RuN It Up ThE FlaGpoLe

Euro Perspective

2008-04-07T03:24:00.001-07:00

Living outside the US gives one an interesting perspective on the way a)the world sees America, and b) the way America sees itself. Being an expat for the better half of my life, I am accustomed to the constant battle cry of the Europeans – “I hate Americans/America/ your government…but not you”. This has always been an interesting issue of the outside world. Having heard it enough, and always

An alarming number of americans are idiots!

2008-01-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

I just thought I'd add to the clamor. Look, you know why people are tired of all of the news about the primaries? You know why we all get this unsettled feeling when we think over our choices. It's because deep down, deep below our desire to fit in, below our desire to get this one right by god, below our desire to look smart, we know, deep down that they are all full of shit.I can't believe the

Back in Black

2007-10-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

The authors of RIUTFP are on a short, and deserved stint away from posting...as we aren't sponsored in any way and have to work...so.However, look forward to some interesting dirt digging in the near future and even....an interview... sort of.at any rate.

Progressive Mayoral candidate in Greenville NC

2007-09-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Jacek Teller an ex Marine who served in Iraq, a progressive, and founder of ECU Peace and Justice is running for Mayor of Greenville NC as a Dem. Word on the street is he has some powerful support comming from some old school politico's in Greenville and will actually make a decent run for it.http://pittdems.com/candidates07.htmlstories with Jacek;'The Story' from American Public Mediahttp://

ABC Stores Privatized - Getting Rid of State Control of Liquor

2007-09-04T07:52:00.000-07:00

Below is the latest from NC Spin Online:Should we abolish ABC stores?Posted: Thursday, August 23rd, 2007Some 500 members of local ABC boards met at the Grove Park Inn in July and were wined (literally) and dined by liquor brokers and other vendors.News coverage of the event raised questions about whether or not the free golf games, free drinks, food, and hospitality were legal in light of the

Free Markets And The Women Who Love Them

2007-09-04T04:07:00.000-07:00

Do Americans really support Free Markets? Or is it the fact that someone got to coin the term, adding the all powerful, all lovable word - 'free', before anyone else could think to think about it. A recent poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) finds that there is a wide consensus across nations that free markets are the best way forward for the future.Not drastically

Sorry but this is too good

2007-09-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Modern day lynching, this could be you.

2007-09-03T20:46:00.001-07:00

Tonight on Anderson Cooper 360 there was a report that reminded me all too much of similar things that have happened in NC over the past few years. Six young men face life in prison after a schoolyard fight. How does one get life in jail for a fight? Well when your black in rural Louisiana and you stage a protest under a tree that only whites are allowed to sit under this could happen to you.

How Liberals Think - At Least They Think

2007-09-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday should have a NewsBuster moment, if for nothing else than to snap you back into reality, a recent post from Mark Finkelstein, whom you may email at mark@gunhill.netFrom NewsBusters.org (self proclaimed debunker of the liberal media)You're a liberal. You've identified a problem -- the massive loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States; a net loss of 4.6 million jobs over the last

Billionaires and Bums - Inequality and the American Dream

2007-09-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

“We in America are heading towards ‘developing nation’ levels of inequality…. What does that say about us? What does that say about America?” “the number of U.S. billionaires has also increased, from just 13 in 1985 to more than 1,000 today. In 2005, an estimated 227,000 new millionaires emerged, many bolstered by lucrative financial hedge funds. The wealth of all U.S. millionaires that

Robin Hood: Trading Tax Cuts for Vacations

2007-08-30T10:22:00.000-07:00

Recent fun site # 2National Priorities ProjectThis is what they gave me when I asked for the trade-offs for North Carolinians for the tax cuts to the rich:$56.5 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% this year could be spent on the people of North Carolina instead. If that money were used to support state and local programs, the residents of North Carolina could have $1.6 billion, which could

BCBS NC, Moses Cone and Universal Health Care

2007-08-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

The News-Record carries an appealing story from Dr. Weissman of Eagle Internal Medicine, explaining, in his humble opinion, why the problem between Moses Cone & Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is a problem for everyone. I agree with Dr. Weissman, more than I usually agree with anyone that I don't know actually. Dr. Weissman ends his well written opinion piece with the following thought:

Intelligent Design in Raleigh - Sustainable Development in the State Capital

2007-08-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

WRAL reports on how, in the middle of a dry spell, North Carolina's capital buildings are staying wet. The August 22nd story covers how the Legislative building in downtown Raleigh utilizes a capture and re-use water system to irrigate vegetation and other improvements by channeling rainwater into holding tanks for later use, saving millions of gallons of water and reducing the pressure on area

Fraction of NC Universities Combatting Climate Change

2007-08-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

Officially that is - I'm sure the others are doing what they can to help out as well.Back in July it was announced that Duke University had joined the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, making it the 6th institution of higher education to sign it in the Old North State, behind Catawba College, Guilford College, Haywood Community College, UNC-Chapel Hill, and Warren

Dorothea Dix: A City's Fight To Keep NC Green

2007-08-28T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dorothea Dix has been topping the agenda in Raleigh for some time now. I recall the first mentioning of the transformation of the famous property back in 2005, when the state faced a considerable fiscal crisis due to the budget crunch that year, leading to grave challenges faced by mental health professionals throughout the state.The controversy remains on the table with one group of activists,

EnvironmentNC - The Green Movement's Mischevious Little Step-child

2007-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

What better gift for returning to the NC Blogosphere than to see that political mis & dis are alive and well in the triangle. Today's winner?????? EnvironmentNCNow here is a group of guys whose stewardship of anything, especially the environment, should be praised with fields of roses! ...or maybe just blunt verbal abuses...Here's my favorite thus far, and it's the first one I read:"Not widely

And we're back!...............North Carolina that is...sort of

2007-08-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

After a long enjoyed stint in my favorite place, and most beautiful place I've been to (before the fires of course), I am back in civilization and turning my focus back towards NC politics and happenings.This should be fun, and hopefully a little rewarding.

