for cannabis. Hemp construction for houses and building could provide shelter for everyone, and not just concrete. Hemp fiber and pulp can be processed into drywall or plywood. Cannabis can be used to make particleboard, cabinetry, paneling, and other home construction materials. Using hemp for building would save trees and create new jobs. We could literally build a house from Hemp.

PLASTIC

By converting petrochemicals into various polymers, we create plastics. This includes everything from the plastic fork at a cheap fast food restaurant to the advanced prosthetics we use in medicine. The computer keyboard you are using right now is one of the thousands of examples of plastic. These products could all be made from cannabis hemp. Henry Ford knew this 60 years ago; in 1941 he built a high durability dent-resistant car using plastics made from hemp and other plants. Making plastics from hemp would be easy with current technologies. This would mean much less harm to the environment than petrochemical plastics. Up to this century, cannabis plastic development has never occurred on mass scale on this planet.

Plastic grows ever more important in our society. We make stereos, car interiors, computers, televisions, checkbooks, pens, pencils, videocassettes, food containers, home furnishings, furniture, cooking utensils, dishware, cosmetic packaging, general packaging, toys and games, PVC piping, display casings, windows, cassette tapes, cassette tape cases, CD’s, jewel cases, poker chips, bicycle parts, telephones, cellular telephones, fax machines, beverage containers, lighters, VCRs, clothing, and many, many other products from plastic. All these goods could be made from cannabis plastics instead. Meanwhile the petrochemicals we use now destroy our environment. Hemp plastics would be clean and promote renewable economy.

MEDICINE

Cannabis has been used as medicine since the beginning of civilization. Hemp is probably the most effective form of pain relief, except possibly for opiates like morphine. Hemp is certainly much less addictive, and is safer than acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Until 1937 we used the medicines in resinous cannabis (named because the psychoactive compounds are found in resin sacs on the leaves) for pain relief in our everyday lives. We even gave the medicine to children. Cannabis extracts were an accepted part of our culture, and no one ever thought to outlaw the helpful hemp plant.

Our faith and support in cannabis was not unfounded. The research proving positive therapeutic effects of cannabis is overwhelming, and there are many, many credible studies have recognized medicinal uses of cannabis. In just the past few years several states have legalized medicinal cannabis use, and that trend will continue.

Despite all this, resinous cannabis is a controlled (illegal) substance in the United States. We do not call it resinous cannabis, however; we have given the drug a much more infamous name: Marijuana. In fact the slang term marihuana (an Americanized version of the word originally coined by Mexican soldiers under Pancho Villa) has been used to demonize resinous cannabis in the press for nearly a hundred years. Today, new versions of the same old lies and deceptions are responsible for a generally held belief that resinous cannabis is somehow “evil.” For a long time Americans have blindly accepted that resinous cannabis should be avoided at all costs, not without a terrible effect on society. Terminal AIDS patients and cancer patients cannot get the only medicine effective in easing their pain and suffering, we imprison people and destroy their lives, all because Americans are afraid of the “demon weed.” In California, where four years ago voters passed proposition 215 and gave sick patients the right to used resinous cannabis, patients still fear the long and misguided arm of the law. The DEA tries to shut down the clinics distributing this harmless pain medication, and arrests the good people who fight for medicine and human rights. They intimidate doctors to prevent them from prescribing cannabis. Our own government spends billions of our tax dollars every year preventing people from using cannabis. They will stop at nothing. And so we must stop them.

WHAT NEXT?

There are plenty of reasons to use hemp. Now it is time to change the law. As long as the people are uninformed our sufferings will continue. Spread the word and teach the truth. Our government is ineffective and subverted, controlled by big money corporations who want nothing more than to see cannabis dissapear forever (after all, they stand to lose the billions of dollars they steal from us). But education is their enemy. With a little work and dedication, eventually everyone will know the real facts about the Cannabis Hemp plant, and the government will have no choice but to free the plant and promote it.

