Ohio experiencing record droughts.

[SavannahMann]

Goodness, if we listened to men like you (and there have always been men like you) we would still have slaves, women wouldn't be allowed to vote and could still be raped by their husbands.

Forward progress is always a possibility. In the United States case, all it takes is for enough grass-roots mobilization, taking the Senate and expanding the Supreme Court. Tall orders, but well within the realm of possibility.

Once the Supreme Court is expanded and the corrupt Federalist Society plants are pushed aside in favor of judges who do not feel the need to act as a Guardian Council, actual legislation can be passed by our Legislators.

More than twenty years ago, when Move On was at the height of their power, I was talking to some Liberals. They were trying to organize to take back the Senate. I told them how to start making progress on their issues.

At the time, the Republicans had a number of Libertarian Leaning Politicians. With the Democrats, and the Libertarians, I figured they were very close to having enough votes to legalize Marijuana. I told them that they needed to organize this. They could do it. Agree to work on this one issue. Nothing else but this one issue.

They told me the same thing you did. First they needed to take the Senate. Then expand the Court to dilute the Conservatives. They weren’t called Originalists then. That came later. If they agreed to work with Republicans on any issue it strengthened the Republicans. And the Libertarians would demand the abolishment of the Department of Education.

Instead they focused on mounting a primary challenge on Joe Lieberman, who had been the Democratic Nominee for Vice President two years earlier.

Obviously they didn’t expand the court. Or get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Or legalize Marijuana. Or do anything.

Here we are. A generation plus later. And the same conditions for victory are declared. Take the Senate. Take the House. Expand the court to dilute the Conservatives. Then, and only then, can we make any progress.

Thank you for stirring that particular memory. Thank you for letting me consider the fact that for essentially all my life, there has been virtually no progress on anything worthy the name. We are still stuck at the start line.

 

[reinaert]

Slightly related. I'm starting to see signs all over NH that read 'Yes it's warming. It's an interglacial period.' So, expect that as the next denier gish gallop.

 

[SavannahMann]

Most innovators and problem solvers are optimists due to their resilience and determination. While optimists can at times be unrealistic with timelines and projected difficulties, pessimists often are paralyzed with doubt and can be far too deliberative because the driver of pessimism is often anxiety and or a lack of self confidence.

Really? We can save the planet if we just try hard enough? If we believe?

I’m old enough to remember leaded gasoline. Some Seniors here will back me up. People were furious when Leaded Gas was banned. New engines made for cars after 1975 had to be unleaded gasoline. Great success story for the environment.

Well sort of. All those little planes you see flying about are still using leaded gas. And farm equipment. Marine engines. But yes it was a total victory.

Sure new airplane engines are designed to run on aviation fuel, which is leaded gasoline. But things are better right? It just took 24 years to finally ban leaded gas at the pumps for older cars.

I mean sure it was still sold around the world until 2002. But that isn’t important. The important thing is that we banned leaded gasoline.

I mean sure we knew leaded gasoline was dangerous a literal Century ago. But hey. It takes time. Yes. Seriously. 1920’s.

So what Liberal President saw this necessary action taken? That’s right. Richard Milhouse Nixon. 1970. Nixon was President.

 

[ALiberalModerate]

Really? We can save the planet if we just try hard enough? If we believe?

I’m old enough to remember leaded gasoline. Some Seniors here will back me up. People were furious when Leaded Gas was banned. New engines made for cars after 1975 had to be unleaded gasoline. Great success story for the environment.

Well sort of. All those little planes you see flying about are still using leaded gas. And farm equipment. Marine engines. But yes it was a total victory.

Sure new airplane engines are designed to run on aviation fuel, which is leaded gasoline. But things are better right? It just took 24 years to finally ban leaded gas at the pumps for older cars.

I mean sure it was still sold around the world until 2002. But that isn’t important. The important thing is that we banned leaded gasoline.

I mean sure we knew leaded gasoline was dangerous a literal Century ago. But hey. It takes time. Yes. Seriously. 1920’s.

So what Liberal President saw this necessary action taken? That’s right. Richard Milhouse Nixon. 1970. Nixon was President.

