Thoughts on the World
Opinion and analysis of current events: Politics, global warming, alternative energy and more. A realistic, moderate (but slightly left leaning) look at the world. |
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Articles from Thoughts on the World |
Michigan to Move Its Primary Up
2007-08-17 21:05:00
Whew. This presidential race is tiring. At least we finally got that whole primary calendar thing sorted out. NOT:According to sources inside both parties, the two state parties in Michigan have agreed to move the state's primary -- legislatively -- to Jan. 15. This is a compromise date out of respect for Democratic Sen. Carl Levin, who really wanted to move the primary to Jan. 8. Others wanted the primary on Jan. 22 as a way to, essentially, play ball with the other early states. There was a nice window being created for a Jan. 22, 2008 event. But by moving to Jan. 15, this will put pressure on the other early states to either entertain a December event or lobby the two national parties to not sanction Michigan at all.Here was the previous primary calendar:January 14 – Iowa CaucusJanuary 19 – Democratic Nevada CaucusJanuary 22 – New Hampshire PrimaryJanuary 29 – Republican South Carolina Primary(Michigan)Here it is now:January 14 – Iowa CaucusJanuary 15 – Michigan Primary ...
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First Rumsfeld, Then Rove, and Now: Gonzales?
2007-08-16 17:54:00
First Rumsfeld, then Rove, and now Tony Snow. Who’s next? Alberto Gonzales?In the past year, over 15 key administration officials have resigned. The original staff members of the Bush Administration is a rare species ("Can I pet it mommy? Please!").Joshua Bolten, the President’s chief of staff, recently told senior aides that if they stayed past Labor Day, he would expect them to stay the rest of the term. This, according to Rove, forced him to leave.Understandably, this could be the reason Tony Snow is planning to leave. Snow was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt:HEWITT: Are there any other resignations upcoming, Tony Snow?SNOW: I think that probably…as [Joshua Bolten] said the other day, he thinks there are probably a couple coming up in the next month or so.Which makes sense based on Bolten’s Labor Day remark. So, will Gonzales go?It’s true Gonzales might not be considered a ‘senior aide’; he is higher up in the chain of command than that. But he has become a liability for th ...
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Plastic Bags Statistics - And They're Not Looking So Good
2007-08-14 12:14:00
Petroleum-based grocery bags hit the checkout aisle in 1977. Presented as a revolutionary idea, they are now recognized as an environmental hazard. Just like bottled water, plastic bags are made from crude oil, contributing to global warming.The NumbersUp to 1000 - Estimated years for a plastic bag to decompose.1460 - Plastic bags used in a year by an average family of four in the U.S.12 million - Barrels of oil used to make the plastic bags that the U.S. consumes annually.Less than 1% - Percentage of all plastic bags that get recycled in the U.S.88.5 billion – Plastic bags consumed in the U.S. last year.500 billion – Estimated plastic bags sold worldwide each year.The CountriesSan Francisco has banned non-biodegradable plastic bags in large grocery stores.Ireland has a $.20 tax per bag.France is banning plastic bags starting 2010 and starting 2008 in Paris.South Africa has banned thin plastic bagsUganda has banned thin plastic bags and has taxes on thicker ones.Kenya is banning pl ...
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Open Discussion - Anything
2007-08-13 19:25:00
Today we're going to have another open discussion to really test out these new comments.If there's anything, anything at all you feel like talking about (as long as it's not Paris Hilton), please feel free to comment.
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New Comments System - Intense Debate
2007-08-12 20:44:00
Does everybody like the new comments system? They're the 'Intense Debate' comments system. Thanks to being a member of Political Grind, we are able to try them while they are still in the 'beta-ish' stage. To sign up to try after the beta, visit the website: IntenseDebate.comYou can either register and get an account to earn account based points, or you can post anonymously.What's great about Intense Debate is that the system doesn't delete the old comments, so the old comments are still there if you would care to look.Simmons.
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[POLL] Would You Bomb Pakistan?
