Energy

I've written before about my emerging and increasing belief that to honor one another, ourselves, our descendants, and the planet, we must find ways to live more responsibly and create a life path that is less harmful to the people, places, and things around us.

One such area for improvement in our lives (Andy's, Ari's, and mine) is energy consumption. Some improvements are easy, no matter how busy or financially strapped we may be (changing lightbulbs, using less water, recycling, biking or walking more, turning off lights and other electrical energy suckers, etc.); however, some things will have to wait (solar panels, turbines, etc.).

And just when I was feeling down about the focus of the current administration on foreign oil and the ridiculously high prices at the pump, I heard a story this morning about an old oilman who has decided he wants to make wind power his legacy.

T. Boone Pickens has invested in oil for many, many years and has decided it's a dead end street (I'm paraphrasing). He feels remaining dependent on foreign sources of oil for energy consumption is ultimately not helping our country, and he has proposed spending billions of dollars investing in wind energy in Texas. Yup, Texas.

Apparently, North Dakota has enough land and enough wind to generate enough electricity to power homes in all of the United States (this seems like an inflated statements, perhaps, but this was something he said during the interview)... and his plan for Texas would generate enough electricity for over 1 million homes, which is a nice big dent if you ask me.

He also suggests using natural gas resources to power most of our transportation needs (though I would still love to see development of solar cars, electric cars, and hybrids everyone can afford). But wind is the way, according to Pickens. Which is pretty darn cool because it seems so very silly it's taken us this long to utilize natural weather patterns to serve our consumption needs.

So... a bit of inspiration for you sustainability and green junkies out there. If just a few more powerful moguls get on board for this kind of thing, we could actually be able to enjoy some innovative new resources that make life more affordable and more mindful (dare I say ethical?) as we go about our daily business.

And... in a related story, Philippe Starck, a French designer, has created a windmill the neighbors won't scoff at (though truly, why in the world would it matter to you what your windmill looked like?). I figure, if it gets more people buying them, especially owners of larger, more expensive homes who tend to use more energy, then I'm all for it!

At only $630 a pop, we might even consider buying one (though we'd probably only be on the 20% end if we stuck it in our current backyard). We shall see... that's definitely one of those "later" type changes.

Unrelated S&J (two-for-one special)

"S"
Why in the world are people still reporting media stories using language like, "We may be in a recession"?

With unemployment rising another .5%, the dollar dropping in value all around the world, gas and energy prices rising, foreclosures continuing to effect individuals and families at multiple socioeconomic levels, multiple companies shutting down factories or closing down offices leading to hundreds of thousands of layoffs, and people looking for work and finding none in nearly every industry imaginable: WE ARE IN A RECESSION PEOPLE.

Instead of blithely pretending it isn't so, or trying to persuade the American public to forgo panic and remain hopeful that such an ecomonic categorization is as-of-yet unconfirmed, why not just be upfront about it and start looking at ways we can make things better for the millions of Americans who are truly struggling?

Intentional ignorance is helping no one, and pretending as if it might actually be debatable or some kind of collective cultural myth is ultimately pretty insulting.

Forgive the soapbox, but consider it a kind of angry sorrow.

"J"
We bought a Snoopy Sno Cone Maker from our local toy store for Ariana in a fit of nostalgic glee, believing her love of ice and the inclusion of a sweet, syrupy topping would make it an indisputable hit with our ice-chip-loving daughter.

Hoping to spring it on her at just the right moment, we had hidden it away in the closet of Andy's office. Tonight seemed perfect: Ari was hyped up on Benedryl for a weird rash on her legs, has not been getting enough sleep, and was generally feeling grumpy and unpleasable.

So... Andy opened it up, cleaned every part, set it all up, and prepped her for what to expect... ice! With grape flavor! Yummy!

I had not remembered that the special syrup for the sno cone maker is actually a kool-aid knockoff. You make 2 quarts of it, put it in the little snowman squirty guy, and voila: flavored sno cone.

Here's the nice part: Ari hated it. She didn't like the grape stuff and kept saying, "pleh" - which essentially means it tastes yucky and she wants no more. We don't give her sugary drinks, she's never had caffeine of any kind, and we try to stay away from anything too chemical-y where she's concerned.

So... our little girl tasted this stuff, from which she has been shielded thus far (stuff Andy and I both grew up on and drank like some sort of kiddie ambrosia), and she detested it. Pleh, Daddy. Pleh, Mommy.

Which made me feel very happy.