In the United States, we have preserved hundreds of millions of acres a wilderness. We have a National Park System that is the envy of the world. We brought back entire watersheds from extreme pollution. Our air quality is by any measure, much better than it was 40 years ago. This is all despite the fact that in any given year, polluting and extraction industries out spend environmental groups by 100 to 200 to 1 in terms of lobbying.

Obviously we still have a long way to go, but we have came a long way.

 

[MamboDervish]

I understand the concept, and have nothing against them. There are just limited locations that they can have any large scale applications.

The purchaser would need to be the people of the region, and how much more does it make their water cost?

The cost and logistics needs to be considered. You seem to be all talk, and not addressing what is important.

From my post #149: "You have mistaken impressions about what I'm advocating, and I'm not sure there are enough hours in my life to explain it to you."

 

[Lord of Planar]

From my post #149: "You have mistaken impressions about what I'm advocating, and I'm not sure there are enough hours in my life to explain it to you."

I am pretty sure I understand. I see the costs as being too high to be practical.

 

[MamboDervish]

I am pretty sure I understand. I see the costs as being too high to be practical.

Of course you do - because you don't know what I do, and I won't bother committing any more of my time explaining it. So we'll just have to leave it there.

 

[Felis Leo]

More than twenty years ago, when Move On was at the height of their power, I was talking to some Liberals. They were trying to organize to take back the Senate. I told them how to start making progress on their issues.

At the time, the Republicans had a number of Libertarian Leaning Politicians. With the Democrats, and the Libertarians, I figured they were very close to having enough votes to legalize Marijuana. I told them that they needed to organize this. They could do it. Agree to work on this one issue. Nothing else but this one issue.

They told me the same thing you did. First they needed to take the Senate. Then expand the Court to dilute the Conservatives. They weren’t called Originalists then. That came later. If they agreed to work with Republicans on any issue it strengthened the Republicans. And the Libertarians would demand the abolishment of the Department of Education.

Instead they focused on mounting a primary challenge on Joe Lieberman, who had been the Democratic Nominee for Vice President two years earlier.

Obviously they didn’t expand the court. Or get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Or legalize Marijuana. Or do anything.

Here we are. A generation plus later. And the same conditions for victory are declared. Take the Senate. Take the House. Expand the court to dilute the Conservatives. Then, and only then, can we make any progress.

Thank you for stirring that particular memory. Thank you for letting me consider the fact that for essentially all my life, there has been virtually no progress on anything worthy the name. We are still stuck at the start line.

And thank you for saying absolutely nothing of substance, SavannahMann.

Yeah, the Democrats didn’t deliver. My argument is that the Democrats should make systemic and institutional changes in the same manner that Republicans have. The difference being, these institutional changes would enable democracy to function in order to deliver benefits to the vast majority of American people, instead of solely to major corporations or religious fundamentalists for Republicans.

 

[SavannahMann]

And thank you for saying absolutely nothing of substance, SavannahMann.

Yeah, the Democrats didn’t deliver. My argument is that the Democrats should make systemic and institutional changes in the same manner that Republicans have. The difference being, these institutional changes would enable democracy to function in order to deliver benefits to the vast majority of American people, instead of solely to major corporations or religious fundamentalists for Republicans.

It wasn’t that the Democrats didn’t deliver. It was the standards that they set, that you set, are unrealistic. Taking the Senate beyond Filibuster limits is unrealistic. Even if you managed it, unlikely, you would certainly lose it in two years.

Getting more than fifty is hard. Getting to sixty is so close to impossible that it might as well be. And you would need filibuster proof majority.

Then you would need a majority in the House. And finally you would need a Democratic President. And you would need one more thing. All those elected people willing to lose their reelections to make these fundamental changes you want. What would that be? A hundred people willing to risk Career Suicide?

Let me tell you a secret. When a President is elected, the general rule is they get one thing. Right out of the gate, they can use the claim of a mandate to get one thing. After that they have too many enemies in Congress to get anything else. Reagan got tax cuts. And he had to spend the better part of his first year in office campaigning for it. Including an Oval Office address asking people to call, write, and send telegrams to Congress in support.

