The University of Washington's Husky Stadium (photo by MS(R)M)
Hi again and yep, from the ramparts of the Bastion on the Puget Sound, it’s been another interesting week. And it’s time, once again, to praise a president. I’m referring to Mr. Obama’s address before the United Nations General Assembly today.
From the start of the presidential primaries, Barack Obama has consistently contended that it is not up to a national chief executive, the Congress, or any other elected official or body of same alone to solve the problems which afflict this nation.
We are not a monarchy. We are a democratic republic. We elect those who govern us and we decide whether they stay in office to do what we are paying them to do. By popular initiative and referendum, we also decide for ourselves which laws work best for us and which do not. So it’s all of us working together that will bring this nation back into a realm of reasonable prosperity and good humor.
President Obama made it very clear to the UN General Assembly that, by the same token, it is not up to America alone to solve the problems which plague the global community but rather that it is incumbent upon each nation ~ however large, however small ~ to participate in that process. And he issued a stern warning to those who would stand in the way of such progress.
“The people of the world want change. They will not long tolerate those who are on the wrong side of history.”
As of this writing, there are 300,000 unemployed Americans living in states where the jobless rate stands at 8.5 percent and whose benefits will end on September 30. Congressman Jim McDermott (D-Washington) has proposed legislation extending those benefits another 13 weeks. This measure is expected to reach President Obama’s desk with no problem. It’s nice to know someone on the Hill is watching out for us. Thanks, Jim, and yep, I’m pleased you’re my Congressman as well.
Under the category, “Okay, that makes sense,” the International Energy Commission reports that worldwide usage of electronic devices and electrical appliances is making it extremely tough to fight the effects of global warming, primarily because of the number of new power plants necessary, including coal-fired ones in countries where other sources are not an option. The IEC found, for instance, that in 1980, Americans owned three electronic consumer devices. That number now stands at 25.
Many of these items waste an incredible amount of energy while operating and some continue to draw power even when they’re turned off. That means that the only way to actually keep the energy bill down is to unplug everything except refrigerators and washers and dryers, which have been under federal efficiency guidelines in America since 1990. Since then, efficiency has increased 45 percent for the former and a whopping 70 percent for the latter.
The IEC is calling for a number of measures to bring the rest of the devices we feel we need to survive under the same standards. They’re also calling for consumers to either unplug the “gadgets” they aren’t using or to use Smart Power Strips, which themselves turn off, thus denying power to everything plugged into them. For more information on what each of us can do in these regards, please go here.
Closer to the Bastion, the Northwest Energy Council has determined (and is moving to establish them) that the same tougher standards would, by 2029, reduce by 85 percent the current anticipated energy needs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. That’s the equivalent of 20 new power plants and it is consistent with a region which has been moving in this direction for almost two decades now.
I’ve got a confession to make now, a sort of coming out of the closet as it were. (Watch the interest level zoom off the scale now.) Ever since I was small, I’ve always felt this special kinship with trees and to this day, yep, I hug ‘em. Well, University of Washington researchers have discovered there might actually be a basis for that attraction. They’ve discovered electricity in them. It’s not very much but it’s there and can apparently be boosted enough to run a monitor of its own health. Applications for this one in agriculture, forestry management, the timber industry and environmental landscaping are staggering to me.
I don’t usually comment on sports and for several reasons. First, they’ve changed a lot since the days when the Giants played at Candlestick Park and second, there are a lot more teams, especially in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, than when I graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 1976, after serving in Vietnam with the United States Navy.
So this isn’t so much about athletics as it is good sportsmanship and it’s about as close to the Bastion on the Puget Sound as it gets because I live three blocks from this commentary’s source. I’m referring to this past weekend’s University of Washington 16-13 “upset” over the University of Southern California.
The UW Huskies have a new coach and that Steve Sarkasian was also an assistant coach for USC did not escape me either. In a pre-contest press conference, Sarkasian contended that it would not be long before this chronically losing football team would reverse the trend, presumably because he is now in command. Fine, a little confidence I can understand.
It was what Sarkasian said after that narrow victory which surprised and infuriated me. He told the media that the UW did not play exceptional ball against USC. Excuse me? Anyone who follows NCAA sports knows that there is only one way to defeat the Trojans and that’s by giving it everything you’ve got. And as USC’s record proves, most of the time, that’s not enough.
So with all due respect to their coach and his breach of tact and good sportsmanship, I’d like to praise the young men of the University of Washington who took their hearts to the gridiron, gave it their all, and defeated the mighty Trojans. Finest kind, mates. Finest kind.
Well, that’s it for this week. Thanks again for the ear. Take care, stay well and God Bless.
Rusty
NORTHSTAR RECOMMENDS
To Your Health
If you’d like to know whether your eating habits are either adding years to your life or taking them off, take this RealAge quiz. It will not only score your real age against your health age but give you a program for improvement. I’ve been working this one for about a month now and yep, I feel a lot better.
Want to know how to live to be 100? Try this one.
Ever had trouble getting behind eating a lot of fruits and vegetables despite how good they are for you? Ever had trouble selling that one to your kids and grandkids? Ever been totally sold on the idea then gone to the market and been totally tasered by the price of good health in some places? If your answer is yes to any or all of the above, you really need to check this site out. Fruits and veggies: more matters.
Online Tools for the Kit
Free People Search – This is an American online White Pages that I found really simple, quick and user friendly. I looked for myself under the several versions of my name and it found them all. It’s also free and doesn’t involve anything to download.
Know Thy Elected Officials - Just type in your zip code and this site will supply you with the names and contact information for your legislators from the state level up. This is a two click site with a host of other relevant features.
Media
Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean – Live from the smallest record store in North America. Canadian humor, entertainment and commentary at its maple leaf best. Popular on National Public Radio in the States.
Sightline Daily (formerly Tidepool) – The “United Press International/Reuters of the American West/ Updated and informative news shorts with links to the source. Its editors draw from a coverage area which includes Alaska, British Columbia, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Update and informative collected news shorts from those sources. They also put out an excellent weekly environmental edition.
U Got Style is a monthly ezine dedicated to independent films. Fully illustrated, it features hard news, interviews, reviews and a wide variety of other information. It’s also fun to read.
The Vancouver Sun, outstanding source for Canadian and world news.
Talent For Hire
Rusty Miller, Freelance Photojournalist – Whether it’s a one time press release, book or product review, difficult business correspondence, resume or classified ad composition you need, take a look at the services offered menu on my writer-for-hire homepage and we’ll get together on it.
Are you a travel editor looking for color shots of Seattle? Are you an art dealer looking for new work to carry on consignment? You might enjoy checking out a gallery of my work for sale
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