Thoughts on the WorldThoughts on the WorldOpinion and analysis of current events: what should be happening, not what is happening. A realistic, moderate look at the world. Articles
Local Cooling - Optimize Your PC Power Consumption
2007-07-19 01:54:00 Local Cooling is a free program that optimizes your PC?s power consumption. From the official description:By adjusting the power mode settings our advanced algorithms will predict how much you will save based on past PC usage and statistical data. Every time LocalCooling saves power by either turning of your screen, putting your hard drive to sleep when not used or shutting down your PC when you are away your savings stats will start to grow. It is possible to see your stats, which show how much energy you have saved. Along with how much energy saved, the little program that takes very little energy to install and run shows the how many trees and gallons of gas you?ve ?saved?, by ?translating? the amount of energy. Unless you have a problem with not being able to see your screen saver (occasionally), this is a simple way to save power, money, and the Earth.Related Posts:?Alternative Energy Linkathon!?Carbon Tax: A Simple and Efficient Way to Fight Global Warming ?Hydrogen and Aluminu... More About: Power , Local , Opti
Transformers Invade New York
2007-07-19 01:51:00 Reuters: Transformer explosion rocks midtown ManhattanIt gets worse; ever heard of breaking news e-mail alerts? When news breaks, some news organizations provide breaking news alerts. Fox News sent me this:EXPLOSION ROCKS MIDTOWN MANHATTAN AT HEIGHT OF EVENING RUSH; OFFICIALS SAY NOT A TERRORIST ACT, COULD BE A TRANSFORMERRelated posts:?Fox News: Libby Found Not Guilty?Lobbyists?$0.01 More About: Terrorism , New York , Transformers , York , Invade
McCain Could Still Win
2007-07-17 23:30:00 The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 7:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.-------------------------------- ----------------------------What does it say about the GOP presidential field when nearly a quarter of Republican s are unwilling to back any of the top-tier candidates?It says that many Republicans are not happy with their candidates. This is why Fred Thompson is being embraced so joyfully. This race is wide open; McCain could still win the nomination. More About: Email
Russia Must Extradite Litvinenkos Killer
2007-07-17 02:43:00 If you noticed the pop-up asking you to subscribe, don?t worry loyal visitors! You won?t see it every time you visit.Britain expels Russia n diplomats in murder row This is a necessary first step against Russia. The U.K. requested that Andrei Lugovoy be extradited to England for the murder of Alexander Litvinenko. Of course, Russia makes some ludicrous claim that ?extradition is not allowed under the Russian constitution,? or something like that. As discussed previously, that is completely false. Extradition IS allowed under the Russian constitution. Extradition is not allowed, unless the person to be extradited has broken a law that is also law in Russia. Murder is illegal in Russia, in case you didn?t know.More steps need to be taken against the Russian Federation until they realize they are breaking international law. Nothing will be accomplished at the U.N. because Russia is a veto-wielding member of the Security Council.The West needs to put more pressure on Russia to extradite ... More About: Killer , Kill , Must , Xtra
[POLL] Do You Support the Missile Shield in Europe?
2007-07-15 03:03:00 Don't forget to comment. NEW: If you do comment, your comment will be featured in the post, with a link back to your blog.Do you support the missile shield in Europe ?YesNoOther pollcode.com free polls More About: Terrorism , Poll , Support , Shield
BREAKING NEWS: North Korea Shuts Down Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor
2007-07-14 19:33:00 BBC:North Korea has shut down its nuclear reactor at Yongbyon, a US state department spokesman has said.Sean McCormack said that the US had been informed of the shut-down by North Korea and was now awaiting verification from the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency is in Yongbyon overseeing the closure, taking place under a deal agreed in February, but much delayed.Under this deal Pyongyang got its first heavy fuel oil shipments on Saturday. More About: News , Breaking News , Nuclear
Don't Only Blame Pelosi
2007-07-14 03:12:00 200th postAccording to Wikipedia, so far, the 110th Congress has passed only three bills.This is why Congress's approval rating is below the President.It's not only Pelosi 's fault nothing is being accomplished. You can blame the Republican s for stopping them too. Congress is too divided to get anything done. There will be no major accomplishments by the United States until after Bush is out of office and there are new congressmen and -women. More About: Blame , Lame
Between Iraq and a Hard Place
2007-07-13 13:43:00 It looks like Iraq is back in Washington (did it really ever leave?). There?s going to be fighting on Capitol Hill, but we can?t forget the brave soldiers fighting in Iraq, coalition and Iraqi soldiers.Who?s between Iraq and a hard place right now:President Bush: Will he try to make a deal with the Democrats, orr will he go down fighting, veto style?The Democrats: Their Congress has a lower approval rating than Bush, and the public wants them to get something done.The Republican s: With increasing pressure from both sides of the political spectrum, it?s time for them to decide: leave or stay?General Petraeus: Also under pressure from all sides, his upcoming report is already being over politicized.The troops: Support the troops, stay in Iraq! Support the troops, leave Iraq! They are in the middle of a huge game of tug of war.Iraqi security forces: If they don?t work harder and cut ties from militias, Iraq will never be able to survive.Al-Maliki government: After meeting only 8 of 18 ... More About: Hard , Place , Lace
Alternative Energy Linkathon!
