Welcome New Users: Will Daily Kos ever see user #1,000,000?

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Wednesday November 06, 2013 · 8:52 AM PST

2013/11/06 · 08:52

Welcome, New Users, to Daily Kos. This Diary is intended to help you orient yourself to the site and ask questions about how to use it.

In the Body of this diary you will find some links intended to get you participating more effectively. Also in the Body this week is a discussion of user #one million.

After that you can ask me any question you want. I don't know all the answers so if you stump me, you do. I invite those wiser than I to contribute and correct (or raise a ruckus, just don't scare people).

LaughingPlanet

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Sunday November 03, 2013 · 4:56 PM PST

2013/11/03 · 16:56

A rather surprising news item was released today. Prominent climate scientist James Hansen and 3 other climate scientists are imploring world leaders and environmentalists to back an increase in nuclear power to offset climate change.

They believe that wind and solar cannot deliver enough clean energy quickly enough to cause the necessary decrease in fossil fuel (read: coal) electricity.

"Those energy sources cannot scale up fast enough" to deliver the amount of cheap and reliable power the world needs, and "with the planet warming and carbon dioxide emissions rising faster than ever, we cannot afford to turn away from any technology" that has the potential to reduce greenhouse gases.

The move can be seen as unexpected because so many env'al groups like Greenpeace are staunchly opposed to nuclear power. I find the announcement to be interesting as my own view on nuclear power has wavered over recent years. The Fukushima disaster certainly swayed many people from the prospect of nukes as both Japan and Germany resolved to phase out their use of nuclear power shortly after the March 2011 Japanese quake.

Stephen Ansolabehere, a Harvard professor who studies energy issues, said nuclear power is "very divisive" within the environmental movement. But he added that the letter could help educate the public about the difficult choices that climate change presents.

Although I do not believe my mind to be very easily swayed, this letter may be enough to get me to rethink my own opposition to nukes which has persisted for over 3 years after reading this book. I have a ton of respect for Hansen and would have a difficult time questioning his findings on this matter.

Climate Change is the biggest issue facing humanity now, and maybe ever. Doing things differently is undeniably necessary. Is more nuclear power a step in the right direction?

LaughingPlanet

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Tuesday August 20, 2013 · 7:28 PM PDT

2013/08/20 · 19:28

New information about a recent story has come to light today, and it bears reporting here as other news items and "facts" about this case have been reported at length.

Today, more facts about the tragic death of journalist Michael Hastings became clear, and they suggest that any "foul play" involved may have instead been self-inflicted.

...journalist Michael Hastings had returned to drugs and had traces of amphetamine and marijuana in his system when he drove his car into a tree hours after he was seen passed out in his home, according to an autopsy report released Tuesday.

Of course, the next sentence in the AP story is also important

Coroner's investigators said the drugs likely did not contribute to the June crash, which they classified as an accident.

However as we read more we learn that there is a possibility that a cocktail of various drugs from those listed above, to Ritalin and the rather intense hallucinogen DMT may have been involved in the journalist's last days.
Read More

Dawn Chorus: Las Aves de América Central, Pt. 2 - Costa Rica (with QUETZAL)

LaughingPlanet

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Sunday August 11, 2013 · 6:00 AM PDT

2013/08/11 · 06:00

¡Bueno dias, bird lovers! (Don't worry; this post will not be a test of your Spanish.)

I recently returned from several months south of the border. Over the weeks ahead I hope to dig myself out from under the pile of photographs I took on the trip. This work is, from my perspective, the primary downside of the digital photography revolution. I used to take a fraction as many pix when I had to pay to print them all.

Part 1 can be found HERE

I was lucky enough to stumble upon this resplendent quetzal on one of my hikes thru the rainforest of Monteverde in Costa Rica.

I was even lucky enough to get a few shots (albeit not great ones).

He was much less shy than I had been led to believe them to be. Later, I even caught a few quiet moments of him singing his little quetzal song.

I hope to someday edit the audio spliced over the shots I took of him, but do not have the capacity to do so at the moment.

It is quite a spectacle with its tail feathers twice the length of its body. So colorful and regal.

Below are a couple more shots of him, and various other species I was able to capture on digifilm in my 3 weeks or so in Costa Rica.

LaughingPlanet

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Saturday July 27, 2013 · 2:01 PM PDT

2013/07/27 · 14:01

There is a virus spreading in the tropics; its name is the palm farm. In a number of different countries, vast swaths of forest are being hurriedly razed so that palm oil can be farmed.