And when that happens, you can be sure our world is going to change in many ways. We will stop worrying that our consumption leads to destruction, because it will instead lead to prosperity. We can finally start the real healing of our planet and environment. Our economy will finally have a truly stable base, with a renewable source for industry, ensuring prosperity for generations to come. We will enter a new era of mankind, as never seen before on this planet.

[i] Shen Nung is thought by many to actually be a composite of several important people in early Chinese history, while others think him a single man. Either way Cannabis Hemp has been around a long, long time. From Hemp for Health by Chris Conrad

[ii]

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, George Harrison, Nero, Ibn Beitar, Li Shih-chen, Jacques-Joseph Moreau de Tours, William B. O’Shaughnessy, Sir John Russell Reynolds, Jack Kerouac, Louis Armstrong, John Lee Hooker, Lewis Carroll, Victor Hugo, Alexander Dumas, Cab Calloway, Ken Kesey, Duke Ellington, Gene Krupa, Willie Nelson, David Carradine, Ryan O’Neal, David Bowie, Neil Diamond, Hunter Thompson, Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, and Queen Elizabeth I, just to name a few.

[iii]

Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears no Clothes

[iv]

“It is said that hemp has 50,000 commercial uses. We hold that to be a very conservative estimate, if not understatement. Anything made of cotton, timber or petroleum can also be made of hemp…the number of products we make with hemp is limited only by our imaginations and the ability to create new uses for it, which has been technologically compounded by the computer revolution.” From Hemp, Lifeline to the Future by Chris Conrad

[v]

This is from USDA Farm Bulletin 404, by the United States Department of Agriculture’s chief scientists, Lyster Dewey and Jason Merrill. They wrote the document for the American government in 1916…the reprint is in Jack Herer’s The Emperor Wears No Clothes

[vi]

Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes

[vii]

The term “rag paper” refers to discarded Hemp fiber products, like ship sails. These were often used as a paper source by colonialists in early independent America and even before. This exemplifies Hemp’s durability and strength as a fiber source…from Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes

[viii]

Lynn Osburn, Energy Farming in America

[ix]

Jack Herer, The Emperor Wears No Clothes

How to Network Vista and XP Computers Together

2008-12-09T09:22:00.011-05:00

I'm going to start by letting you know that I've put a link at the bottom to TechNet for any problems you may have with your network that isn't covered here. It is very detailed and definitely worth the visit.

Ok, here we go. First start with your XP machine. We'll need to begin by checking the file system on the XP system. You’ll want to ensure the XP computer is using NTFS — or New Technology File System — because this improves security at a file level and makes it easier to interface with Vista’s more stringent security. Both Vista and XP use the NTFS file system. Microsoft’s earlier operating systems Windows NT and Windows 2000 used it, too.

XP brought the NTFS file system to the average computer. XP is also capable of using the older and less desirable FAT32 (File Allocation Table 32-bit version) file system. FAT32 was found in Windows 95 (OEM Service Release 2), 98 and ME. It’s less secure than NTFS but some XP systems, especially those upgraded from 98, may still use it.

To check if you are already running on an NTFS file system, right-click on My Computer, select Manage, then select Disk Management to see what file system your hard drive is running. If you are running FAT32, you have to switch to NTFS. Just go to the Start button and click Run. A little window will open up. Type in the letters cmd (short for command) and click OK. A new command window will open that will look a lot like the old DOS screen... that’s because it is, well, as close as you can get. It’s an emulation. Type this line where the flashing cursor is:

convert c: /fs:ntfs

Once you’re done, repeat this step on any other XP computers as needed. After the conversion is complete, restart your computer. Now the foundation is laid for the network to run as smoothly as possible.

