Vilification
After seeing the Occupy Baltimore spin-off of Occupy Wall St, I am given cause to wonder why American politics is so rife with vilification. Opposing parties are not satisfied with disagreeing, they feel the need to dehumanize their adversary/neighbor.
I see signs purporting greed from corporations. These corporations are made of people. People who have banded together to provide services and goods to society and income for their families. These corporations are certainly not inherently greedy any more than human nature is to be greedy.
We point fingers to the top, but the top just gets smaller and smaller. No-one is taking responsibility. The responsibility is to be shared among us all. Each of us is as guilty of the evils of incorporation as the unidentifiable apexes of corporate pyramids.
What if instead of sending messages about the elite or other perceived adversaries, we lead by example holding signs that say "I want to show my children a stream full of fish untainted by pollution." or "I want to contribute my talents to help society without cheating."
Transportation Project
The United States poses a unique transportation problem with its moderate size, varied population densities, and large, influential consumer economy. The current transportation system--highly dependent upon motor vehicles and highways--is inadequate. Cars and trucks traverse the country every day wasting limited energy resources and endangering their passengers, operators and cargo.
The greatest issues with motor vehicle transportation are:
- Congestion in Movement and Parking
- Fatalities and Injuries
- Noise and Air Pollution
- Energy Resource Scarcity
- Inefficient use of Operator Attention
- High-Cost, High-Maintenance Infrastructure
Over the next 12 months, I will analyze the current transportation methods and improved(ideal) methods alongside current and possible future alternatives.
The following are tentative categories for comparison:
Availability, Speed, Reliability, Reactivity, Safety, Security, Byproducts, Energy Consumption, Energy Sources, Operator Attention, Operator Training, Infrastructure Construction Costs, Infrastructure Maintenance Costs, Infrastructure Adaptability
Each group will be discussed and analyzed at length and research results will be posted here.