James Allen
writes: Until thought is linked with purpose there is no intelligent
accomplishment. With the majority the
bark of thought is allowed to “drift” upon the ocean of life.
Aimlessness is a vice, and such
drifting must not continue for him who would steer clear of catastrophe
and destruction. They who have no central purpose in their life
fall an easy prey to worries, fears, troubles, and
self-pityings, all of which are indications of weakness, which lead,
just as surely as deliberately
planned sins (though by a different route), to failure, unhappiness,
and loss, for weakness cannot
persist in a power-evolving universe. A man should conceive of a
legitimate purpose in his heart, and set out to accomplish it. He
should make this purpose the centralizing point of his thoughts. It may
take the form of a spiritual
ideal, or it may be a worldly object, according to his nature at the
time being. But whichever it is,
he should steadily focus his thought forces upon the object which he
has set before him. He
should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to
its attainment, not
allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings,
and imaginings. This is
the royal road to self-control and true concentration of thought. Even
if he fails again and again
to accomplish his purpose (as he necessarily must until weakness is
overcome), the strength of
character gained will be the measure of his true success, and this will form a new
starting point for future power and triumph. Those who are not prepared for the apprehension of a great
purpose, should fix the
thoughts upon the faultless performance of their duty, no matter how
insignificant their task may
appear. Only in this way can the thoughts be gathered and focused, and
resolution and energy be
developed, which being done, there is nothing which may not be
accomplished. The weakest soul, knowing its own weakness, and believing
this truth - that strength can only
be developed by effort and practice, will at once begin to exert itself, and adding effort to
effort, patience to patience, and strength to strength, will never cease to develop, and will at last
grow divinely strong. As the physically weak man can make himself strong by careful and patient training, so the man of
weak thoughts can make them strong by exercising himself in right thinking. (06/27/05)
more…

Shephard Bliss
writes:
The prophet Noah talked to people about changing their ways. They
ignored him. Noah built an ark, gathered his family and hosted animals
to join them. They survived and rebuilt civilization after the flood.
Those who ignored Noah’s warning and continued their destruction
perished. We live in mythic times. “The British are coming!” Paul
Revere broadcast, awakening the slumbering colonists. Now some 230
years later, perhaps the appropriate warning would be something like,
“The Americans are creating a global catastrophe!”  A
civilization-destroying flood or the British Empire no longer threaten
us, but other dangers abound. According to four recent books, America
and those on its industrial highway may be heading into contraction,
turbulence, chaos, or even collapse. … American domination of the
20th century was based on oil. Oil production is about to peak. The
date of peak oil is debatable, but it may be sooner than previously
expected- perhaps even next year. Oil will continue, but less of it
will cause its price to soar. Gasoline prices have already broken the
$3 a gallon ceiling here in parts of Hawai’i and may soon surpass its
$5 a gallon cost in Europe. Consequences will be greatest in the United
States, because of our extreme dependence upon it. Europe will not be
as hard hit. “They have cars but are not car-dependent,” Kunstler
notes. “They did not destroy their towns and cities. We did. They did
not destroy their public transit. We did. They did not destroy local
agriculture. We did.” When I try to teach these facts to students at
the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and to friends, they often respond
with doubt, or quickly change the subject. “Perilous optimism” is how
Heinberg describes this response. False optimism in the face of
evidence of pending disaster has historically been deadly for millions.
“It has been very hard for Americans-lost in dark raptures of nonstop
infotainment, recreational shopping and compulsive motoring-to make
sense of the gathering forces that will fundamentally alter everyday
life in our technological society,” Kunstler writes. Geographer
Diamond’s “Collapse” is the most scholarly of these four books, though
it is readable. He offers 575 pages of research and analysis and an
historical/ cultural narrative of societies that have either squandered
or savored their natural and human resources. (06/27/05)
more…