If you run Windows XP Professional, open "My Computer" and select Tools and then Folder Options. Under the View tab, go to the advanced setting window. Scroll down until you see the option to "Use Simple File Sharing." Uncheck it, if it is checked, Now, click Apply, then OK, otherwise the change will not occur. Go to your Start menu, select Control Panel. Find the Network and Internet connections button. In the Network Connections panel, right-click your Ethernet card (usually referred to as "Local Area Connection"). Under the General Tab, make sure that "File and Printer Sharing For Microsoft Networks" is clicked.

Now, you’ll go back to the main Control Panel and select Performance and Maintenance, and select System (if you are using Classic View, select System). In the window that opens, select the "Computer Name" tab, and down three-quarters of the way, click on the Change button. From here, make sure that the Workgroup name is the same for all computers. Windows XP Home uses MSHOME, while XP Pro uses WORKGROUP. I’d leave it as WORKGROUP, but you could switch it to your last name or anything else, so long as you use the same workgroup name on all the systems. You will need to reboot the computer now to make the changes.

For Windows XP Home Users: From this point, pick which folder you want to share and right-click on it. From the menu, select Sharing and Security. You’ll get a box that will show the folder sharing options. Click the box that says, "Share this Folder on the Network". For ease of use, also select the box next to "Allow Network Users to Change my Files." Do this to all drives or folders you want to share. From there, Windows XP Home is ready to share files with other computers that are connected to the same network.

For Windows XP Professional Users: From this point, pick which folder you want to share and right-click on it. From the menu, select Sharing and Security. You’ll get a box that will show the folder sharing options. Click on the box that says "Share this folder," the share name will be the folder name itself. On the Permissions button you can allow Read, Change or Full Control. Make sure to click Apply then OK once you have picked which permissions you want for your shared folder.

This part is a little prosaic, but it’s worth it in the end.

On the Vista computer, you’re going to click on the Start menu and type "system" in the Search Box. Click on System when it appears in the menu. In the Computer Name Domain and Workgroup Settings, you’ll see the name of the workgroup that Vista has set up already. Change that name to whatever you’ve set on the XP systems. To change it, simply click on Change settings. Vista will pop up the now familiar (or obnoxious) UAC (User Account Control) warning. Select Continue. From here, change the workgroup name to the one you’ve selected. Make sure you’ve picked the Computer Name tab. Click on Change next to the words "To rename this computer or change its domain or workgroup, click Change..." At the bottom of the system properties window, you will find an option called "Member of." Choose Workgroup. The default name should already be WORKGROUP. You can change it to the one you want to use. Click OK. Now, reboot the computer. Do not choose Domain. That is mainly in use in corporate environments or if you are running a Windows server in your house with a domain controller. That, of course, is not a likely scenario for the average home user.

Reboot the Vista machine, then proceed to pick the folders you want to share from Vista.

Go to the Network and Sharing Center (find it by typing "sharing" in the search box on the Start Menu). Turn on Network Discovery and File Sharing. To share from the Vista folder C:\Users\Public, turn on Public Folder Sharing. Turning on Password Protect Sharing can also turn on an increased level of security when you share files. You can also turn on Media Sharing (to share files in Windows Media Player).

To share a folder on Vista, right-click on the folder in question, select Properties followed by clicking on the Sharing tab. Under Advanced Sharing, click on the Advanced Sharing... button, and a new Advanced Sharing window will appear. Put a check mark in the Share this folder box, same as with Windows XP Professional, choose Permissions and select the access permissions for this folder as appropriate. "Read" gives the user ability to open a file but not change it. "Change" gives them the ability to edit it. "Full Control" allows them to do anything to it.

Once Vista is configured, and all of the other computers are on the network, they should be able to see each other. To check on XP, go to "My Network Places" in the Start Menu. From Vista you’ll also be able to see the XP computers in the Network folder. Just select the "Start Menu" button and click on Network. From here, the folders and drives you selected should be visible and accessible.

For your more intricate networking setup and settings, try this page from TechNet.