George HW Bush wanted to maintain Reagan’s budget and tax cuts. He lost the tax cuts but got the budget. Until after Desert Storm and the resulting Military Reduction from the easy victory.

Clinton wanted tax increases, and the Brady Bill, and Healthcare. He got tax increases, barely, and the Brady Bill, with a sunset date, and then lost healthcare.

Shall I continue? W didn’t have a mandate with the narrow victory and was at a school for a publicity event when 9-11 happened. Does that tell you how aimless the administration was even eight months after swearing in?

Obama got a watered down version of Obamacare and the Recovery from the banking meltdown of 2008.

 

[L88]

Southeast Ohio is in the worst condition currently.

But almost the entire Midwest is in drought conditions right now. Grain stocks are actually up by over 20% right now but it won't last if the widespread drought continues.

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

 

[bomberfox]

Southeast Ohio is in the worst condition currently.

But almost the entire Midwest is in drought conditions right now. Grain stocks are actually up by over 20% right now but it won't last if the widespread drought continues.

Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

The drying up of midwest lakes and lakes in general have been worrisome.

 

[bomberfox]

More than twenty years ago, when Move On was at the height of their power, I was talking to some Liberals. They were trying to organize to take back the Senate. I told them how to start making progress on their issues.

At the time, the Republicans had a number of Libertarian Leaning Politicians. With the Democrats, and the Libertarians, I figured they were very close to having enough votes to legalize Marijuana. I told them that they needed to organize this. They could do it. Agree to work on this one issue. Nothing else but this one issue.

They told me the same thing you did. First they needed to take the Senate. Then expand the Court to dilute the Conservatives. They weren’t called Originalists then. That came later. If they agreed to work with Republicans on any issue it strengthened the Republicans. And the Libertarians would demand the abolishment of the Department of Education.

Instead they focused on mounting a primary challenge on Joe Lieberman, who had been the Democratic Nominee for Vice President two years earlier.

Obviously they didn’t expand the court. Or get a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. Or legalize Marijuana. Or do anything.

Here we are. A generation plus later. And the same conditions for victory are declared. Take the Senate. Take the House. Expand the court to dilute the Conservatives. Then, and only then, can we make any progress.

Thank you for stirring that particular memory. Thank you for letting me consider the fact that for essentially all my life, there has been virtually no progress on anything worthy the name. We are still stuck at the start line.

Its more like its the only way to accomplish anything. The filibuster is not only an impediment to compromise, but it is also making it impossible to do anything.

It also makes sense for Republicans because they view the government as being an enemy so of course they will block everything.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

We had plenty of rain here in NY in the Spring and early Summer.. But since late August, thru September and now October.. No rain.. Very dry.. October maybe the driest month ever on record here in NY..

 

[nvflash]

Call me crazy, but I hereby deny that giving politicians more money and more power will lead to fewer droughts in the future.

I'm reporting you to Chairwomen Kamala as a 'science denier'.

 

[multivita-man]

We had plenty of rain here in NY in the Spring and early Summer.. But since late August, thru September and now October.. No rain.. Very dry.. October maybe the driest month ever on record here in NY..

Valencia, Spain, on the other hand...

 

[MamboDervish]

We had plenty of rain here in NY in the Spring and early Summer.. But since late August, thru September and now October.. No rain.. Very dry.. October maybe the driest month ever on record here in NY..

As of today, NYC's DEP reservoirs stand at 66% of capacity. 76.6% is actually typical this time of year - so the roughly 20 upstate reservoirs are currently running a deficit of 10+% below normal. While there is more than enough time to recover before next Summer (the time of greatest water usage) it will depend on having above average Winter snowfall upstate, and slightly above average Spring rainfall in order to totally recover.

Compounding the problem might be the now super dry fallen leaves if they should become brush and forest fires, because it will be those same reservoirs that will be tapped to put out the flames.

As a native New Yorker who has worked extensively on New York City's water systems, both upstream and downstream, and has lived here long enough to have an historical perspective, I'm not yet worried. But these conditions certainly will be something I will be monitoring closely after the holidays, to see how we are doing in our recovery. If the Catskill Mountains don't have sufficient snow pack by February 1st, the Big Apple could be in some significant drought trouble by next Summer.