All other species must get out of its way or perish. Rainforests be damned. Thy enemy is the palm oil plantation.

chart

For many years, many environmentalists have decried the use of palm oil due to its origins in unsustainable farms. The vast rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia in particular have been devastated over recent years by its cultivation.

But there are yet more reasons to despise this massive, growing & profitable industry. A recent Businessweek article has exposed vast human rights issues with palm oil as well.

A nine-month investigation of the industry, including interviews with workers at or near 12 plantations on Borneo and Sumatra—two islands that hold 96 percent of Indonesia’s palm oil operations—revealed widespread abuses of basic human rights. Among the estimated 3.7 million workers in the industry are thousands of child laborers and workers who face dangerous and abusive conditions.
Debt bondage is common, and traffickers who prey on victims face few, if any, sanctions from business or government officials.

My most common reaction to the palm industry is incredulity.

It does not have to be like this!

So whether you are interested in human welfare, wild animals, a healthy climate, or stopping huge multinational conglomerates, you must take a stand against the scourge that is the palm oil gold rush.

More info, images, and action items below.

LaughingPlanet

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Saturday July 06, 2013 · 12:52 PM PDT

2013/07/06 · 12:52

I am sick to my stomach right now.

We have at least 2 breaking diaries and one front page post about 2 major disasters that have happened in the past few hours. In the comments of these posts you will find many absurd, hurtful comments.

If you are the type to use such events to try out your witty, wry and conspiracy theory comments, know that I will empty my cache of HRs as quickly as possible and call on others I know here to bring more ammo to hydrate your ass into oblivion.

DO NOT make this site look like a bunch of buffoons.

DO NOT speculate on the cause of a disaster until there is a shred of evidence to support your claims.

DO NOT say anything that would cause more pain and suffering to the victims of tragic events.

This advice should not be necessary.

GROW THE FUCK UP.

Thanks.

LaughingPlanet

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Thursday July 04, 2013 · 11:53 PM PDT

2013/07/04 · 23:53

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) strike is in effect over, but there are still negotiations to complete. Trains will be running throughout the Bay Area by 3PM Friday.

The agreement reached with mediators is to extend the existing contract for one month during which time the future deal can be settled upon.

http://www.bart.gov/...

Despite lots of hard work, BART and its unions have failed to come to an agreement on contract issues that matter to all of us today and into the future. We still have a wide gap of disagreements to bridge over the next 30 days.

The deal can hardly been seen as a victory for the striking union (SEIU) workers at this point. But most people can agree it is a victory for those who depend of public transit, and for the air quality in the Bay Area.

On Friday morning, BART will provide "limited" bus & van service for morning commuters from a handful of East Bay locations.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/...

The buses and vans will pick up riders at the West Oakland, El Cerrito del Norte, Walnut Creek, Dublin/Pleasanton and Fremont stations. At 5 a.m., seven buses will arrive at each of these stations. Once a bus is filled, it will leave for San Francisco. There will be no transfers in West Oakland. It will be first-come, first-served. Each bus carries 50 passengers. The service will last only until all seven buses are filled or 8 a.m., whichever comes first.

Today's birthday you didn't know about

LaughingPlanet

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Thursday July 04, 2013 · 9:50 AM PDT

2013/07/04 · 09:50

An all-Amercian birthday celebration is happening today. But not just for what you think.

probowlsunset

One of the lesser landmarks in this nations most beautiful city is celebrating its birthday on the same day as our nation.

It’s both a sentry, and a beacon at the city’s highest point. In one of the world’s biggest tourist cities, it will never become a San Francisco cliche. It’s a symbol of function, durability and yes beauty. It is the inextinguishable candle atop the delicious cake that is the Bay Area.
Happy 40th birthday, Sutro Tower!

More photos & iconic idolatry below.

All photos by the diarist

LaughingPlanet for Climate Change SOS

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Tuesday July 02, 2013 · 10:47 AM PDT

2013/07/02 · 10:47

When it comes to weather, chaos is the new normal. This is especially rough when your nation sits barely above sea level.

And you thought getting nuked by dozens of bombs was bad?

How would you like to have both a drought and flooding at the same time, and then add 6-8 foot storm surges that rock your coast line and flood your airport? Of course this is all happening under the specter of having to abandon your nation within the coming decades if projections are accurate. Not good.