Amazon's Obama Mask is "Terrorist Costume"

2008-10-27T16:40:00.007-04:00

The LA Times says that Amazon.com had a mask depicting democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama listed under the search term "terrorist costume." The listing has since been pulled, but the LA Times has a screengrab, pictured above.

My question to Amazon is this, "Why would Barack Obama's name be associated, in any way, with the word terrorist on your website?". If you are as outraged as I am with this, you can let Amazon know about it by way of their online customer service form by clicking here. If you don't want to go the online route you can call them at 1-866-216-1072 and let them know over the phone how unhappy you are that they had Barack Obama's name associated with terrorists.

Fighting The Smears

2008-10-27T01:21:00.013-04:00

Barack Obama's Birth Certificate - CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW___________________________________________________________

“The truth: Sen. Barack Obama, born in Hawaii, is a Christian family man with a track record of public service.”
___________________________________________________________

“When Barack Obama Jr. was born on Aug. 4,1961, in Honolulu, Kenya was a British colony, still part of the United Kingdom’s dwindling empire. As a Kenyan native, Barack Obama Sr. was a British subject whose citizenship status was governed by The British Nationality Act of 1948. That same act governed the status of Obama Sr.‘s children.
Since Sen. Obama has neither renounced his U.S. citizenship nor sworn an oath of allegiance to Kenya, his Kenyan citizenship automatically expired on Aug. 4,1982."
____________________________________________________________
Smears claiming Barack Obama doesn’t have a birth certificate aren’t actually about that piece of paper — they’re about manipulating people into thinking Barack is not an American citizen.
The truth is, Barack Obama was born in the state of Hawaii in 1961, a native citizen of the United States of America.
Next time someone talks about Barack’s birth certificate, make sure they see this page.

Will Ferrell as Bush Endorsing McCain/Palin

2008-10-24T16:31:00.003-04:00

Will made a guest appearance on SNL's Primetime special Thursday night as George W. Bush. In the skit President Bush makes a special, yet unwanted, political endorsement for John McCain.

Is Sarah Palin This Amazingly Stupid?

2008-10-22T20:22:00.008-04:00

Please take a very close look at Sarah Palin's beautiful, expensive silk scarf she wore yesterday. Do you notice the cute little animal displayed all over it? Yes, that's right, it really is the Democratic donkey! Either she has just proven that she really is the stupidest vice presidential nominee in history, or she has decided to switch to the winning team... You decide.

The Largest Atomic Bomb Ever Detonated

2008-10-15T19:16:00.018-04:00

This is a reenactment of the Tsar Bomba. Developed by the Soviet Union it is the largest, most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated. This video was made in FumeFX. View Full Resolution

Carter Tried To Stop Bush's Energy Disasters - 28 Years Ago

2008-10-15T13:17:00.008-04:00

by Thom Hartman Tuesday, May 3, 2005, CommonDreams.org

In his recent news conference, George Bush Jr. suggested that our nation's "problem" with high gasoline prices was caused by the lack of a national energy policy, and tried to blame it all on Bill Clinton. First, Junior said, "This is a problem that's been a long time in coming. We haven't had an energy policy in this country."

This was followed by, "That's exactly what I've been saying to the American people -- 10 years ago if we'd had an energy strategy, we would be able to diversify away from foreign dependence. And -- but we haven't done that. And now we find ourselves in the fix we're in." As is so often the case, Bush was lying.

Consider President Jimmy Carter's April 18, 1977 speech. Since it was given nearly three decades ago, when many of the reporters in Bush's White House were children, it's understandable that they don't remember it. But it's inexcusable that Bush and the mainstream media (which, after all, has the ability to do research) would completely ignore it. It was the speech that established the strategic petroleum reserve, birthed the modern solar power industry, led to the insulation of millions of American homes, and established America's first national energy policy. "With the exception of preventing war," said Jimmy Carter, a man of peace, "this is the greatest challenge our country will face during our lifetimes."