Green Roofs in Greece - Why waiting is no longer an option.

2007-07-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

The recent Parnitha fire may have, at the very least, made ground for one of my favorite issues to make it on the agenda - but I am still wary about that. As a result of the destruction of Athens greenest area, experts are warning about the environmental implications including flooding, increase in temperatures in the summer and colder winters, as well as increased pollution levelscientists

EMAS in Greece: Spain and Italy Leaving Their Sibling Rival Behind?

2007-06-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

Greece is getting clobbered in the game of environmental action even in its own house. Data reveals that Greece ranks the worst, asides from Malta that is, of those Mediterranean EU states which have EMAS registered organizations.EMAS is an environmental action scheme which requires registered Companies and Organizations to implement environmental protection guidelines and procedures in return

Green Roof Greece Slows to a Schreeching Halt

2007-06-25T00:53:00.000-07:00

Has it been almost a month already? Time flies when you're researching I suppose. Highlights from the past few weeks: The project to start a green roof movement here in Greece is taking an extreme and unfortunate turn of events. That is, I simply lack the language ability, organizational support and financial ability to pursue, at this time, the project. This is unfortunate, especially as

Pensions in Greece - and the people who love them

2007-06-04T01:50:00.000-07:00

Reading the Athens News this morning, I stumbled upon an article concerning the fact the OECD is pitching for extensive reforms in the Greek pension system [ I'd quote the text, but the Athens News only updates their site on Thursdays following distribution so that they can make money off the print edition...why they haven't switched to online pay service is beyond me.]. While they did a fairly

Apoca-lobbyist Now - Transparency and Lobbying in the European Union

2007-05-28T01:19:00.000-07:00

An interesting little development in the political culture in the EU:The Society of European Affairs Professionals (SEAP) reiterated its commitment to promoting transparency in EU lobbying and a voluntary registry, but highlighted a number of "potential pitfalls" that the group wishes the Commission to avoid.The Commission's follow-up to the Green Paper on a 'European Transparency Initiative'

News in a flash - Beer Power

2007-05-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

A joint project between UQ and Foster's to turn beer wastewater into electricity has won $140,000 from the Queensland Government's Sustainable Energy Innovation Fund.The process also produces clean water and renewable (non-polluting) carbon dioxide. Dr Rabaey said with the current drought, the smart use of natural resources had never been more important. “Energy and water supply are among the

Blogs Blogs Everywhere!

2007-05-23T06:09:00.000-07:00

I stand corrected and pleasantly surprised. Turns out there is a little community-o-blog-o-fun in the second European Union (since I still sort of consider the US the first attempt at a European Union). Now, however, is the question about whether it’s possible to find employment doing what one loves to do…mainly write without concern for editing. Coming soon, blogroll-a-rama!

Margot Wallstrom on the Blogosphere - EU Politics on the Web

2007-05-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

And we're back.....Well. I'm back. It’s been a hectic week of work and projects, but things have progressed to a point where I can devote some more time for blogging. On that note, as I was surfing around the net in search of tid-bits of information to soothe my pallet, I came across an interesting entry by Margot Wallstrom that probes the little nuances of blogosphere world. This isn’t very new,

Disclaimer

2007-04-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

As I realize someone, or anyone reading any of these posts may be offended or elated - I must state that all opinions here are written -only- for critical thinking and general humor and/or information. I do not intend on offending anyone, and I certainly don't want to end up like Mr. Andonis Tsipropoulos, therefore any and all of my comments which might be taken personal, at least to the extent

Sunlight Alone Will Not Make One Happy

2007-04-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

“The notion that people are happiest along the shores of the Mediterranean does not appear to be true,” - Kathimerini That's the conclusion of a report released by Cambridge University into the happiness of the EU 15 countries. Greece ranks 13th, ahead of Portugal and Italy. Apparently, according to the report, the primary reason for the low levels of joy in the lives of the Greek is the lack of

Green Roofs and Greece - What Athens Should Be Famous For in the Next 20 Years

2007-04-16T01:54:00.001-07:00

Now this is what I really want to see on my roof in Athens! Ever take a look at the city from the air? It looks like a sea of marble roofs, even though, I know, it's cement.The point is that all that reflected light produces a lot of energy, and by energy I mean heat. and lots of it.SO.... what about a little greenery on the roofs?a) it reduces run-off, so there would be a lot less stress on the

Cyprus and MIT: New Research onthe Environment in the Mediterranean

2007-04-16T01:47:00.000-07:00

Thanks to HomeboyMediaNews for the heads up on this story:From MIT press release:Energy, environment and water are the focus of a new joint program between MIT and the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus. The initiative will promote a high level of scientific research and education at a new university on Cyprus, which for millennia has been a crossroad of commerce, civilizations and

Waste Management in Greece

2007-04-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

Greeks are going to have to dig a a little deeper into their pockets as a result of digging deeper in the ground. Greece, like all other EU states, is required to limit the amount and type of trash they bury in the backyards.Kathimerini reports: “There is a huge wave of fines on its way,” said Antonis Mavropoulos, the president of the Hellenic Solid Waste Management Association (HSWMA).

Mediterranean Environment and Human Error

2007-04-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

Mediterranean Region Needs A Strong, Vibrant Movement To Mitigate Environmental Risk The Easter holidays have certainly been eventful, if nothing else. Friday saw the sinking of the Sea Diamond off the coast of the popular Santorini coast, and with that, grave concerns about the