2007-08-12 14:37:00
If you comment, your comment will be posted with a link back to your blog.If you had credible evidence to where top Al-Qaeda leaders were hiding in Pakistan, would you bomb them without Pakistan's permission?free polls
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Post of the Month: July - And Some Other Stuff
2007-08-11 20:05:00
Let me just say straight out: I don't like the Moderate Plan for Iraq anymore. I didn't plan it out fully, and the situation has changed. I now endorse the Iraq Study Group's plan. That's obviously a little outdated. So now Time Magazine has published a plan. And I really like it.Other thing. Like arguing with a global warming denier? Then check out this forum. In this thread, we got into a heated argument over global warming.Post of the Month for May is... 7 Facts You Never Knew About Bottled Water---------------------------------------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] • Bottled 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 fro ...
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Guess Who's Back
2007-08-10 20:51:00
First day back, so here's someting a little lighter than normal (click to see the whole thing):
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No Posts
2007-07-27 19:18:00
Sadly, there will be no posts for almost two weeks. Don't worry loyal followers readers, Thoughts on the World will be back after that.
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Aquafina Labels to Say 'Tap Water'
2007-07-27 17:19:00
Aquafina labels to give source: tap waterPepsiCo Inc. will spell out that its Aquafina bottled water is made with tap water, a concession to the growing environmental and political opposition to the bottled water industry. According to Corporate Accountability International, a U.S. watchdog group, the world's No. 2 beverage company will include the words "Public Water Source" on Aquafina labels. "Concerns about the bottled-water industry, and increasing corporate control of water, are growing across the country," said Gigi Kellett, director of the "Think Outside the Bottle" campaign, which aims to encourage people to drink tap water.You can make a difference. It worked. That is amazing in its own way. Related posts:•Response From Pepsi - Bottled Water• 7 Facts You Never Knew About Bottled Water• The Simplest and Most Effective Way to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint• Bottled Water Miniseries
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Nixon and China + Bush and Iran?
2007-07-26 19:46:00
Part of a series.In July 1971, Henry Kissinger secretly journeyed to Beijing to confer with Premier Zhou Enlai, then in charge of Chinese foreign policy. This paved way for the landmark 1972 summit between President Nixon, Zhou, and Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Until then, the U.S. and China had been estranged from each for more than 20 years. Disrupted for years by internal turmoil and regional threats, Chinese leaders thought of relations with Washington as a possible chance for stability. The United States, troubled by the deepening military quagmire in nearby Vietnam, worsening relations with traditional allies and problems at home, was desperate for a political solution before the upcoming presidential election.In July 2007, Condoleezza Rice secretly journeyed to Tehran to confer with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. This paved way for the landmark 2008 summit between President Bush, and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Until then, the U.S. and Iran had been estranged from each for ...
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Response From Pepsi - Bottled Water
2007-07-25 18:10:00
I emailed Pepsi, and I recieved the following response:Thank you for contacting us. In fact, we are in the process of clarifying our Aquafina label. We started discussions with Corporate Accountability earlier this year when they raised questions about Aquafina's labeling, and have shared those concerns directly with PepsiCo's CEO.We have reviewed Aquafina's label with the goal of making it more clear and consistent about identifying the source of the water. We have decided to add the words "Public Water System" to clearly indicate the origin of the water. From there, Aquafina’s HydRO-7 purification system removes substances most other bottled waters leave in. What this means is that no matter where you buy your Aquafina, it tastes the same – every time, everywhere.This change will occur over time as new labels are printed for Aquafina to avoid unnecessary waste of existing, pre-printed materials. Additional questions about Aquafina's sources can be directed to either Pepsi-Col ...
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Pepsi Call-In Day - Take Action Against Bottled Water
2007-07-25 17:45:00
Pepsi Call-In Day– Tell Pepsi to get rid of their deceptive logo!Do you know where your bottled water comes from? Probably not, because bottled water corporations like Pepsi, Coke, and Nestlé are reluctant to disclose this information. Instead, they prefer to use misleading branding to undermine confidence in public water systems and shape consumers perceptions of bottled water without revealing information about the sources or sites of the water they bottle. For example, the most popular bottled water brand, Aquafina, is just processed tap water, despite the image of the snow-capped mountain that appears on every label. That’s right; you could get virtually the same water out of your own tap for free!Join Corporate Accountability International’s Pepsi Day of Action! Ask Pepsi when they will remove the misleading mountain logo on the Aquafina label and become transparent about the sources of the water they bottle. Pepsi is paying attention to this: now we need your help to step ...
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