He added: "It is a problem we will not solve in the next few years, and it is likely to get progressively worse through the rest of this century. "We must not be selfish or timid if we hope to have a decent world for our children and grandchildren.

"We simply must balance our demand for energy with our rapidly shrinking resources. By acting now, we can control our future instead of letting the future control us." Carter bluntly pointed out that: "The most important thing about these proposals is that the alternative may be a national catastrophe. Further delay can affect our strength and our power as a nation." He called the new energy policy he was proposing, "[T]he 'moral equivalent of war' -- except that we will be uniting our efforts to build and not destroy."

When Carter had become president three months earlier, the nation was still recovering from the "oil shock" of the 1973 Arab oil embargo, and scientists were realizing our nation was just then hitting the point of domestic peak oil production predicted more than a decade earlier by scientist M. King Hubbert. (The rest of the world is hitting the Hubbert Peak right now.) As Carter noted in his speech, "The oil and natural gas we rely on for 75 percent of our energy are running out. In spite of increased effort, domestic production has been dropping steadily at about six percent a year. Imports have doubled in the last five years. Our nation's independence of economic and political action is becoming increasingly constrained." Hubbert had predicted that the peak of oil production for the USA would come in the 1970s, and it did, hitting us with a shock.

"The world has not prepared for the future," said Jimmy Carter. "During the 1950s, people used twice as much oil as during the 1940s. During the 1960s, we used twice as much as during the 1950s. And in each of those decades, more oil was consumed than in all of mankind's previous history." Hubbert said we must begin to conserve. Carter agreed.

"Ours is the most wasteful nation on earth," he said, a point that is still true. "We waste more energy than we import. With about the same standard of living, we use twice as much energy per person as do other countries like Germany, Japan and Sweden." Carter directly challenged the fossil fuel and automobile industries. "One choice," he said, "is to continue doing what we have been doing before. We can drift along for a few more years. "Our consumption of oil would keep going up every year. Our cars would continue to be too large and inefficient. Three-quarters of them would continue to carry only one person -- the driver -- while our public transportation system continues to decline. We can delay insulating our houses, and they will continue to lose about 50 percent of their heat in waste. "We can continue using scarce oil and natural gas to generate electricity, and continue wasting two-thirds of their fuel value in the process."

But that would be unpatriotic, anti-American, and essentially wrong. Who but a traitor sold out to special interests, or an idiot, would countenance such insanity?

The year 1977 was a turning point for America. If we didn't make clear and rapid progress, we would face painful times ahead. The Saudis would have their fingers around our necks. We'd face war in the Middle East to secure future oil supplies. "Now we have a choice," Carter said. "But if we wait, we will live in fear of embargoes. We could endanger our freedom as a sovereign nation to act in foreign affairs."

Failure to act in the 1970s and 1980s would inevitably lead to a time when the only way to maintain our lifestyle would be to rape our planet and seize control of oil-rich nations in the Middle East. If we didn't begin to develop alternatives like solar power, and dramatically reduce our consumption of fossil fuels, then, Carter said, even our cherished personal freedoms would be at risk. If we continued to simply follow past policies that enriched the oil industry and the Saudis, instead of becoming energy independent, Carter said, "We will feel mounting pressure to plunder the environment."

If we failed to develop alternative sources of renewable energy and conserve what we have, the alternative could be nasty. As Carter pointed out: "We will have a crash program to build more nuclear plants, strip-mine and burn more coal, and drill more offshore wells than we will need if we begin to conserve now. Inflation will soar, production will go down, people will lose their jobs. Intense competition will build up among nations and among the different regions within our own country. "If we fail to act soon, we will face an economic, social and political crisis that will threaten our free institutions."

