Gil Friend

Here's the big lesson of this election: Slate: The Democratic Party has failed to sell the public a story...

Sadly, not a big surprise, from a party that's been throwing elections for 30 years.

Or, as my friend David puts it:

Here's the letter I just sent to the Boston Globe:

While unemployed, I worked on my house and learned rotten wood looks sound on the surface but crumbles when touched. That's today's Democratic Party. We must rip out the dead wood and create a fresh 21st century Democratic vision. No wonder our kids are Greens: they have a clear, enrolling vision.

And cousin Tomm, quite simply:
The Democratic party does not have a clue. Issues, Issues every where and not a thing to do.
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Perhaps an even worse lesson: This will be taken as a mandate for the continued unilaterism of the Bush administration. Most recently, population policy. (Who cares about China and India; if it tolerates abortion, we're agin' it.) Previously, the Kyoto climate change treaty. (Who cares about tree-huggers -- and coastal cities; if it slows oil revenue, we're agin' it.) And laying the groundwork on "defense" poplicy ten years ago, The Men Who Stole the Show.

Message to the world: "You're either with us, or against us. But don't expect us to be with you...."
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Homo Lupus?

The American Idol. If you think Germany is turning anti-American, pay attention to what happened last month when Bill Clinton visited Berlin. By Thomas L. Friedman. [New York Times: Opinion]

If I've learned anything from living abroad, it's that while other nations often make fun of or scoff at America's naðve optimism, deep down they envy that optimism and rue the day we would give it up and adopt the tragic European view of history.
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Still more election perspectives:

Different voting systems produce radically different results. The US system is probably worst of all.

[Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]

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And then there's [still] the economy...

[John Robb's Radio Weblog]: WSJ.  Inside the Fed, deflation is drawing a closer look.  In response, the Fed went all out with a large 0.5% rate cut this afternoon.   The Fed can go no lower.  It has stimulated us to the extent of its powers.

Some would say (count me in that camp) that the Fed's actions to date have been akin to "pushing on a string."  Why?  The Fed's rate cuts alone weren't sufficient to reverse the slide.  The combination of 9/11, the stock market collapse, and corporate mismanagement proved to be too much.  It needed help from the administration to build consumer confidence, keep budgets in line, and stimulate the economy.  It didn't get that help.  In fact, the administration did the opposite.

Tiptoeing to Defeat. The party of Roosevelt, Truman and the Kennedys has morphed into the party of timidity. By Bob Herbert. [New York Times: Opinion]

Twenty years ago a friend, very active in progressive politics, gained an audience with Richard Viguerie -- one of the architects of the Christian Right fundraising/media juggernaut. At one point in the perfectly polite conversation, Viguerie leaned forward across his desk and bellowed "You know what's wrong with you people?" My friend, a bit stunned, managed to squeek out a "What?" You're afraid," he replied, "to say what you really believe."

Reminds me of the "New Coke" debacle. Some braniac at Coca Cola decided that the way to grab market share from Pepsi was to make Coke taste more like Pepsi. The market gave them a big spit take, and Coke, tail between its corporate legs, re-introduced "Original Coke."

Somehow these stories always come to mind when I think about Democratic Party strategy.

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Quote of the day:
George Burns. "Too bad the only people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs and cutting hair." [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]
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Ford, Alcan launch closed-loop aluminum-recycling program

ENN
Wednesday, November 06, 2002, DETROIT, Mich.

Ford Motor Company and Alcan Inc. have launched the North American automotive industry's first "closed-loop" recycling program for aluminum sheet scrap.

"The recycling of aluminum requires only 5 percent of the energy used to produce the primary metal," explained Andy Acho, Ford Motor Company's worldwide director of environmental outreach and strategy. "This is an important factor in reducing the total cost of this component to Ford. Moreover, recycling eliminates 95 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with primary production, thereby providing tremendous environmental advantages."


From GreenBiz.com

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Picture, 1000 words, etc.

(Take a careful look at those binoculars...)

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When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden

Bill Maher tonight on "Fresh Air":
Thu, November 7, 2002, 7:00pm, KQED-FM (88.5 FM)
(Check your local listings.)

We'll hear from the former host of "Politically Incorrect" - Bill Maher. He has a new book called "When You Ride Alone, You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us To Help Fight the War on Terrorism."

Maher is of course the guy fired from the TV show "Politically Incorrect" for being... politically incorrect. Astute, insightful, funny. And likely to piss some folks off, of course, so don't tune in inf you're that sort of think skinned. (Then again, you wouldn't be reading this if you were!
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Tara Sue: "The campaign is only the beginning." [Scripting News]

Cyber-campaign for North Caroilina congressional seat pulls 11.19% with a campaign budget of $3500 bucks. The times could be a-changin'

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Fish Catch Leveling Off

Earth Policy Institute: The world fish catch in 2000, the last year for which global data are available, was reported at 94.8 million tons. After decades of steady growth, the oceanic fish catch has plateaued and since the late 1980s has fluctuated between 85 million and 95 million tons. Some three fourths of oceanic fisheries are fished at or beyond their sustainable yields. In one third of these, stocks are declining.

This is in the face of steadily rising demand for fish, driven by both rising incomes and shift from beef -- and both trends are likely to continue. OTOH recent warnings about mercury content in "top carnivore" fish like swordfish, tuna, etc might slow some appetites. (Eliminating mercury pollution would be too sensible an alternative, I guess.)
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The rhythm thing

I'm still trying to figure out how to combine weblogging with real life. Not at all clear how people who seem to have jobs and things manage to post as prodigiously as they do...
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Exxon-Led Group Is Giving a Climate Grant to Stanford. Four big international companies will give Stanford University $225 million over 10 years for research on ways to meet growing energy needs without worsening global warming. By Andrew C. Revkin. [New York Times: Science]

Which, as one environmental campmaigner points out (in the article), is a fraction of a percent of the $100 Billion Exxon/Mobil plans to spend on oil & gas exploration over the next decade.
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And in other energy news...

