Clipmarks | Midwest Clips

Triad could become an aerotropolis

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:57:37 GMT

clipped by: ckissel

The term "Aerotropolis" was coined by economic-development expert John Kasarda to describe a regional economy based in the aviation industry but with equally good links to other forms of transportation.

Kasarda envisions a reinvigorated economy built around Piedmont Triad International Airport and the area's larger transportation network. The Triad's large web of rail and highway routes has been a key attribute for more than a century.

The future will include at least two new interstates, improved air and rail access, and even a possible link between the land-locked Triad and the major ports of North Carolina and South Carolina.

For Triad residents, living in an aerotropolis could mean more job opportunities in more professions, higher incomes and a greater level of direct access - by road, rail and air - to places ranging from the coast to the Midwest, Northeast and Canada.

Tags: north carolina, transportation, aviation, highways, multimodal, economic development

Green technology creating 'green collar' jobs

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:37:42 GMT

clipped by: egoldstein
clipper's remarks: I stand strongly behind my belief that if this country committed ourselves to becoming energy independent with the same determination that we committed to putting a man on the moon, that we could do it and we could create millions of new jobs in the process. It would be an enormous driver of economic growth and strengthen our leverage in the Middle East because we would no longer be reliant on their oil.

Clip Source: greenwombat.blogs.fortune.cnn.com

As Detroit automakers shutter SUV and truck factories, the decades-long de-industrialization of the Midwest continues apace. But amid the idled assembly lines, a new wave of manufacturing has taken root as solar energy companies set up shop in the heartland.

In fact, nearly all the United States’ current solar manufacturing capacity is in the Midwest, save for Silicon Valley company Ausra’s factory in Las Vegas. (Thin-film startup Nanosolar is building a factory in San Jose, Calif.)

“Our processes really require high productivity, so what makes it competitive here in the Midwest is that we have a great labor force that is eager to work and well-trained already,” ECD chief executive Mark Morelli told Green Wombat on Monday.

Tags: alternative energy, solar, green energy, jobs

Hallmark to offer same sex marriage cards

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 19:57:21 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: "It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can,"

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

Now on the Hallmark aisle: Gay marriage cards

The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards — featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. "Two hearts. One promise," one says.

Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions.

The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of wedding or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony. Hallmark says the move is a response to consumer demand, not any political pressure.

"It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can," Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said.

Hallmark, known more for its Midwest mores than progressive greetings, has added a wider variety lately. It now offers cards for difficulty getting pregnant or going through rehab.

Tags: same sex marriage

The June US trade data - Exports of corn, beans and wheat are up 90% in nominal

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:50:52 GMT

clipped by: pitim

Clip Source: blogs.cfr.org

And in June, US exports were up 21.1% y.y ($164.4b v $135.7b). Non-petrol good exports were up 17.7% y/y — so it wasn’t all driven by higher prices on the United States (small) petroleum exports. Real goods exports were up 11% in June, and 9.6% for the first half of the year. And real non-oil goods imports aren’t growing. Real non-petrol goods imports in June 2008 were 2.7% lower than in June 2007 — and for h1, real non-petrol goods imports are down by a bit less than 1%.

Exports of corn, beans (and other oilseeds) and wheat are up 90% in nominal terms, rising from $13.6b in the first half of 2007 to $25.9b in the first half of 2008. It isn’t all just higher prices — real exports of foods, feeds and beverages are up 10%. The United States’ financial capital should be grateful it is linked in a currency union to the agricultural Midwest; think where the dollar would be if the US only exported repackaged residential mortgages. Quips about flyover country should stop …

a grinder is...

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:21:15 GMT

clipped by: rachse

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Grinder — Midwest, New England, Fairfield County, Connecticut. Inland Empire of Southern California. Also, a hot hoagie may be referred to as a Grinder in Western Pennsylvania. In Massachusetts, a grinder is generally considered to be a sandwich which includes sliced vegetables and shredded lettuce (if desired) and is heated in the oven after preparation, while a true submarine or sub is never toasted and generally includes chopped vegetables.

Surveillance Camera Captures Intense Lightning

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:37:53 GMT

clipped by: coonhnd
clipper's remarks: Wish I was there to see that

Clip Source: www.liveleak.com

Surveillance video records Illinois lightning storm

CCTV,August 04/08:8-4-08:Naperville,IL An incredible storm rolled through the midwest, with sited tornados in plainfield, by the DuPage Airport and as far out as Indiana. The winds were exceptionally strong, and there was definitely electricity in the atmosphere with severe lightning throughout the area.