Carter's speech drew a strong reaction from the Saudis and the oil industry. Think tanks soon emerged - many whose names are today familiar - to suggest there was really no energy problem, and they led the charge to establish a permanent right-wing media in the US. Within two years, Saudi citizen and oil baron Salem bin Laden's sole US representative, James Bath, would funnel cash into the failing business of the son of the CIA's former director, political up-and-comer George H. W. Bush. With that money from the representative of Osama Bin Laden's half-brother, George Bush Jr. was able to keep afloat his Arbusto ("shrub" in Spanish) Oil Company. And he would be in the pocket of the bin Laden and Saudi interests for the rest of his life. But Carter was incorruptible.

"We can be sure that all the special interest groups in the country will attack the part of this plan that affects them directly," he said. "They will say that sacrifice is fine, as long as other people do it, but that their sacrifice is unreasonable, or unfair, or harmful to the country. If they succeed, then the burden on the ordinary citizen, who is not organized into an interest group, would be crushing." But that would be wrong. It would be un-American. It would lead to future oil shocks, and the probable death of American soldiers in Middle Eastern oil wars. Instead of caving in to the Saudis and the oil industry, Carter said: "There should be only one test for this program: whether it will help our country."

Two years later, as the bin Laden family's sole US representative was bailing out George Bush Junior's failing oil business, Jimmy Carter gave another speech on energy, further refining his national energy policy. He had already started the national strategic petroleum reserve, birthed the gasohol and solar power industries, and helped insulate millions of homes and offices. But he wanted to go a step further. "I am tonight setting a clear goal for the energy policy of the United States," Carter said on July 15, 1979. "Beginning this moment, this nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977 -- never. From now on, every new addition to our demand for energy will be met from our own production and our own conservation. The generation-long growth in our dependence on foreign oil will be stopped dead in its tracks right now and then reversed as we move through the 1980s..." In addition, we needed to immediately begin to develop a long-range strategy to move beyond fossil fuel.

Therefore, Carter said, "I will soon submit legislation to Congress calling for the creation of this nation's first solar bank, which will help us achieve the crucial goal of 20 percent of our energy coming from solar power by the year 2000." But then came the Iran/Contra October Surprise, when the Reagan/Bush campaign allegedly promised the oil-rich mullahs of Iran that they'd sell them missiles and other weapons if only they'd keep our hostages until after the 1980 Carter/Reagan presidential election campaign was over. The result was that Carter, who had been leading in the polls over Reagan/Bush, steadily dropped in popularity as the hostage crisis dragged out, and lost the election. The hostages were released the very minute that Reagan put his hand on the Bible to take his oath of office. The hostages freed, the Reagan/Bush administration quickly began illegally delivering missiles to Iran.

And Ronald Reagan's first official acts of office included removing Jimmy Carter's solar panels from the roof of the White House, and reversing most of Carter's conservation and alternative energy policies.

Today, despite the best efforts of the Bushies, the bin Ladens, and the rest of the oil industry, Carter's few surviving initiatives have borne fruit.

It is now more economical to build power generating stations using wind than using coal, oil, gas, or nuclear. When amortized over the life of a typical mortgage, installing solar power in a house in most parts of the US is cheaper than drawing power from the grid. (Shell and British Petroleum are among the world's largest manufacturers of solar photovoltaic panels, which can now even be used as roofing shingles.) And hybrid cars that get 50-70 miles to the gallon are increasingly commonplace on our nation's highways. Instead of taking a strong stand to make America energy independent, Bush kisses a Saudi crown prince, then holds hands with him as they walk into Bush's hobby ranch in Texas. Our young men and women are daily dying in Iraq - a country with the world's second largest store of underground oil. And we live in fear that another 15 Saudis may hijack more planes to fly into our nation's capitol or into nuclear power plants.

Meanwhile, Bush brings us an energy bill that includes eight billion dollars in welfare payments to the oil business, just as the nation's oil companies report the highest profits in the entire history of the industry. Americans struggle to pay for gasoline, while the Bush administration refuses to increase fleet efficiency standards, stop the $100,000 tax break for buying Hummers, or maintain and build Amtrak. George Bush Jr. is arguably right that gas prices are spiking because we don't have an energy policy. But instead of blaming Clinton, he should be pointing to the Reagan/Bush administration, and to his own abysmal failures over the past four years.

