Coal....No So Bad After All

So again, here we are, listening to the president talk about global warming. Really? Is there not more important problems going on right now? People on the left talk about global warming and that "it's a fact that it is happening". If it is just a facts, then where are these facts? Why aren't we seeing scientific proof in front of our eyes every day. People on the left also talk about getting rid of coal. So I decided to research how important coal is as a resource here in the country.

From the website of US Energy Information Administration, here is what I found. "The US holds the world's largest estimated recoverable reserves of coal and is a net exporter of coal. In 2011, our nation's coal mines produced more than a billion short tons of coal and more than 90% of this coal was used by US power plants to generate electricity. While coal has been the largest source of electricity generation for over 60 years, its annual share or generation declined from 49% in 2007 to 42% in 2011 as some power producers switched to lower-priced natural gas."

But wait, there's more. "Coal is produced in 25 states spread across three coal-producing regions. In 2011, approximately 72% of production originated in five states: Wyoming, West Virginia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas. Most of our coal is used to generate electricity. The U.S. has more than 1400 coal fired electricity generating units in operation at more than 600 plants across the country. Together, these power plants generate over 40% of the electricity produced in the U.S. and consume more than 900 million short tons of coal per year."

http://www.eia.gov/energy_in_brief/article/role_coal_us.cfm

Getting rid of coal will not only destroy the economy in those areas that produce it, but because it is cheap, producing energy any other way will cause our energy bills to increase. I'm all for clean energy as well, but take another look at coal.

So, what about the environment? Please do your own research on coal. Check out what I found on the website of the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity:

http://www.cleancoalusa.org/

We share the Obama administration’s commitment. As an industry, we are committed to a clean energy future with coal – and that future involves the use of advanced technologies to further reduce emissions including the capture and safe storage of CO₂.

We have a long history of deploying clean coal technologies to reduce air emissions – while at the same time providing affordable, reliable electricity to meet growing energy needs.

Because of those continued investments in clean coal technology, new coal plants built today have greater than 90 percent removal for SO₂, NO_x and mercury. It’s that same innovation in technology that the industry is using to bring another new generation of advanced clean coal technologies to the marketplace as a cost-effective solution to meeting climate change concerns.

Today, coal-based electricity companies are working with the federal government, states, academia and private labs to develop, demonstrate and deploy the next generation of advanced technologies that will make it possible to reduce emissions to near-zero levels and capture and store greenhouse gases. To learn more about these cutting-edge technologies, check out our clean coal technology glossary.

Continued innovations require funding, but studies show we’ll see a return on our investments. AnAmerican Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity-funded study (PDF) entitled “DOE Clean Coal Technology Programs Offer Highest Return on Investment” reports that by 2020, American taxpayers will see a return of $13 for every dollar the government invests in these technologies.

So before you lefties decide that you want to get rid of coal, make sure coal is not helping to produce your electricity. Think twice about the energy you are using the next time you "plug in" that Prius.

 

KW

 

 

The Move

When I was a little girl my grandfather sat with me on quiet afternoons with a checkered board and royal pieces set up for a good game of chess. He taught me how the individual pieces moved around the board with the prime directive of protecting the queen.


At the risk of sounding like Forrest Gump, politics is like a game of chess, sometimes you never know what you’re going to get. Here in Virginia, we love our politics and every year is an election year. With that we have our own interesting game of chess going on right now.

The governor’s race between Republican Ken Cuccinelli and Democrat Terri McAuliffe is beginning to warm up (hopefully we’ll see some heat as Election Day draws closer). As of this writing, Mr. Cuccinelli has raised $6.5m and Mr. McAuliffe has raised $10.4m in contributions (per vapap.com). Ken Cuccinelli has been seen out and about making appearances for voter support but not so much for McAuliffe. There is some speculation that Terri will be waltzing down Highway 95 with the King and Queen (Bill and Hillary) on each arm relying on his Democrat family tree. Whether that and his war chest are going to be enough for him to win in an off year election is yet to be seen.

Up next is our Attorney General Race with now republican state Senator Mark Obenshain having recently debated now Democrat state Senator Mark Herring. With both candidates being sitting senators, there is the distinct possibility that either party could pick up an additional senate seat through special election, likely sometime in January or February 2014.

Last, but not least, we have the Lieutenant Governor’s race with the republican candidate, Bishop E W Jackson and Democrat candidate Senator Ralph Northam from the 6th District. Should Bishop Jackson win the election Mr. Northam retains his senate seat, however, if Senator Northam wins, there is yet another opportunity for a state senate seat to be filled by way of special election.