The New York Times –
The Bush administration is planning the government’s first production
of plutonium 238 - a highly radioactive substance valued as a power
source - since the Cold War, stirring debate over the risks and
benefits of the deadly material. It is hot enough to melt plastic and
so dangerous that a speck can cause cancer. Federal officials say the
program would produce a total of 330 pounds, or 150 kilograms, over 30
years at the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling site outside Idaho
Falls some 100 miles, or 160 kilometers, to the west and upwind of
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. The program could cost $1.5
billion and generate more than 50,000 drums of hazardous and
radioactive waste. Project managers say that most if not all of the new
plutonium is intended for secret missions and declined to divulge any
details. “The real reason we’re starting production is for national
security,” Timothy Frazier, head of radioisotope power systems at the
Department of Energy, said at the end of a recent interview. He
vigorously denied that any of the classified missions would involve
nuclear arms, satellites or weapons in space. … Plutonium 238 has no
central role in nuclear arms. Instead, it is valued for its steady
heat, which can be turned into electricity. (06/27/05)
more…

The Independent/UK –
The statistics released yesterday are a wake-up call to individuals and
families that we’re all responsible for climate change. Too many people
think: “Climate change has nothing to do with me - it’s the fault of
government and industry.” But statistics like this show the cumulative
effect of millions of people doing the wrong thing. We can’t escape the
link between climate change and our individual daily behavior: how much
we drive; what sort of fuel we use and what sort of car we own; whether
we use public transport, walk or cycle whenever possible; whether we
pile on board budget airline flights, the most irresponsible form of
transport; whether we turn off the tap while we brush our teeth;
whether we try to find local producers for our food, so that it hasn’t
traveled halfway across the world to reach our dinner plate. And, of
course, whether we turn off our electrical appliances. We have got to
make the connection between our own lifestyles and big, global problems
like climate change. The couldn’t-care-less attitude puts our future in
peril. Our generation and future generations cannot afford it - we are
killing the planet. That is not an exaggeration, but a scientific fact.
We all have a role to play. Yesterday’s report shows how very simple
changes in our behavior and lifestyles can have a positive effect in
tackling climate change. What the individual does matters greatly. All
too often we’re lazy - leaving the TV, radio, computer or DVD player on
standby, so it can jump from red light to switched-on at a touch of the
gizmo. What could be simpler than turning them off? We need to be aware
of the consequences of our own actions and not rely on the Government
to legislate and save us. (06/27/05)
more…

BBC Technology –
Sweden has unveiled an environmentally friendly biogas-powered
passenger train - said to be the world’s first. The train, fitted with
two biogas bus engines, can carry up to 54
passengers, and will run on Sweden’s east coast between Linkoeping and
Vaestervik. Biogas, produced by decomposing organic material, emits far
less carbon dioxide than traditional fossil fuels. The train can run
for 600km (372 miles) before it needs to refuel and can reach 130km/h
(80mph). Sweden already has 779 biogas buses and thousands of cars
running on a
mixture of petrol and either biogas or natural gas, the AFP news agency
reports. The biogas train is due to go into service in September on the
80km
(50-mile) coastal stretch. It cost Svensk Biogas 10 million kronor
(1.08m euros; $1.3m) to develop. (06/27/05)
more…

BBC Technology –
Ice striking the shuttle’s heat shield remains a possibility, but the
risk is low enough to safely resume flights, top officials with the US
space agency have decided. “At the end of the day, the
recommendation… was that we’re in an acceptable risk posture and that
we proceed on with the launch,” shuttle programme manager Bill Parsons
said. “I accepted that recommendation; and that’s where we’re headed
now.” The decision, which followed a day-long meeting at the Florida
spaceport on Friday, clears the last major hurdle from Nasa’s plan to
launch shuttle Discovery as early as 13 July on what will be the first
flight since the 2003 Columbia accident. A final decision about whether
to proceed with the flight will be made next week following a
wide-ranging readiness review and the findings of a panel overseeing
Nasa’s return-to-flight efforts. Managers have spent most of the past 2
1/2 years focusing on how to stop foam from flying off the shuttle’s
tank during launch and striking the ship’s delicate heat shield.
Columbia was lost due to an impact on its wing during launch by a piece
of falling foam insulation. Earlier this year, however, engineers
became more and more concerned that ice, which can build up on the
outside of the tank once it is filled with cryogenic fuels, could pose
just as great a threat to the shuttle heat shield as foam. … Despite
the uncertainty, Nasa said it was ready to proceed with the launch. “As
far as (Discovery) is concerned, I believe our concerns are put to
bed,” Muratore said. “We’re ready to fly.” (06/27/05)
more…