Thom Hartmann's bestselling book on peak oil is titled "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, published by Random House/Three Rivers Press. His articles archive is at www.thomhartmann.com/commondreams.shtml.

The Best Tribute to George Harrison

2008-10-11T14:35:00.004-04:00

This needs to be watched all the way through to the end. The guitar playing by Prince is absolutely unbelievable. He was a prodigy as a child, he could play virtually any instrument. I didn't like Prince much when I was young, (for some reason I did like Michael Jackson, funny how the kids like Michael huh? I loved 'Thriller'), but there is no denying Prince's talent. In the film Purple Rain, Prince (played as "The Kid") and the band are identified as "The Revolution". His real band became Prince and the New Revolution. and then we all remember 'The Artist Formerly Known as Prince' when his name was an unpronounceable symbol (right). Play the video and watch Prince get down a little over halfway through and watch it to the end. This is live, but sounds like a great studio cut.

.::The End of Capitalism::.

2008-10-10T08:00:00.006-04:00

The Bush administration is now considering a nationalization of banks, the American government buying up a portion of their shares to shore them up and restore confidence as part of the $700 billion government bailout. This notion of government ownership in the financial sector, goes against what market purists say they see as the foundation of the American system.

Credit is the blood of capitalism and it has ceased to flow. An economy based on the free market cannot function that way and it is dieing. We are witnessing the end of (at least), the full free market and (at the most), a turn toward socialism and complete government control of the largest market in history.

It seems that we are now witnessing the end of one country's freedom in order to better supply the empire.

.::You Have Been Given a Choice::.

2008-10-07T03:13:00.018-04:00

Imagine seeing something that has changed the way you view everything. Imagine spending just two hours of your life to see yourself, the world and the universe the way it was meant to be seen. Would you use these 2 hours to do just that, or would you choose the blue pill and carry on life as you know it? Is the choice between what you believe you know and an unknown 'real' truth fascinating to you? Well, I have always chosen truth over fantasy, so I was willing to set aside two hours of my life to see what was so fascinating about this "thing" that people have been talking about called Zeitgeist: Addendum. Did you think I was talking about the Matrix? Not even close, but you are given the same choice. See things for what they really are and how great they can be, or continue your laboring, taxing life just the way it is now.

So you see the question is not about the pills, but what they stand for in these circumstances. What stands before you is a choice to truly change humankind and more specifically your life. What I ask is that you give these 2 hours to yourself, then make your choice. This is about revolution, but it is not about war. You can view this in portions or all at once, but you owe it to yourself. All I ask is that you complete the step and make it the full 2 hours. Just so you all know, I am in no way affiliated with the group that created this, I have by chance, become a messenger. So here is the message. Will you choose the red or the blue? Find out your future here: Zeitgeist: Addendum.

It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. -- Jiddu Krishnamurti

.::Why Halloween will Suck this Year::.

2008-10-03T08:30:00.003-04:00

.::liKE ThiEveS iN tHe knIgHThooD::.

2008-10-02T10:32:00.021-04:00

George Bush and his cronies have robbed this country blind. These are the questions to the DNC: Why was George Bush never impeached? Why did Bill Clinton get impeached (for lying), but George Bush hasn't? Why did Nancy Pelosi refuse to impeach George Bush upon taking her job as the House Speaker? These are very honest questions that need to be answered by the Democratic Party and will continue to be called for when the Executive Office is taken back January 20th, 2009.

.::Obama up Big vs. McCain::.

