week one

After one week here I must say, I am a bit tired. I have eaten three days this week a doner kebab, and will probably have another one tonight. The city here roughly has about 200,000 people, it is quite dense and the view out of my hotel room is one to marvel. Everything is in it's place, modern efficiency, from my window it looks like one of those miniature models of the ideal urban environment. Traffic lights for cars, with no above ground electrical wires, traffic lights for pedestrians, traffic lights for bicycles, it is awesome really. And the traffic doesn't cease until 4 or 5 in the morning.
I almost search for that stip of wild over grown shrubs, or dirty paper ridden sidewalk. But it is very difficult to find in the city center. Everything is maintained and moves as one system. Amazing what planning does for a society, but that is europe!!!
Maybe I could take just a bit of this back to Cleveland with me, just maybe??
Another thing is how amazingly different the news abroad is from the states. I mean it is actually watchable, unlike the lame excuse for news that is transmitted nightly in the states. I am no europhile, I love Cleveland and proud to be from there, but somethings work and it would be grand if we could begin to influence our political system to move in this more sustainable direction.
I think it is funny recently I see that oil companies raking in record setting profits.
Of course they are!! They are run by business men, and the business men know, and knew their supply is now and will be for the next few years, the greatest it will ever be. The Hubbert's Peak is upon us.

There must be an alternative to what is presently presented to middle americans. If the right in power in government, in the media insist on no compromise of their unthoughtful ways, then the left needs to unify and stop complaining about their one most important to their cause issue, collectively pick three key points build a platform, make a logo, and buy advertising time on the right owned media stations. Influence people positively just like the right has been influencing negatively with fear based propaganda. It truly is a struggle now. The left needs to get off their high "I am so educated" horse and remember who made america work? Specific issues are important but it is the day to day stuff that matters most. The nation, and the world for that matter can only function when in balance. The balance is lost currently. Bring it back!!!! Start a new group, get involved, express your ideas openly with colleagues or friends. Disagreement is ok, it is silent acceptance that is most dangerous.