[Video]

Tags: weather, lightning, camera, storm

Computer Models Suggests Mid-West Droughts...Oops

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:07:35 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Floods…the opposite of droughts. Of course, today these alarmists are pointing at the floods in the Midwest and saying, “I told you so, here is proof of global warming.” In that case, what isn’t proof of global warming, and how does one go about debating these sorts of incongruities? Unfortunately, the media and politicians have not done a good enough job of making prophets account for their past errant prophetic utterances. Instead, they accept as fact whatever dubious claims Hansen and Gore happen to be making at the moment.

Clip Source: www.openmarket.org

While doing some research, I came across an article in the NY Times headlined “U.S. Data Since 1895 Fail to Show Warming Trend,” which was written in 1991.

Dr. James E. Hansen and then-Senator Al Gore were both present in the piece. The article noted that Hansen’s study says (as of 1991), “average global temperatures have risen by nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit in this century and that the average temperatures in the 1980’s are the highest on record.”

This all sounds like a broken record now, but one particular sentenced grabbed my attention: “Many of the computer models that predict global warming also predict that certain areas, including the Midwest in the United States, would suffer more frequent droughts.”

This statement creates problems for today’s alarmists, who insist that models can be trusted, even though the models have been highly inaccurate. Some sixteen years after the article was printed, the Midwest has experienced floods the last two summers.

Tags: global warming, nytimes headliner, u.s.data, hansen, al gore

The National Animal Identification System, food safety, and school lunches: cui bono?

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:12:29 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: A Wisconsin family farmer criticizes the NAIS, which requires all livestock to carry a RFID tag (prohibitively expensive for non-CAFO-type operations, i.e., small family farmers). To him, it looks like another agribusiness attempt to shut down small, organic producers.

Clip Source: www.madison.com

Jeff Pausma: Congress takes another potshot at family farmers

The scandal at the Hallmark/Westland plant in Chino, Calif., has sparked interest in the trend of securing local meat from sources that are grass-fed, organic and come from animals raised humanely. Our kids deserve the safest meat in their food. Sadly, Congress is now considering squashing such efforts to get local foods into the School Lunch Program.

In June, the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee, at the behest of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said it was considering a provision that would force schools to buy meat for the School Lunch Program from sources enrolled in the federal government's National Animal Identification System. NAIS is hugely controversial among family farmers like me. The U.S. government wants us to inventory, identify and track the movement of all agriculture-related animals.

Is NAIS really about consumer safety or fattening the profits of corporate agribusiness and electronic tag companies?

Tags: food, health, safety, environment, politics, law, midwest, farming, opinion, via:energybulletin

Local Computer Builder in Madison, Wisconsin

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:58:00 GMT

clipped by: TedtheTech
clipper's remarks: CPU Solutions is a custom system builder located in Middleton, Wisconsin. They build custom computers for local businesses and customers throughout the nation. Their long standing reputation has made them one of largest white-box system builders in the US as featured by CRN Magazine.

Clip Source: www.cpusolutions.com

Madison Wisconsin, Custom Computer Builder

Local Scene

CPU Solutions™ serves the local IT community in Madison by providing value solutions to meet any company's budget.

The Convenience of a Local Company in Madison, Wisconsin.

CPU Solutions offers the convenience of a local computer company to meet your business needs. Located near Madison, in Middleton, Wisconsin, we are just minutes away from the state capital.

We understand that IT solutions can be time sensitive and our local storefront allows business and IT professionals to quickly resolve technical issues by providing convenient pickup services for parts. We also offer fast delivery of parts to volume business, government and educational customers in Dane County

Don’t see what you are looking for on the website? Give us a call and we can order it for you. CPU Solutions has the advantage of professional businesses relationships with major vendors in the Midwest and throughout the nation.

Tags: custom, built, computers, business, office

Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 19:52:53 GMT

clipped by: milmufmas

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

EARTH—Former vice president Al Gore—who for the past three decades has unsuccessfully attempted to warn humanity of the coming destruction of our planet, only to be mocked and derided by the very people he has tried to save—launched his infant son into space Monday in the faint hope that his only child would reach the safety of another world.