So you see, politics is very much like a game of chess, when you advance a piece you leave behind a vacant square that could tip the scales for either side. Let’s hope the Bishop knows how to move other than diagonally.

JG

President Obama on Catholic Schools

“Issues like segregated schools and housing, lack of jobs and opportunity — symbols of history that are a source of pride for some and pain for others — these are not tangential to peace; they’re essential to it,” Mr. Obama said.

“If towns remain divided — if Catholics have their schools and buildings, and Protestants have theirs — if we can’t see ourselves in one another, if fear and resentment are allowed to harden, that encourages division. It discourages cooperation,” he said.

The President made these comments in Ireland last Monday. 

Say you have a town and there is a Catholic School and a Protestant School, according to Obama this means there is division within the community. This is how President Obama views different educational opportunities.

Here in America we spend serious money to send our children to Catholic schools. The Catholic church is well known for its academic and spiritual prowess. We aren't fighting each other in the streets because of religious education, not yet anyway. Here in the states if we want our kids to go to Catholic school we have to pay out of pocket, and dearly, while still paying significant tax dollars for public school. Very few states have charter schools and/or school vouchers, proven to be superior to our union driven public school system. 

Some say the Catholic Far Right is just picking a fight. I say that if President Obama didn't want to provoke a fight, he wouldn't have stirred this pot. 

As a catholic school alum for the first 17 years of my life I would like to thank all my Sisters of Charity and my Dominican Sisters for a job well done.   

By JG

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

Why the USA needs Jack Bauer for President

If you don't know who Jack Bauer is, you missed one of the best series on FOX.  His character was a field agent that works for CTU, Counter Terrorist Unit.  He risked his life every episode of the series to protect what we hold dear, our lives and our freedom, from destruction contrived by terrorists.  He was willing to sacrifice for the good of the American people.  Granted it was a gritty show, but the thought is still the same, protect the people at all costs. 

This is the reason government was formed in the first place, our security.
 
He lost friends, family, and other loved ones along the way.  He had to make the hard decisions of who lives and who dies for the price of freedom.  Internally, he struggled with his life and his decisions, but he had the same moral compass pointing North.....the Amercian way of life, freedom and the people came first.

Why don't we see that now?  Why have we lost our way?  The moral compass has changed and we rarely see leaders stick their neck out for the greater good of the American people.

I say....vote for those candidates that will fight for you.

Jack for President!

By KW

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

It Is Not About Hunting

The murders of 26 people in Newton, Connecticut sparked a national debate on the private ownership of firearms; specifically whether the Federal Government should allow private citizens to own so-called “assault weapons.”  The US Senate in April defeated a bill which would have banned assault weapons and would have also banned “high-capacity” detachable magazines for assault weapons that are currently owned by citizens.  New York and Colorado did enact bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.

Those in favor in banning assault weapons often claim that such weapons have no legitimate hunting, sporting or even self-defense use.  The Second Amendment, however, has nothing to do hunting or target shooting.  It is a check on the power of the Federal Government.  The Founding Fathers saw that the unarmed people of Europe were not truly free, being ruled and oppressed by monarchs. The American colonists had fought British tyranny with guns in the hands of private citizens when they were unable to field a regular army.  The framers of our Constitution knew that if citizens were armed, a tyrannical government would be unable to oppress them.   In order to resist tyranny, the people would need weapons that are at least comparable to the weapons in the tyrant’s arsenal.  For this reason, the lawful ownership and use of assault weapons is guaranteed by the Constitution.   It is true that the people do not need assault weapons for hunting deer; they need them for hunting tyrants.

 By guest blogger Tom Gannon

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

Let Them Eat Cake Part #82837479…

The people’s house is closed to tours, but the Obama’s are staying in $3,300 a night rooms on their trip to Ireland. The estimated tab for the taxpayers for two days of this trip is $5 million.

I understand the President is attending the G8 meetings in Ireland. I also understand security for the President and his family is a top priority. However, it always astounds me to see any politician allow for such extravagance, especially when people at home cannot put food on the table for their children.

My frustration with this is not party related either. Again I understand there is a certain decorum that must be kept in regards to the office of the Presidency, but I recall the same frustration when walking through the White House on a tour when President Bush was in office. I wondered how much money was spent on fresh flowers in rooms open for viewing. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fresh flowers, especially in my home. But our government spends more than it takes in and flowers are a luxury.

President Obama said he would go line by line and eliminate frivolous spending through earmarks if elected. 