Marshall Islands Minister-in-Assistance to the President, Tony de Brum, who is responsible for climate change issues, called for a new surge of political commitment and international leadership to stave off further climate disasters from battering his country, and other vulnerable countries like it.
“From drought to deluge, my people are suffering an escalating climate crisis. Thousands of my people in the north are thirsty and hungry, thousands of us here in the south are now renched in seawater. As I said to the US emergency team this morning, “Welcome to Climate Change”.

And it is not just a slow-motion trainwreck we are watching here; it is more like a roller coaster as it descends from its highest point. And we have yet to construct the track at the bottom of that descent.

...the reason behind increasingly severe storms, rising sea level, flooding and droughts here is clear: climate change is picking up speed.
...

Erosion has accelerated along the shoreline, and salt water has seeped into wells and agricultural land, rendering it useless.

Water has to be shipped in, and even then people are getting only 1 liter per day. Disease such as diarrhea and flu encroaches when an area suffers from such severe water shortages. FEMA can only do so much to help. Planes could not even land due to the airport's flooded runway.
Read More

Dawn Chorus: Las Aves de América Central, Pt. 1

LaughingPlanet

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Sunday June 30, 2013 · 6:00 AM PDT

2013/06/30 · 06:00

¡Bueno dias, bird lovers! (Don't worry; this post will not be a test of your Spanish.)

I recently returned from several months south of the border. Over the weeks ahead I hope to dig myself out from under the pile of photographs I took on the trip. This work is, from my perspective, the primary downside of the digital photography revolution. I used to take a fraction as many pix when I had to pay to print them all.

This installment of what may become a 3 part series will focus on my time in Mexico and Honduras.

IMG_0064 - Copy

Join me below the fold for the 1st of what may be several diaries about the birds (and other wildlife) I encountered on the southern reaches of North America.

LaughingPlanet

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Wednesday June 26, 2013 · 3:05 PM PDT

2013/06/26 · 15:05

OK, before anyone tries to poop on this diary...I DO REALIZE that not all the news this week has been good. The VRA was gutted; I get that.

But as progressives/Dems/whatever, we need to try to sometimes - JUST SOMETIMES - stop and celebrate when things are not as bad as usual.

Among the good newses just in the past 24+ hours-

* Today's dual win for marriage equality.

* After over 32 years without them, the White House will be getting solar panels

* Wendy Davis saved Texas from draconian new anti-choice laws.

* After 32 years without them, the White House will be getting its solar panels back.

* Progressive Ed Markey won a Senate seat.

* A sitting President gave a speech addressing climate change (49 minutes worth!) for the 1st time and he seemed to reject the Keystone XL pipeline in the process.

I could go on, but you get the point.
(Add stuff I neglected in the comments)

Anyhoo, I am merely glad to have the time to sit back and appreciate the fact that good days do sometimes happen, and we should try to enjoy them when they do.

As a result of my Flickr page having 10 times as many photos available to access as it did before I left the country in December, I am going to post some of the archives therein.

Tulips, Mt. Vernon, Washington

All photos by LaughingPlanet except where watermarked or stated otherwise.

LaughingPlanet

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Wednesday June 19, 2013 · 12:54 AM PDT

2013/06/19 · 00:54

Released yesterday with appearances by some big name celebrities including Daniel Ellsberg, Roger Waters, Oliver Stone and Alice Walker, the following video should be seen and shared by those interested in the plight of Bradley Manning:

An affiliated website, http://iam.bradleymanning.org/
is seeking to raise awareness about the trial taking place. Supporters are seeking to have the charge of "Aiding the Enemy" dropped from Manning's charges.

There is no evidence that anyone died as a result of the leaked information, yet Bradley faces life in prison or possibly death. The greatest charge against him is that of “aiding the enemy,” a capital offense. As the public who benefited from this information, does that make us the enemy? What price will future whistleblowers pay?

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Welcome New Users: Will Daily Kos ever see user #1,000,000?

James Hansen: "Yes, Nukes."

Michael Hastings used drugs hours before his death

Dawn Chorus: Las Aves de América Central, Pt. 2 - Costa Rica (with QUETZAL)

Palm Oil: From Slave Labor to Orangutan Extinction

When tragedy strikes, save your insensitive comments

BART to resume service Friday

Today's birthday you didn't know about

Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink: Drought/flooding in Marshall Islands

Dawn Chorus: Las Aves de América Central, Pt. 1

Random photos to celebrate a great week

New video: I am Bradley Manning