Monday, May 30, 2011

Truthout: China's Long View In Competition With The USA; The Most Important Issue Most People Never Heard Of...

In the spirit of preventing far more grievous Memorial Days in the future...

http://www.truth-out.org/how-china-plans-leapfrog-american-economy-and-it's-not-what-you-think/1306710052


Knowledge is power.

Dan

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

York PC 112: Outreach Phone Banking...

I spent about an hour and a half this evening with a couple of others calling strong and leaning-Democratic voters in orphaned precincts of York township. We got a lot of answering machines and bad numbers, and a few solid contacts. The effort will continue in a couple of weeks. It's a slow, steady effort, but I think well-worth doing.

All the best,

Dan

Thursday, May 12, 2011

York PC 112: I Just Attended The DuPage County Democratic Party Executive Committee Meeting...

...which had a lot of good news.

Early indications are that a lot of Democrats have moved into the county, so redistricting is likely to be very positive for Democratic Representatiom.

The process has begun to hire and begin training a new Executive Director, but there's some confusion around procedure, so that will be clarified soon. The funding itself is approved.

There are also several efforts underway to reach out to Voters through multiple methods, and a big drive is in-progress to recruit Precinct Committeemen for orphaned precincts.

Altogether, it was an excellent meeting.

All the best,

Dan

Democratic Quip: Canada Beach Front Property...

Click to listen: Democratic Quip

All the best,

Dan

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Monday, May 2, 2011

York PC 112: Thoughts On Riding The Commuter Trains...

...where everyone seems to have their "stone face" on most of the time.

It's strange, but in some places, people riding public transportation actually talk to each other to pass the time. They smile at each other without freaking out.

One of the first things I noticed about the Metra ( Which I've ridden far more than the El ) is that people always have this hard, stony "don't bother me" look on their faces, and rarely speak to each other.

However, if something happens, such as a mechanical breakdown or other unusual circumstance, the stone faces crack open, and there are real human beings underneath them, with smiles and conversation even!

It's amazing to me how we ride every day on these trains in our little bubbles of stony, cold isolation. Were people always like this? Didn't people used to talk on the streets, on the trolly and on street cars? Were our ancestors braver than us, or are we all under the spooky fear spells of the TV news?

Will we ever break the spell of the Stone-Face Trains?

All the best,

Dan

Sunday, May 1, 2011

York PC 112: Summer Transportation...

...you know, I often wonder why we don't switch to mostly bicycles and motorcycles (Or tricycles and trikes depending on physical capacity) during the Summer months when when the weather is good. We'd all be a lot healthier, and save millions and millions of gallons of gasoline just when it's traditionally the most expensive.

If the majority of us were on such forms of transportation in the nicer months, it would be less dangerous just because there would be less full-size vehicles on the road.

It would also give us more incentive to increase access and safety features for cycles. Maybe covered cycle paths so that the rain would be less of a factor. We could even make the path covers out of recycled plastic that would otherwise go into land fills. Little sandwich, drink, and bike repair kiosks along the way.

Chicken or egg, but it would save on gas and electricity and keep us fit.

JMHO.

All the best,

Dan

Democratic Quip: The Nature Of The Bush?

 I don't know why it would happen while I was listening to the Stephanie Miller show on WCPT, but this little sound byte just popped into my head and stuck there. I keep thinking of the AWOL from the National Guard duty story that got Dan Rather canned but was true...

Click to listen: 
Democratic quip.