How about making sure every tax dollar spent on any government travel is spent wisely too? A great number of Americans will forgo a family vacation this year because they cannot afford it. To see this extravagance slapping the face of the American people is sad and infuriating. But, Obama has not kept his promise on eliminating frivolous government spending, so expecting he would be more sensitive to the state of the average American is obviously too much to ask.

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

 

No Proof Necessary

The US Supreme Court just ruled against an Arizona law that requires proof of citizenship in addition to a federal form when registering to vote. This additional requirement to the federal form was voted on by the people of Arizona and passed in 2004. The vote was 7-2 with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting.

The decision was based on the justices holding to the federal form being adequate for voter registration. Under the federal guidelines, the form is considered an oath signed by the registrant stating they are a US citizen. They can be punished by law if they are found to have lied under “oath” on this document.

Voter registration requirements are under constant debate. The election process in the United States is not perfect, but it is part of the system that helps retain the principles of our founding. Our voting system provides us the opportunity to voice our opinion through our vote, and respect the outcome when the counting is complete. If we do not believe our voting system is fair, trust for our government will deteriorate even further. Due to the recent revelations about our government keeping an eye on our private lives in ways we never thought possible in a free nation, we cannot allow our voting system to become a source of distrust for the American people.

If the Supreme Court is going to uphold that a federal form is adequate for registering to vote, it is time for our representatives in Washington to reevaluate the form and what is requires for registration. It would be nice to believe that an honor system where everyone who registered to vote was a legal citizen of our nation. However, we will always have people who are not honorable and will resort to voter fraud. In order to maintain the trust in our voting system, we must ensure Americans trust those registered to vote. We require identification for a multitude of activities in the United States. Shouldn’t we require proof of citizenship for our most sacred individual duty to our Republic?

 

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

 

Happy Father's Day!

BiGWand wishes the dads in our lives a very Happy Father's Day!

Will We Never Learn?

America has the best military in the world – the best soldiers, the best arms, the best strategy. As a superpower, there is an unwritten responsibility to help our allies when in distress as we did during both World Wars, the Korean War, Viet Nam, and Desert Storm. A few years ago, a movie came out about Representative Charlie Wilson’s mission to help Afghanistan fight off Russia’s advancement. Whether it was right or wrong to engage in any of the battles American soldiers fought throughout our history, one thing is becoming crystal clear – we are not learning from history.

The headlines today read we are now engaging in support for the rebels in Syria. Don’t get me wrong; I have no issues with helping a nation rid themselves of brutal dictators. I believe free nations have a moral obligation to help those oppressed by such regimes. However, as happened in Charlie Wilson’s War, are we about to arm a group of rebels who will then turn their wrath on us in the future?

The Middle East is a very complicated region. The fights and issues are centuries old. Rarely have countries from this region reached out to the United States for assistance. From my studies of this region, the Middle East is made up mostly of Muslim nations who prefer to keep the business of the “family” in the family. They do not want, nor appreciate, outside help. Therefore, attempting to arm one group who may ask for help only has the potential to spur further hatred of the West by the many other groups in the region.

When it comes to the Middle East, it seems we continue to make the same mistakes. I do not want to see innocent people die because of a brutal dictator. However, our government has not provided enough justification for engaging in another costly war. 

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

 

Old Glory

On August 3rd, 1949, President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

However, BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, crafted the idea for Flag Day 64 years earlier. He and his students from the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, celebrated the flag and its history.

 

The American Flag is the ultimate symbol of freedom. Americans have sacrificed their lives protecting it. The famous picture of marines and navy corpsman raising the flag on Iwo Jima is an illustration that our flag will stand as a representation of the freedom we believe in.

During the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attack, three firefighters took a flag from a yacht, owned by Shirley Dreifus, placed it on a pole and raised it to once again show the world our flag still stands. Thomas E. Franklin captured this scene. The flag has since disappeared, but the moment it was raised is not forgotten.

 

The history of our flag is part of the foundation of our nation. I encourage you to take a moment to learn about how Old Glory became they symbol of freedom at the following links:

Introduction
History of the Stars and Stripes
An Early Stars and Stripes
The Grand Union Flag
Fifteen Stars and Stripes
Early American Flags
Historical Flags
The Flag Today
Flag Laws and Regulations
Flag Presentation
Folding the Flag
Care of your Flag
Sizes of Flags
Flags at the United States Capitol
How to Obtain a Flag Flown Over the Capitol
American War Mothers Flag
How to Obtain a Burial Flag For a Veteran
Flags of States and Territories
Flag Day
The Great Seal of the United States
Fort McHenry
The Flag House
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
The American's Creed
School Projects 

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

 

Time for the Truth

I have been closely following the Judiciary Committee's pressuring of Attorney General Eric Holder in regards to his less than forthcoming testimony back on May 15th. Though Holder's tenure as AG is riddled with instances such as this, his blatant disdain for authority and oversight in matters involving himself is now truly evident. When a congressional committee asks you to answer several simple questions, and you fail to provide a response, then you obviously have little to no care for the very laws you have been tasked with to implement. 