2007-07-12 03:10:00 Enjoy!Alter native Energy Mega ProjectsI?m going to say it straight off the bat; I?m a greenie, I love my bike above all other modes of transport, our Earth is going to hell in a hand-basket, and it?s the rich and industrialized nations of the world that are doing it to us! My kids, and my kids' kids future may already be irrevocably screwed!.. That political statement out of the way though, I want to take a look at the latest alternative-energy projects , and how they can ensure our living on Earth without gills for as long as possible.Ocean Waves Could Power the Entire PlanetThe ocean occupies 70% of the earth?s surface and the waves that occur in them have the highest energy density. That means in a relative small area substantial energy can be generated making it the most viable and virtually inexhaustible energy source. Alternative Energy - Things you didn't knowAs our energy needs rise, as our supplies of fossil fuels run out and as the state of our planet become more precari... More About: Global Warming
Carbon Tax: A Simple and Efficient Way to Fight Global Warming
2007-07-11 02:19:00 Global warming is a serious threat to not only the United States of America, but to humanity as a whole. If the Earth heats to the dangerous level it is expected to, more than our national security is at stake. But the homeland will come under fire if something is not done to slow global warming. Droughts are becoming increasingly common, as are heat waves. The fight for water in poorer nations, such as those in Africa, is only aggravating conflicts there. As we saw around the turn of the century, countries in turmoil spawn frustrated, angry people that can turn in die-hard terrorists willing to do anything. Global warming has to be slowed.Placing a small carbon tax on emissions will not amount to much to the average consumer, but it will to big emitters. They will realize that they must invest in renewable energy or nuclear power. Carbon taxes are one flat tax that is predictable and easy to implement. And the tax revenue, which will be a decent amount, can be used for research int... More About: Global Warming , Fight , Global , Simple
Congress Must Stop Funding For Guantanamo
2007-07-10 02:23:00 The Cafferty File, part of The Situation Room on CNN, poses a question every hour The Situation Room is on. This is today's 4:00 question, and Thoughts on the World's response.-------------------------------- ----------------------------Should Congress stop funding the detention center at Guantanamo Bay?Of course. Guantanamo is an illegal facility, illegal under both U.S. and international laws. The majority of America (and of course, the rest of the world) believes Guantanamo should be shut down. Stop ping funding would be a simple, uncontroversial way to correct one of the Bush Administration's biggest mistakes. Then, President Bush would be forced to relocate the terrorists to normal prisons to be tried constitutionally. More About: Terrorism , Funding
Bill Gertz China Applause
2007-07-10 01:25:00 If you're looking for the post on Bill Gertz and China , go here:http://thethoughtsontheworld.blogspo t.com/2007/05/china-is-not-immediate-thre at.html More About: Applause
[POLL] Would You Consider Voting for John McCain
2007-07-08 21:39:00 Don't forget to comment.Would You Cons ider Voting For John McCain?YesNoMaybe pollcode.com free polls More About: Poll
Satellite Moved To Avoid Chinese ASAT Debris
2007-07-07 13:28:00 NASA's Terra Satellite Moved to Avoid Chinese ASAT Debris WASHINGTON - Flight controllers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., had to maneuver the Terra environmental spacecraft in late June to avoid orbital debris created by the Jan. 11 test of a Chinese anti-satellite (A-Sat) weapon. As written previously, China 's ASAT test was a dangerous act of aggression. The fact that NASA had to reposition a satellite only exemplifies the stupidity of space warfare around Earth.
