Politics. Keystone, and Fracing

            I would consider myself an environmentalist (yes this is going to be a political post), so when I heard the stories about the Keystone Pipeline and the ban on hydraulic fracturing, in New York, being lifted I was a little disturbed.  If you don’t know what the Keystone pipeline or fracturing is, then don’t fret kiddies I’m going to go into detail about them.  Now I realize there are two sides, maybe more, to every argument, especially in politics, so I am going to attempt to look at each side and the pros and cons of both.

            So, the Keystone pipeline is an oil pipeline that will go from Canada all the way to the US Gulf Coast.  Now there is already an existing pipeline from Canada down to Oklahoma but that’s not enough, they want to expand it down to a port in Texas for distribution. They also want to run a new line from the same area in Canada and down into Montana then meet back up with the existing one in Nebraska. The oil comes from oil sands in northeastern Alberta, make a few stops at refineries in Illinois and ends in Oklahoma and if the expansion is approved, it’s off the Gulf.  Now, when I first heard about this I jetted off into internet space looking for facts.  Needless to say the resources were endless so I attempted to set my opinions aside and reason with facts and tried to prepare an unbiased post.  If the pipeline were approved, pro side first, then that would create jobs for quite a few unemployed Americans.  It would also provide oil, thanks Captain Obvious, which would alleviate some reliance on oversea oil, which in turn will help us in our time of debt and lower gas prices.  Anti side, let us start with the destruction of hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat (this phrase will be used again later on).  As an environmentalist this is always our number one concern. With oil there is always fear of a spill, thanks BP and Exxon Valdese.  I’m not sure if the plans call for it to be above or below ground, not sure if they even know yet, either way they would have to take or buy land from land owners to “lay the pipe” (ha-ha) which would cause problems with the landowners who don’t want the pipe in their back yard. If it is above ground, how hideous would that be, driving across America and have to see this massive snake of metal cut across your path.   On the top of the anti list is the fact that this crude oil is some of the dirtiest burning transportation oils, which is what it’s going to be used for, so much for America for cleaner energy. 

            Speaking of cleaner energy, let us talk about fracing.  “What the hell is fracing,” you may be asking yourself.  Well hydraulic fracturing or fracing is the technical term used for drilling natural gas where they fracture rock to obtain natural gas.   Same as above with the pros and cons on both sides are jobs, more fuels, destroyed environment, land take-over, etc.  However, the main differences are there won’t be a pipeline but massive oil rig type pumps every so often across the land and transported by tankers from one location to the next. Another key ingredient to the pro side though, is it is a clean burning fuel and is readily available, but do you destroy the land?

            Aside from these issues, Greece is struggling to stay with the euro and may get bailed out by France and Germany, President Obama is fed up with the republicans against his jobs act to rebuild bridges and roads in the US which will give us jobs, and the 99% took over Oakland.

            With the elections coming up in the next year I have obviously been looking at politics lately.  Now as far as Herman Cain goes (possible republican candidate and possibly sexual harassment accused) or other republican candidate, vs. the reigning democrat champ “Big O” Obama in the election race not sure which way I would lean.  So, considering that I would claim myself as an independent because I'm unsure which way to lean in politics,   I came across a site called americansellect.org which is a political site that apparently is going to let America chose their possible candidate in the 2012 election as an independent.  On the site you can rate your priorities to help you chose which candidate to vote for to run in the 2012 election.  So if you already know which way you are going to lean next year then good for you, if not then check out the site.

         

Halloween

We dressed up for Halloween and went out with friends.  We drank, we danced and we drank some more.  By the end of the night our costumes and make up looked a mess and we had a great time.  Here are a few of the pics from the evening.  Mine and my wife's makeup were done by her.   We were dressed in celebration for Día de los Muertos (day of the dead).

Really like this pic.  Took and edited with my phone. 

new phone pic

This is actually looking out my window at work.  It is a picture i took using only my phone and editing with only my phone.

So, it's been awhile...

Holy shit, Batman!  It has been forever since I last wrote anything.  I believe about two months.  Let me just start off by saying, “wow, a lot has happened.” 

            Let’s see, where to start?  I took a second job, carved some pumpkins, went to Key West, won a photo contest… is there something else… uhm… oh yea, I got married.  Before the wedding I took a second job just to have a little extra cash flow before and after the wedding.  So at nights I clean office buildings.  Fast forward a few weeks, the day before the wedding we met up with the fam and wedding party had a rehearsal dinner, said may goodbyes to the future misses, and headed to the house for the evening.  While sitting with the best man at the house, we decided to get some food.  We also got a couple of pumpkins to carve (we had been drinking and it was a good idea at the time).  Little did we know we would carve the most amazing jack-o-lanterns.  I did the silhouette of beer bottle and he did Raphael from the ninja turtles.  I can’t explain in words how awesome they looked.  So I will post some photos.  The next day was a scramble to finish getting everything perfect for the wedding hanging lights, putting up signs, buying a bottle of Jameson for the musician; it was a hectic morning and early afternoon.  I finish getting all décor up with an hour to spare before it was go time.  Trucked it back to the house with the best man and a photographer where my brother and sister were waiting.  We got ready in no time flat and were back out the door and on our way back to the wedding site.  It’s funny because for the few weeks before people kept asking me if I was nervous even day of people asked, but I wasn’t until I realized that I would be reading my vows, that I wrote, out loud.  I jokingly said to my brother, sister and best man on the way to the wedding that I was just going to cry like a baby so I wouldn’t have to read them.  We arrived, ran in, got our buttoner placed on our chest, and put into position. The music started and the bridesmaids came down. Then it was her.  The pastor motioned everyone to stand. I couldn’t see her until she turned the corner of the wall of people that blocked my view.  The world stopped.  Have you ever seen a movie where there is a lot of chaos going on then everything just freezes except for one or two things? It was like that.  The lights dimmed except one spotlight that came from somewhere and beamed on her walking towards me.  it seemed days before she got to the end end of her thirty foot walk but when she arrived everything seemed to fastforward and went into a blur, not sure if it was because it was like a dream, or the excitement and anticipation was that overwhelming or the fact that I was literally crying like a baby, but it was over in a flash and we were married.  The reception was amazing and everything went off without a hitch.  Thank God.  But it all wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for everyone that helped.  So a big thanks to her parents and mine and everyone else that was there for us.