I'm glad our own Congressman Forbes and his colleagues on the judiciary Committee have not let this issue rest - I hope the AG will show them and the American taxpayers some respect and provide them truthful, sincere answers this time.

By KW

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

GOP 101: Benjamin Franklin

The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself.

Benjamin Franklin

Birth: January 17, 1706

Location: Boston, Massachusetts

Death: April 17, 1790

Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Educated at the Boston Latin School; honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, Oxford University in England, and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland

Profession: Inventor, Politician

Major accomplishments:

• 1752 - Kite and key experiment

• 1775 - Elected to represent Pennsylvania in the Second Continental Congress and as Postmaster General

• 1776 - One of the five drafters, and a signer, of the Declaration of Independence

• March 1, 1781 to March 4, 1789 - The Articles of Confederation were enforced, which Franklin helped draft

• 1776 - First Ambassador to France

• 1783 - Assisted with peace treaty with England

Benjamin Franklin, an avid writer who took up the trade as an apprentice for his brother, would grow up to help draft the document that founded a nation. Franklin was also a scientist who invented items we still use today. Readers around the world are grateful for his discovery of the bi-focal glass. Other inventions include the swim fin, the lightening rod, street lighting, the odometer, and daylight savings time.

Benjamin Franklin, despite his lack of a formal education, is one of the most influential of the founding fathers. His skill of diplomacy led his adventures through England, France, and the early stages of the United States. He believed in creating things to help make everyday life better, and then sharing his discoveries with the world. His wisdom left a legacy to be admired. His inventions continue to impact our world. 

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.

Complicit or Equally Astounded? Hero or Traitor?

Last week, a bombshell was dropped on the American people – our government has been gathering information on our phone records and Internet activity through a program called PRISM. PRISM apparently began under President Bush in 2007. 

I know, all together…it’s Boooshes fault! 

However, as President Obama stated, he and his team reviewed the program, deemed it valuable to national security, and enhanced it.

Given that Obama vilified Bush for tactics like this, I wonder if his apology was in person or in writing. Sorry, I digress...

Back on topic…

Edward Snowden gave information about PRISM to the British paper, The Guardian. 

In the latest breaking news of our government mining for information about our daily activities, let’s first look at who is allegedly involved…

Full details are still hazy, but we now know companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple are suspected of cooperating because they are listed in the PowerPoint presentation that Edward Snowden provided to The Guardian. They deny involvement so far, but I have to question this with basic knowledge Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Eric Schmidt were big Obama supporters. Eric Schmidt helped with the technical side of Obama’s reelection campaign and has since hired many of what he calls “people scientists” who worked on the campaign to work for Google. Hmmm…

Sorry, I am not a believer in coincidence. The degrees of separation on this are very slim. I find it hard to believe they learned about this, along with all of us, as the news hit the papers. However, that seems to be how this Administration learns about most of the scandals it is ensnared in, so it could be the case. You will have to decide for yourself whether these companies were complicit, or equally astounded as most Americans by this revelation.

Now, let’s look at the man who provided the information about PRISM to The Guardian…

Edward Snowden is a 29-year-old consultant from Booz Allen. He has a GED, claims to have worked for the CIA, and we now hear left a girlfriend behind to uncover this attack on our constitutional rights. In seeking a safe place to reside after revealing this information, he chose Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China. Another hmmm.

Over the past few days, pundits, experts and politicians have argued both sides of Snowden being a hero versus a traitor.

Personally, I turn to the questions running through my mind:

• Does this knowledge help our enemies know the lengths the American government will take to find them? 

 

• If my government is mining data of Americans in a larger effort to smoke out terrorists, do I have a right to know so I can give my consent OR is it okay for the government to keep programs like this secret?

 

• Are these “encroachments” on our constitutional rights worth it?  

 

We all want to be safe, but we also want our constitutional rights protected. Too many Americans have died, or currently stand in harms way, making sure we have the freedom intended by our founders. You will have to answer these questions for yourself in determining whether Edward Snowden is a hero or a traitor.

I will leave you with this to help you ponder the issue…

*special note – there are lots of links to very interesting articles. Take some time to click on them and read about this information yourself, especially the hypothetical apology letter from Obama to Bush.

By SB

© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.