The New 7 Wonders of the World
2007-07-07 00:59:00 The New 7 Wonders of the World poll is about to close (if it isn't closing while this is being written), and the site is crashing. You can't vote online, and many of the site descriptions won't load.Well, if the site wasn't down, here how I would vote:The AcropolisThe Acropolis is a symbol of democracy and the ancient Greeks.The ColosseumThe Colosseum is a symbol of the strongest empire of all time: Rome. During of much of Rome's history, it was a republic, a symbol of (relative) freedom.The Great Wall of ChinaThe Great Wall of China symbolizes the greatness of the ancient Chinese, and of a new superpower.Hagia SophiaThe Hagia Sophia is mix of cultures: European and West Asian.The Pyramids of GizaThe Pyramids are a symbol of the great Egyptians. The Pyramids are the only surviving wonder from the old 7 wonders.The Statue of LibertyThe Statue of Liberty is the symbol of freedom and democracy in the modern world.The Taj MahalThe Taj is one of (if not the best) example of a mixtur... More About: History , The World , Wonders of the World
The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
2007-07-06 02:18:00 Part 2 in a 2-part miniseries.Bottled water is a huge industry but a huge waste of money and resources. No matter which way you look at it, bottled water is harmful to the environment and the economy.Drinking tap water instead of bottled water is one of the simplest and most effective ways to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide you put in the atmosphere. As mentioned in 7 Facts You Never Knew About Bottled Water, 89% of water bottles are not recycled. Even if that number only went down to 70%, the result would be HUGE. And if every single water bottle was recycled?Well, we can always hope.Standard water bottles are made of PET (Terephthalate), which is made of crude oil. One kilogram of PET uses around 6.45 kilograms of crude oil and results in 3.7 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions [1]. 3.7 kg of emissions for one bottle of water just for making the bottle; let?s not even get in to the transportation emissions (which must be considerably higher).If you had to attempt to give the... More About: Global Warming , Carbon , Reduce , Carbon footprint , Effective
Happy Fourth of July
2007-07-05 04:09:00 Happy Fourth of July !Bottled Water: Part 2 is delayed until tomorrow. More About: Happy , Fourth of July
Post of the Month: June
2007-07-04 02:18:00 Part 2 of the Bottled Water Miniseries will be posted tomorrow.Post of the Month for May is... Why Autonomous Regions Won't Work!------------------------------------ ---Joe Biden and others have proposed that Iraq be cut up in to 3 regions. Here's why it won't work.Autonomous regions would only survive temporarily, before they are swept up by surrounding countries. Sunnis+Saudi Arabia and Shiites+Iran. Turkey has threatened to invade Kurdistan if it becomes any more autonomous than it already is.And how would it be possible to cut up the country? Baghdad is full of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds? The whole plan is unrealistic.There would be a temporary period of peace before the whole region is engulfed in war.Other options will work. It will take time and patience, but what Petraeus is doing in Iraq right now will work. We need to give them more time, something the majority of Americans are too impatient to do. More About: Middle East , June
7 Facts You Never Knew About Bottled Water
2007-07-03 03:03:00 Part 1 in a 2-part miniseries.7 facts you didn?t know about bottled water (you can draw your own conclusions):? Tap water is just as safe as bottled water. In fact, the U.S. government requires more rigorous testing on tap water than on bottled water. [1] [2] ? Bottle d water is thousands of times more expensive than water from your faucet. [1]? Terephthalate (PET) is the most commonly used plastic for making water bottles. PET is derived from crude oil. [3]? Just in the U.S., 1.5 MILLION barrels of oil are used each year for tasks such as (but not limited to) making PET, transporting bottles and powering water bottle factories. [3]? 2.7 MILLION tons of plastic are used to bottle water bottles every year. [3]? 86% of water bottles aren?t recycled. [4] ? About 40% of bottled water starts as tap water. [5]Sources:Food & Water Watch [1]NPR [2]Earth-policy.org [3]Seattle Post-Intelligencer [4]NRDC [5]For More:Wikipedia: Bottled water (Environmental impact)Bottled Water Report5 Reasons No... More About: Global Warming , Facts
[POLL] Do You Agree With the Supreme Court's Decision?
