Archive for the 'Politics' Category
I’m Thrilled: We’re On Track!
Every once in a while, the me-in-my-futurist-hat decides to check in on current actions to see if they’ll lead to a good future. I have to say I’m quite pleased. Shortly after Obama was elected, I blogged about how it felt like I was, once again, living in the America I grew up in. That [...]
Weekend Report: Norwescon, #Amazonfail, and Stories
I spent the weekend at Norwescon. It was a lovely con. I also, finally and slowly (hit me on the head as a slow learner) understood why there have been so many alternate history sf stories set in the 1800′s in my magazines of late. Having decided to look up and look around, I think [...]
Smart Power
Last week, I listened to energy futurist Jesse Berst talk. He spoke primarily of the smart grid. This post is not a recap of his speech per se, but certainly he gave me new ways to think about energy and some of that gift is what I’ll write about. If you get a chance to [...]
On Terrorism
I’m not very happy to be addressing Terrorism on Thanksgiving. But I spent part of yesterday near the Internet and TV, watching the horrible events in Mumbai. I’d like to reflect a little on the way the Clinton administration handled terrorism vs. the way we’ve handled it under Bush. What I’ve got to say is [...]
Energy Economics
This post is a result of post-panel musings from Orycon 30, the Oregon Science Fiction convention I just attended. I was actually on two panels discussing energy futures – What Happens if the Oil Runs Out? and Alternative Energies. Often a discussion gets you thinking about something you already know. There was some discussion of the [...]
I’m Back Home
It feels like I’ve gone through some m-brane universe back to an America I’m familiar with. I know this long uncomfortable time isn’t even over until January 20th. But still, today I don’t feel like a foreigner in my own country. I really like that. I grew up believing in elections. Not only that the [...]
Hurray for the Elements of Change
I’m pleased with the price of gas. Change is already happening. Our Mayor came back from a climate conference where one speaker said the measured particulates in the air are already slightly lower since gas went up. He said people cheered. Elementary economics: Price changes behavior. Global warming warning signs are coming faster and harder [...]
Musing on Alan Greenspan’s book, The Age of Turbulence
Alan Greenspan has much in common with many of my favorite classic science fiction writers. Heinlein, Niven, and others claim Libertarian leanings, and so does Greenspan. They are also all pretty smart people that really want to understand the world. Greenspan’s book is pretty close to a key about how some parts of the world [...]
A Little Follow Up
From my last few blogs … From the September 11th vigil, and relating to future vigils…the Citizens on the Lake for Peace website. Nicely done. Second…I really think good engineers might save the world some day. Part of that could be because my dad is one, and he saved me a few times…but aside from [...]
Thoughts from the night after
So I did go to the vigil last night. It felt like it made September 11 meaningful. I even took the microphone once, and said something about how we had squandered a great chance for world peace in the year after 9/11 by choosing bombs instead of care packages and education, by choosing guns instead [...]
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