Growing Diamonds

Stop the mining and grow them in a lab????





changes all about~

Sides A SideDish Restaurant Concept

My sister and I often discuss businesses we'd like to see opened or open ourselves if we had the finances. Driving around town tonight, I was in the mood for just some side dishes.

Usually the local grocer or Walmart deli has a selection of interesting prepared sides. Also, typical fast food restaurants and buffet places offer nice selections. My concern is always pricing. Places like Souper Salad are nice, but often times have pretty high prices. SIDES would be less expensive and will offer sauces as well. These sauces would come from around the world. We would also offer water alternatives so our customers will not have to consume the Waco tap water.

Any citizen willing to put this concept into effect... go for it. Let's see this change.

Mayor Cory Booker article- Listen Waco

Here is an example of leadership in a mayoral fashion from our friends to the north. Waco can take some notes.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lanny-davis/the-purple-leadership-of_b_180795.html

I have longed to see viable changes and recognizable investments in greater Waco across the board, but not such visions or visionary leadership has emerged that impacts under served communities. We have a green Chamber staffed in leadership areas by a few from other parts of the country, not locals. What this translates into is an understanding about Wacoans that may be narrowly restricted to those who have and not so much those who have not.

The 2000 Census showed that the median income for a household in the city of Waco is $26,264, and the median income for a family is $33,919. Males have a median income of $26,902 versus $21,159 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,584. 26.3% of the population and 19.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 30.9% of those under the age of 18 and 13.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line. Recent statistics have shown a dramatic shift, but just use these stats for now... If an average household of three is 30,000 dollars annually and $27, 465 is the national average for families of 3 considered low income level, then Waco has a little work it can do.

I consider Waco to be the dog riddled with mange. There are pockets of visual improvement where ointment (funding) has been applied, but lots of areas of blight, and little opportunity from many. When Jack-of-all-Trades becomes one of the leading employment outlets, we have a problem. When Title Loan Company are popping up all over town, we have a problem. When more citizens are using quick cash places than banks and savings and loans, we have a problem. Clearly an educated, well-employed, and socially adept community would not and should not have all these signs of illegitimacy around it.

There are organizations attempting to create improved lifestyles such as CDC (Waco Community Development) and Mission Waco-, one has a great aesthetic approach, the other not so much. One draws from within, while the other seems to draw outsiders to it. However, diversity of employment, training opportunities, and outreach is often "out of the reach" of those who could benefit most.

Many other organizations are attempting to affect change in Waco; however, without a focused community effort, the city will continue to shift its borders south and west, leaving many of its indigenous people wallowing in the mange of poverty and lack as access. Citizens who have inclusive visions should step up soon before we continue to slid further and further into a divided, class-conscious "Greater Waco".

Why did Schlotzsky's cross the road?

Schlotzsky's Deli and Sandwich Shop on Valley Mills and New Road in Waco, Texas is moving into the Dickey's Bar-B-Que building (formerly) the Krispy Kreme's building. This is a good move I think. A fresh upgrade in a down economy should prove to be a good move on Mike Pool's part. Good luck with the move, citizen Pool!

So why did Schlotzsky cross the road? To get to the Dickey's lot...

Reported by Mike Copeland 3/29/2009 in Sunday's Waco Trib Business Section 9A

Big Bang Test Watched in 2008

We will know within two years whether the replication big bang will work. Coming soon, citizens... another shift~

1933 Glass-Steagall Act

Glass-Steagall Act did the following.

http://www.investopedia.com/articles/03/071603.asp

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act in November 1999 did the following.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gramm-Leach-Bliley_Act



Today the lawmakers must devise another plan to both address the current crisis and prevent another one. Citizens, we must push for the obvious... checks and balances plus limits and regulations.

We can not go backwards and replace GLB with GS. We need entirely new approaches to an entirely new animal.

Windworks and www.windworks-invest.com

Windworks and their variation on the windmill theme. Check it out citizens.



www.windworks-invest.com

March 22nd World Water Day

World Water Day is today. I didn't know this day existed, but lo it is here! Citizens, as much as I complain about my hometown water, we are in much better shape than some. We all can have better and do better, though.