2008-10-01T18:20:00.012-04:00

Current Electoral Score - Obama 336.0 - McCain 202.0

If you aren't familiar with FiveThirtyEight.com, they project the electoral map if the election were held today. What makes them different/better than other projections? They accumulate and analyze polling and political data in a way that is very informed and accurate. They absolutely give the best possible objective assessment of the likely outcome of upcoming elections. They base their outcome on the current major polls (historically accurate polls weigh more heavily), they include a regression estimate based on the demographics in each state, they simulate the election 10,000 times, (yes 10,000 times!) for every single site update in order to provide a probabilistic assessment of electoral outcomes based on a historical analysis of polling data since 1952.

If you are going to use a single website to follow the election trends this is the one I would recommend and it is also the one the Kos will send you to. It's a little easier to remember this site over the others as well since 538 equals the amount of electoral votes in the presidential election. My goal this time is to point readers to (what I see as) the most accurate electoral website and to explain why they are the most accurate!

.::McCain's Healthcare Plan? GO tO wALMaRT::.

2008-10-01T17:09:00.001-04:00

This is unbelievable. I had to listen to this a couple of times to make sure I heard right. John McCain says that since the emergency room is the largest healthcare cost in America we should have a clinic at Walmart to visit in cases of emergency. Ok, McCain is officially senile and this needs to be played in ads from coast to coast by the Obama camp. Now I know that when I have had to go to the emergency room, normally there had to be tests run with equipment Walmart doesn't have. This is the most ludicrous idea I have ever heard by a campaign in my 34 years on this planet.

For those that want to hear it with your own ears. Here you go (make sure your volume is up):

.::CNN SNL Sara Palin Interview to the Original::.

2008-09-29T20:42:00.006-04:00

.::How Risky are the Debates?::.

2008-09-29T20:17:00.001-04:00

The presidential debates are not as much of a risk to the candidates as most of us may think. Many of us think that the candidates can be questioned "on any subject matter", this simply isn't the case and is laughable. The debates are profoundly undemocratic. What most people don't know is that the debates are organized by a "private corporation. That corporation is The Commission on Presidential Debates, and it was was established by the Republican and Democratic National Committees in 1986 and was designed to serve only their interests and no other. Before the debates take place, the two-party organizations jointly draft debate "contracts" which define exactly what will happen during the "debate". This includes screening which topics will be discussed, who can attend the debates, who can ask questions, how long each candidate will have to answer and that there will be no candidate-to-candidate questions, no rebuttals and no follow-up questions.

The CPD has also set criteria that deliberately excludes third-party candidates from taking part. To join the debate, a third-party candidate must be able to demonstrate that they expect to receive 15% of the public vote.

The polls used to determine expected support are not required to list candidates other than those from the two main parties. This stage management does not lead to a debate but instead a glorified press conference that draws ratings for the channels that broadcast them.

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

2007-10-24T08:43:00.001-04:00

As reported by Billboard.com, Best Buy is set to be the exclusive retailer for Guns N’ Roses decade-plus-in-the-making new album “Chinese Democracy” before year’s end, sources close to the situation tell Billboard. Some details of the deal are still being worked out, including the release date.

The news brings a semblance of closure to the bizarre history of “Democracy,” which Guns N’ Roses has been working on since the mid-1990s. Since then, every original member of the once mighty group has left besides vocalist Axl Rose, and millions of dollars have been spent working on the new material.

“Democracy” was most recently on the Interscope release schedule in March 2007. The endless delays encountered by the project reached comic levels this spring, when soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to “everyone in America” (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if “Chinese Democracy” were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008.

In June, nine purported “mastered, finished” tracks from the album were leaked online, prompting an FBI investigation into their source. A sign “Chinese Democracy” was perhaps finally nearing release came in July, when the band agreed to debut new track “Shackler’s Revenge” in the video game “Rock Band 2,” which hit stores earlier this month.

Guns N’ Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff’s Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the Eagles’ “Long Road Out of Eden” through Wal-Mart in 2007, much to the chagrin of other merchants, but the album was a runaway hit, having sold 3.1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.