When it comes to many projects, endeavors, and merchandise touted as “green” these days, I find myself becoming more and more skeptical.

“Green” – for whatever reason – has come to symbolize environmentalism, likely through the association of green color with nature, health, and growth, and “green” energy generally refers to renewable and alternative production and use of energy.

An recent article in the Washington Post looks at five myths about green energy:

Americans are being inundated with claims about renewable and alternative energy. Advocates for these technologies say that if we jettison fossil fuels, we’ll breathe easier, stop global warming and revolutionize our economy. Yes, “green” energy has great emotional and political appeal. But before we wrap all our hopes — and subsidies — in it, let’s take a hard look at some common misconceptions about what “green” means.

5 Myths:

1. Solar and wind power are the greenest of them all.
2. Going green will reduce our dependence on imports from unsavory regimes.
3. A green American economy will create green American jobs.
4. Electric cars will substantially reduce demand for oil.
5. The United States lags behind other rich countries in going green.

Check out the full Washington Post article: Five myths about green energy.

Several years ago, I took a blogging journey through the American Civil War.  Each day, I posted material from the corresponding day in a specific year of the war.  I started with the fall of 1860, the last several months before the war started

At first, the material was from news articles, including images, from both sides, with a semi-regular entry from the diary of a Washington, D.C. clerk.  Over time, a couple of more diarists were added with fewer and fewer news articles. 

On of the things I was trying to do was to – like so many others – “make money online.”  While I was making virtually nothing from the civil war chronicles, I was making a couple of hundred dollars a month on another website.

With another year until the diarists would reach the end of their war, I made the decision to abandon the civil war chronicles and concentrate on trying to capitalize on the success of the other site.

Two years later, that site is still earning money – a couple of hundred dollars a month. 

I keep getting distracting off into other things that interest me more.

That being the case, I’m taking a step back to the beginning – a new civil war based blog. 

It’s called Diaries of the Civil War, though it will also include letters and other narratives.  Most posts will be for the corresponding day 150 years earlier. 

The blog is organized as though there is a community of authors. Each diary, letter, and journal writer will appear in the blog as a contributing author.

And, yes, it is already live. 

The main events don’t begin until later in 1860.  Until then, I will be populating the blog with material, for the most part, that occurred before the current date in 1860.

It is at http://dotcw.com.  Please come visit.

It’s pretty plain right now.  I will be adding graphics later and links later on.  Yes, there will be advertizing, but the ads will not intrude into the content. 

I’m already learning new stuff – and, it’s hardly even started.

(click on image for larger version)

Irwinville Farms, Georgia

1938 May.

Vachon, John, 1914-1975, photographer.

photo information based on neighboring file image

Farm Security Administration – Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress)  hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsa.8a03422

A proposed $20 million New York state budget cut will likely result in closure of New York state parks.  A Saratoga Springs Saratogian report says that state parks, already hit hard by previous cuts, are in peril from further cuts.

“Every region will be impacted. It’s not just small, fringe sites. Some of the largest parks might close because they’re the most expensive to operate — Jones Beach, Niagara Falls.”

Unfortunately, possible closings come at a time when people need parks most. Last year, statewide usage increased by2 million visits — from 54 million to 56 million — as residents sought inexpensive, close-to-home vacations. This year, Moreau Lake State Park’s campgrounds are already booked most weekends.

“When times are tough, people use state parks,” said Julie Stokes of Greenfield, former deputy state commissioner for operations. “The impact would be very large. A ton of people from Troy use Grafton Lakes. They bus kids out there. That park is absolutely jammed, seven days a week.”

Read more in the Saratogian: Proposed state budget imperils state parks

Virginia Beach, Virginia, May 10, 2009

I’ve added 2 new Virginia photo galleries to my Haw Creek site – The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News and images from the Virginia Beach ocean front.  All of the photos were taken on May 10, 2009.

Gallery: Virginia Beach, May 10, 2009

See more of our Image Galleries at Haw Creek.

Farmers’ Market in Madison at Wisconsin State Capitol, September 20, 2008

Gallery: Dane County Farmers’ Market on the Square – Madison, Wisconsin, September 13 and 20, 2008, on the streets around the state capitol building

See more of our Image Galleries at Haw Creek.

In a previous post, I provided the following information:

I came across this little item during our recent travels. It has an interesting purpose.

What do you think it is? Include the interesting purpose, if you can.

I’ll provide the answer later in the week if no one gets it correct.

Some additional information:

• I came across it in a National Park visitor center.
• I took a photograph of it because it reminded me of a post someone had written on their blog about a relative — a post I cannot find right now.
• It’s a 19th century artifact.
• Debo and Dot have come closest so far

__________________________________

Commentary and images from the road

image and information from September 12, 2009

This post is being simultaneously published on Exit78 and Haw Creek Out ‘n About.

I came across this little item during our recent travels. It has an interesting purpose.

What do you think it is?  Include the interesting purpose, if you can.

I’ll provide the answer later in the week if no one gets it correct.

__________________________________

Commentary and images from the road
September 9, 2009

This post is being simultaneously published on Exit78 and Haw Creek Out ‘n About.

These images were taken in July 2001 on the tour ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty — two weeks after the 4th of July holiday and less than two months before that terrible day in September.

The top image is, of course, the Statue of Liberty. The second is the main building of the Ellis Island immigration station and the last is of the unbroken skyline of Manhattan Island from the tour ferry.

The photos were taken with our first digital camera, a Sony Mavica, 0.8 megapixel camera that saved images on a 3.5 inch floppy disk!

We stayed home all day — so far — and I worked on my landscaping project.  Tonight, providing the weather allows, we’ll be driving down into the valley to see the fireworks.  We haven’t gone to a 4th of July fireworks display since 1995 in Jackson, Wyoming, the same day we saw fresh snow in Yellowstone National Park.

day 30

A musical take on cap and tax… er, trade.

day 25

The top Democratic party candidates were all on the same stage.

Three guys — a white, a black, and a Hispanic — and a woman.

How many jokes have you heard that started out something like that?

This, however, was not a joke. It’s amazing — and it’s America!

What I am referring to, of course, is the Democratic debate in New Hampshire sponsored by Facebook. They were randomly arranged in the order I described earlier, John Edwards, Barrack Obama, Bill Richardson, and Hilary Clinton.

What was really neat for me is that the diversity of the field didn’t strike me until late in the debate when I noticed how much Bill Richardson’s Hispanic heritage showed. Then it was, “Oh, wow!”

I watched both debates. They were strikingly different in tone and in substance.

I don’t generally watch debates until after the conventions when the parties’ presidential and vice-presidential candidates face off. These debates, though, were an opportunity to see the major candidates for both parties in a very short period of time.

The Republicans fielded five white guys.

The Democrats sent three guys — a white, a black, and a Hispanic — and a woman.

How amazing is that?