New solar cells from LBL.  Discovery may yield full spectrum solar cell.  Extremely interesting if it pans out.  Basically, some new work in materials technology for LEDs has led to the development of a low cost compound that works across the full spectrum of visible light.  ~70% efficiency vs. ~15-20% currently.   I did a little work on what it would cost to power my home, and I found that a $14k system would supply about 1/3 of my needs using existing solar cell technology.  If similar price points are in place (based on the size of the panels) with a more efficient system, I could buy a system that supplies all of my needs and provide a recoupment of 100% of the investment in 4 years (and that's in New England!).  [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

And a little household energy efficiency will go a long way to improving that rate of return. (25% simple ROI. Try to get THAT in any other legal investment!)
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U.S. Backs Out of Pollution Register Treaty Group

GENEVA, Switzerland, November 25, 2002 (ENS) -
The United States
today pulled out of a United Nations conference to finalize an
international agreement that will provide the public with greater
access to information about sources of pollution. The treaty will
require participating countries to collect and publish information on
the quantities of pollutants released from certain industrial
sources.

Michael Meuser wrote:
"No big surprise I guess given our recent history."

In this case, though, it appears on closer read that the shoe may be on the OTHER foot:

"A source familiar with the U.S. position said the United States believes the proposals for pollution release and transfer registers do not go far enough.

"One of the primary U.S. concerns is that that several European countries favor a system that reports waste without specifying specific pollutants, rather than one that details individual pollutants....

"Environmentalists are upset with the U.S. withdrawal because it is one of a few nations that already has a well established system of pollution reporting....

"'This is very disappointing news. The U.S. departure increases the likelihood that this new right-to-know law will be a weak instrument, and unfortunately strengthens the EU [European Union] countries' hand,' said Friends of the Earth pollution researcher Mary Taylor, speaking on behalf of the coalition of nongovernmental organizations European ECO Forum."

I realize that we're so used to the US being wrong, and the Euro's being right, that it's easy to react automatically. But things are so complex these days, it's generally worth digging deeper.

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And on the other other hand...

S. Auchincloss observes:
"Things are complex these days. And they are not always as they seem. I think it is possible that the U.S. pulled out to make things easier for companies, but said that the reason was that the treaty was not strong enough. Of course this is a measure of the depth of my disappointment with current U.S. approaches to foreign policy, but I would expect that if our government wanted the treaty to be stronger it would demand that it be stronger, and hang in there until it got what it wanted, as with the UN and Iraq. Pulling out is for wrecking international agreements, not for strengthening them."
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Bill Vaughan: "A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election". [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]

I give thanks every time I get to vote -- even while grumbling about the lack of real candidates.
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Awesome! Pathe has put 3500 hours of news reels online. [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]
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EIA: US renewable energy use declines 12% from 2000 to 2001

Biomass surpasses hydro; both decline. Renewable electric generating capacity increased modestly; wind power provided most of the 1,803-megawatt capacity increase. The five leading States for renewable generation during 2000 were: Washington, California, Oregon, New York, and Idaho.
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Of course it also helps to have candidates...

Something I didn't know, voting is compulsory in Australia. [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]

Wow. Where else? (Turnout was all of 30% in California this year.)
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Bush Plan Gives More Discretion to Forest Managers on Logging. The Bush administration proposed to give forest managers more discretion to approve commercial activities with less evaluation of potential environmental damage. By Robert Pear. [New York Times: Science]

The remarkable thing about the Bushian ideology is that local control is good if it reduces environmental protection (eg forestry), but bad if increases environmental protection (eg clean air).
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Quote of the day

"One must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star."
-- Friedrich Nietzsche
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The Incredible Mind of Einstein. It comes as a shock to realize that Albert Einstein, whose theories still seem so futuristic and Star Trekky, did his first pathfinding work almost a century ago. By Philip M. Boffey. [New York Times: Opinion]
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Why doesn't anyone ever do the math?

BBC.  The study shows that each year more than a quarter-of-a-million people in China are taking their own lives. [John Robb's Radio Weblog]

China's rate is half Japan's, less half than Western Europe's. What's different is who (it's only country where rate for women exceeds rate for men), why (less due to "mental illness" than in the west) and how (drinking pesticides, which are "easily available"). Yeow.
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NYT.  "We wish all of you closer to the center of our home planet a happy Thanksgiving." [John Robb's Radio Weblog]
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Wired does Chanukah

Wired: "There's an old joke: Someone asks a rabbi, 'What's the essence of all Jewish holidays?' He thinks for a minute and says, 'They tried to kill us, we won, let's eat.'" [Scripting News]

Hard on the heels of Turkey Day. Chanukah starts tonight, making a short year even shorter.
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Don't forget: International Buy Nothing Day: November 29th

Buy Nothing Day -- falling on the day after Thanksgiving, the biggest shopping day of the year in the US -- is a celebration of simplicity; it's about living with less stuff; it's about moving a consumer culture onto a sustainable path. If each of us must shop at a fevered pitch to keep our economy going, how secure are we, really? In 2000, in over 30 countries, an estimated one million people paused from buying, postered their cities, performed street theater, etc.

See also >Center for a New American Dream.
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In Media Res. Will the economic interests of the media undermine objective news coverage? By Paul Krugman. [New York Times: Opinion]

And the informal rule against blatantly partisan reporting has also gone away -- at least as long as you are partisan in the right direction.

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