2007-07-01 23:42:00 Don't forget to comment.For more polls, click here.Do you agree with the Supreme Court decision limiting the use of race by school districts attempting to achieve integration or diversity?YesNoWhat decision??? pollcode.com free polls More About: Poll , Decision
Tony Blair Becomes Mideast Quartet Envoy
2007-06-30 22:28:00 Blair is Mideast envoy for 'quartet'The whole Palestinian situation has been stuck in gridlock for decades. Could Blair only worsen the situation? Possibly. It's much more likely he will be able to help; his experience with North Ireland and the IRA will be essential.Any thoughts? More About: Terrorism , Middle East , Israel , Tony Blair , Palestine
House To Spend $2000000 On Their Own Salary
2007-06-29 01:47:00 Yes, the House is about to vote to spend nearly $2,000,000 of tax funds on their own salaries. By voting to raise each individual member?s salary by $4400, they will, in total, raise the collective salary by nearly $2,000,000. Knowing that there are 435 Reps:4400 * 435 = 1914000$2 million of our own tax money... More About: Corruption , Salary , Ouse
Supreme Court Makes Another Stupid Decision
2007-06-28 23:25:00 In case you haven't heard: Court strikes racial diversity school programsYes, of course ALL organizations should be completely blind to race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. But what was important about this ruling is that before the ruling schools could make sure schools were diverse. More About: Supreme Court , Stupid , Decision , Supreme
Chris Dodds Corrupt Background
2007-06-28 21:37:00 It's interesting to note that Chris Dodd's father was a Senator from Connecticut. Why is this important? He was censured by the Senate for using campaign funds for personal purposes. He is lucky enough to be one of only 2 Senators ever censured (the other being Joseph McCarthy). More About: Corruption , Background , Odds , Round
[CARTOON] The Supreme Court and Bong Hypocrisy
2007-06-28 01:37:00 This just about sums up the Supreme Court 's decision on the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case. Click the picture to see it full sized More About: Cartoon , Hypocrisy , Cart
Why Autonomous Regions Won't Work
2007-06-26 21:29:00 Joe Biden and others have proposed that Iraq be cut up in to 3 regions. Here's why it won't work.Autonomous regions would only survive temporarily, before they are swept up by surrounding countries. Sunnis+Saudi Arabia and Shiites+Iran. Turkey has threatened to invade Kurdistan if it becomes any more autonomous than it already is.And how would it be possible to cut up the country? Baghdad is full of Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds? The whole plan is unrealistic.There would be a temporary period of peace before the whole region is engulfed in war.Other options will work. It will take time and patience, but what Petraeus is doing in Iraq right now will work. We need to give them more time, something the majority of Americans are too impatient to do. More About: Work , Regions
[POLL] Should Guantanamo be Shut Down?
2007-06-25 21:20:00 More good news: normal posting will now resume.Should the Guantanamo Bay Prison be shut down?YesNo pollcode.com free polls More About: Terrorism , Poll , Shut , Namo
No Missile Shield in Azerbaijan
More articles from this author:2007-06-14 23:48:00 So, Putin decided to make himself look a little nicer than he is; he offered to make a "compromise" on the whole missile shield situation. This paragraph from Stratfor pretty much sums it up.By rejecting the proposal, Washington would look hostile and uncompromising. Accepting it would mean basing the missiles near the Iran ian border, possibly too close to intercept long-range missiles fired from there. Using Russia n radar -- which currently is insufficient for U.S. needs -- would make the entire system dependent on Russian cooperation. And pulling the system from Poland would be a signal to Central Europe that military agreements with the United States are subject to negotiation with the Russians. That, of course, is exactly the signal Putin wants sent.If, and only if, Bush decides to go through with the missile shield, he shouldn't build it in Azerbaijan . More About: Middle East , Shield 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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