"I tried to warn them, but the Elders of this planet would not listen," said Gore, who in 2000 was nearly banished to a featureless realm of nonexistence for promoting his unpopular message. "They called me foolish and laughed at my predictions. Yet even now, the Midwest is flooded, the ice caps are melting, and the cities are rocked with tremors, just as I foretold. Fools! Why didn't they heed me before it was too late?"

Al Gore—or, as he is known in his own language, Gore-Al—placed his son, Kal-Al, gently in the one-passenger rocket ship, his brow furrowed by the great weight he carried in preserving the sole survivor of humanity's hubristic folly

Quick-fix diplomas often aren’t real GEDs

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 17:11:35 GMT

clipped by: diplomamillnews

Clip Source: www.jsonline.com

In a city like Milwaukee where hundreds of high school students drop out every year, there’s a market for businesses to offer quick-fix diplomas.

That's why Midwest Adult Academy set up shop at 6114 W. Capitol Drive and started selling high school equivalency tests for $150. Just take home a few tests, return them with a passing score, and congratulations!

The Origins of Eco-man...

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:16:15 GMT

clipped by: Guinnevere

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

Young Gore sets out for his new home, where the sky is clear, the water is clean, and there are no Republicans.

Nominated 2008 Most Innovative Churches

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 03:35:03 GMT

clipped by: bryanknelson

Clip Source: www.squidoo.com

America's Most Innovative Churches of 2008

^#1

Vote Up

Cornerstone Church

Midwest City, Oklahoma | Ron McKey74 points

^#2

Vote Up

Southbrook Community Church

Charlotte, North Carolina | Rob Singleton55 points

^#3

Vote Up

Granite State Baptist Church

Salem, New Hampshire | Anthony Milas42 points

^#4

Vote Up

The Church at the Pen

Boise, Idaho | Ed Snyder31 points

^#5

Vote Up

Midtown Fellowship

Columbia, South Carolina | Dustin Willis26 points

^#7

Vote Up

LifeChurch.tv

Edmond, Oklahoma | Craig Groeschel23 points

^#6

Vote Up

Fellowship Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee | Bryan Loritts23 points

^#8

Vote Up

NewSpring Church

Anderson, South Carolina | Perry Noble22 points

^#9

Vote Up

Granger Community Church

Granger, Indiana | Mark Beeson22 points

^#10

Vote Up

Discovery Church

Blackwood, New Jersey | Randy Smith19 points

Al Gore Place Infant Son In Rocket To Escape A Dying Planet

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:18:54 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Al Gore—or, as he is known in his own language, Gore-Al—placed his son, Kal-Al, gently in the one-passenger rocket ship, his brow furrowed by the great weight he carried in preserving the sole survivor of humanity’s hubristic folly.

Clip Source: www.blogsofwar.com

The modern mythology of Superman brilliantly suffused with Al Gore’s bizarro take (pun intended) on the world:

Former vice president Al Gore—who for the past three decades has unsuccessfully attempted to warn humanity of the coming destruction of our planet, only to be mocked and derided by the very people he has tried to save—launched his infant son into space Monday in the faint hope that his only child would reach the safety of another world.

“I tried to warn them, but the Elders of this planet would not listen,” said Gore, who in 2000 was nearly banished to a featureless realm of nonexistence for promoting his unpopular message. “They called me foolish and laughed at my predictions. Yet even now, the Midwest is flooded, the ice caps are melting, and the cities are rocked with tremors, just as I foretold. Fools! Why didn’t they heed me before it was too late?”

Tags: al gore, dying planet, humor, satire, onion

Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:45:33 GMT

clipped by: swampfoxz
clipper's remarks: weight he carried in preserving the sole survivor of humanity's hubristic folly.

"There is nothing left now but to ensure that my infant son does not meet the same fate as the rest of my doomed race," Gore said. "I will send him to a new planet, where he will, I hope, be raised by simple but kindly country folk and grow up to be a hero and protector to his adopted home."

Clip Source: www.theonion.com

Al Gore Places Infant Son In Rocket To Escape Dying Planet

Al Gore—or, as he is known in his own language, Gore-Al—placed his son, Kal-Al, gently in the one-passenger rocket ship, his brow furrowed by the great

Tags: al gore