            One week later we set off to Key West where it was eighty five and sunny all week long, the drinks where cold and refreshing, the water was crystal clear, and the food was fresh and delightful. 

            When we got back I found out that I won a photo contest at Ohio State that I had entered a month earlier, my new wife and I carved some more pumpkins, and life couldn’t be any better.

            Side note; I recently got a new phone, a smart phone, I guess my old phone was to dumb for this day and age.  So with my new phone it comes with apps to add on so you can do anything with a phone now.  Well one of the apps is a photo editing app, so I plan to post a random photo at least weekly taken and edited with just my phone and nothing else.  Prepare your self.

           

first random phone pic

So until next time, don’t worry, be happy.

“A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.”                          -Lana Turner

soup and baseball...

  Recently went to the store to pick up a few things when I came across this in the soup aisle;

Now why in the world would you have a vegetarian vegetable soup?  I mean shouldn’t a vegetable soup be vegetarian to begin with?  I don’t get it.

                 Also last weekend went to the Columbus Clippers game( minor league baseball) with the fiancée and some friends and I took this photo.  I did edit it up a little but I still like it.  Try to give it kind of an old school photo feel with it being black and white.  However, the Clippers who are the defending champs did lose, but I still had fun.
    Speaking of photos my friend and I are having a Photoshop contest.  We both sent each other a photo of ourselves and have two weeks to edit the photos anyway we please and will be judged by another friend of ours. Winning photo will then be posted on my blog.
    Keeping up with the countdown for the big day, 19 days left.  I have lost 8 pounds so I’m a little skinnier, but I wouldn’t say im have gotten in any better shape.  At this point I can just hope I keep the pounds off.
    Well that’s all I have for now, until next time, some days you don’t make it to the top but you can always try again tomorrow.

“Assuming the right wing or left wing gained control of the whole country, it would probably fly around in circles.”                -Pat Paulsen

Coffee

    Another week and a few gallons of coffee later… no not really but I did drink coffee every day this week.  Starting last Sunday with only one cup that had about a pound of sugar and creamer with a few drops of coffee and ended this morning with two cups with little sugar and creamer.  I did find that I like hazelnut flavor coffee, especially the hazelnut Northern Lite Latte (not misspelled that’s just how they spell Lite) from Caribou Coffee.  I didn’t feel any different then when I drink coke or any other caffeinated beverage.  I didn’t get jittery or antsy like I thought I was going too.  I tried drinking early in the morning, late in the morning, and in the afternoon.  I chose not to try it at night in fear of staying awake all night.  I must say I don’t mind it so much now.  I have always enjoyed the aroma of coffee but could never get past the bitterness.  Don’t know that I will drink it every day, but at least I know how to make it so I can tolerate it. 
    Well that’s all I have for this week, not much going on.  I’m sticking to trying to track my food, whether its online, on paper, or just making a mental note.  Coffee may stick around for a few but probably not every day.  I can’t think of any good challenges this week, any suggestions?  So until next week, lead, follow, or get out of the way.


  “Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”
                                                                                    -Jane Austen

funny story...

    So its been a few weeks since I actually wrote something, so I have a funny story for you.  What happens when a chin meets the front fender of a Honda Civic?  Four stitches and a head ache.  That’s right kiddies I was working on my brakes when I decided that it would be a good idea to accidentally hit my chin on the fender after I bounced the back of my head off the underside of the hood.  Yea, it was funny at the time and it did hurt my head a bit but I chose to press on with my work without even a worry about my chin.  Well until I went to wipe the sweat off of it and realized, no that’s not sweat dripping from my chin but blood.  Despite the blood dripping out and the stinging from the sweat seeping into the large gaping wound on my hair (I have a beard if you didn’t know) and grease covered chin, I pushed on with my brakes.  2 hours, 4 brake pads, an oil change, and a shower later I hitched a ride with my dad to the nearest emergency room.  As I told the story to four different people my dad just chuckled in the corner.  The lady came in to sew me up and before she started asked me to lay nice and still, then proceeded to ask me questions while she was doing the stitching.  And that was the second time I had someone tell me to lay still and then asked me questions that Saturday.  The first being my visit to the dentist earlier for my 8 year check up.  Yes eight years since my last visit to the tooth doctor and not one single cavity.  Thanks for the cleaning doc, see you in eight more.
    As for my challenge I talked about two weeks ago, tracking my eating on live strong.com, I lost 2lbs.  And according to my first grade math that’s a pound a week.  I met my goal.  As for this weeks challenge, I tackle coffee, which is something I never drink.  I will attempt to drink a cup o’ Joe a day,  not really for any health benefits but just to see what happens, if anything.  However, a WebMD article states;
“A growing body of research shows that coffee drinkers, compared to nondrinkers, are: less likely to have type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, and dementia, also, have fewer cases of cancers, hearth rhythm problems, and strokes.”
So bottoms up with that bitter nectar, I guess. That’s it for this week and until next time, swing high, swing low, but always keep your eye on the ball.

"Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything."              
-Alexander Hamilton