There’s been considerable talk lately that President Obama is poised to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and what impact a large scale pipeline disaster might have in the U.S. and now we actually have an example...on a small scale.
During a recent trip to the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia, I had an eye opening experience. While the coastline was incredible and the people there were completely accommodating, this wasn't what opened my eyes. These aspects were great, but my actual mind-expanding experience had nothing to do with great surf, sand and food. It had to do, in fact, with seeing other tourists descend on a predominantly Anglo-Saxon, English speaking nation. This was a new experience for me.
Yesterday I shared a link about how we discount a huge component of Finland’s education system—equality over excellence—that may make it one of the most effective systems in the world. This news is old, but it does remain relevant.
I feel like there currently isn't a lot of trust between people in the United States. For most of us, whenever we leave our house, car or anything with a lock, we make sure that the lock is firmly in place. When in a public place, if we get up for even a second, we pack up all our belongings so we don’t leave anything for anyone to snatch.
Spies have long been a part of the international scene. So have they in popular culture, ranging from the Hollywoodized version of Ian Fleming's James Bond (and the grittier Bond of the original novels) to more subdued spy fare by the likes of Len Deighton, Tom Clancy, and John le Carre. Truth, however, is usually more engrossing than even The Hunt For Red October or The IPCRESS File. Former CIA clandestine operative E.B.
I often ask self-publishers who they think would like their book. Some people have a very clear idea of who would probably pick up their book, but a lot of authors I talk to haven't really thought about it. And their answer is something along the lines of, "Everyone."
Everyone in the world is not your target market. Everyone in the United States is not your target market.
As the impending hypothetical showdown with
One of the biggest events in the news these days and perhaps one of the biggest historical occurrences of this decade, the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is finally having its day in the Supreme Court. The title of this act is dubious at best, for it does little to defend marriage as a whole and really only exists in order to “defend” the antiquated view of marriage as it has been perceived during our country’s primarily Christian-driven history. As of Wednesday, March 27, 2013, DOMA is being put to the vote.
I’m not a violent person. I don’t believe in the death penalty, and I’m a far cry from a gun owner. With that being said, when the U.S. sent in Navy Seals to assassinate Osama Bin Laden, I found myself at a crossroads. I do believe that Bin Laden’s death will result in the lives of many saved. I also believe that by eliminating Osama, plans for future terror attacks against the U.S. and other nations, both Islamic and western alike, were stymied. But playing God scares me.
When I open up my electric and natural gas bills or have to fill my gas tank, I mutter a group of not-so-nice four letter words. Living is expensive, and it doesn't seem to be getting any cheaper. Horizontal hydraulic fracturing has helped to significantly decrease the cost of natural gas, but while we're saving a little money, the long term impact could be staggering.
I’m all for keeping my bills low, but not at the cost of people and the planet’s health.
What is horizontal hydraulic fracturing?