One of America's Biggest Export

Some would reason that America has stopped making things that the rest of the world would want. Some would reason that foods and supplies onces shipped from America to other countries can now be garnered from other markets at less expense than America has to offer. Our collective lifestyles coupled with our collective successes have created a sort of "winner take all while everyone else just waits until next year" culture that rewards the last man standing if you will. What happens to everyone else in America? Well, there is always next year, next week, even tomorrow. In the mean time, watch, listen, look, and enjoy the pretty sights and sounds of our greatest export. Media...

There is a bubbling up notion in my brain that wants to go out, purchase a lot of video equipment, and begin developing many of the teens and tweens of my hometown into the next source of labor for media operations. If, I had the money to do it... I would in a heartbeat. Why? Because I believe that One of America's biggest Export is entertainment. Another blogger wrote about this last year. Read more.

We export ideas, cultural ideas, and ways of living. We export notions, dreams, and attitudes. We export hyperbole, propaganda, rebellion, and cynicism. We export, ideals, lust and love along with meaning and judgment and play. We are the country that lives in its head and coughs out ideas and constructs and mockery and sometimes even... hope. Some of the ideology is wrapped in yellow slips of "have it your way" burger wraps. Others are shipped off with messages in bottles waisted with a band branded, "The real thing." T-Shirts, football, retirement, cherished memories, a love song, a buddy film, English, Spanglish, ebonics, and gothic... the list goes on and on like those swirling glasses on a cartoon character's face.

We could use a good ol' Waco perspective... Fresh... Exciting... Wheewwww! Let's unite citizens.

Refreshing My Memory of Congress

Wikipedia is one of my favorite online resources for quick insight into a topic. I went online last night to read up on Congress. Citizens, we must never lose sight of who is responsible for what and how our government works. If you don't readily know what is going on, look it up. Here is what I found... to somewhat simplify it.

"The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election.

Each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives represents a district and serves a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population. The 100 Senators serve staggered six-year terms. Each state has two senators, regardless of population. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is elected.

Article I of the Constitution vests all legislative power in the Congress. (Read sections 7 and 8 in the Article I for more interesting information). The House and Senate are equal partners in the legislative process (legislation cannot be enacted without the consent of both chambers); however, the Constitution grants each chamber some unique powers.

The Senate is uniquely empowered to ratify treaties and to approve top presidential appointments. Revenue-raising bills must originate in the House of Representatives, which also has the sole power of impeachment, while the Senate has the sole power to try impeachment cases."

So citizens, why are our legislators in the house not focused on doing what they are tasked to do instead of offering critiques? How does an artist not from his or her heart create art? How does a member of the house of representatives not originate revenue-raising bills? Is it not something explicitedly stated as a large part of the "job?"

Carry on good citizens.

Flying Car Terrafugia's Historic First Flight

This story on the flying car intrigued me because the drive for innovation is something that stirs a great and happy feeling inside my soul. I like inventors and inventions, innovations and improvements. I think they are great for communities. My only concern about this invention is who will be over air traffic control in that densely populated SMU or Baylor residential take off and landing strip?

Details, Details... Go citizens!~

Hoping to Get Ignition Through Fusion Energy

PBS aires story on fusion energy. Very interesting. Keep pushing toward the future, citizens!

2007 Video on fusion.

Medical School Program Building in Florida

New approaches to tuition may breed new types of doctors. This in turn may create new people-centered communities where doctors can focus on care and not dollars.

One problem with company-based and market-based communities and a governing system predicated on jobs and taxation is that the language inherently discounts the citizen's basic human needs and elevates the citizen's carnal wants and desires. This University of Central Florida approach to cost-free medical school could begin to make strides in restructuring how we serve each other and our communities. The strides could be revolutionary wherein the bottom line is not the focal point, but the common good of all citizens begins to be the focus. UCF has actioned-itemed in a sense... (to paraphrase) "We have asked what we can do for you to help you do for others."

Yes we need jobs. Yes we need private sector businesses taking care of business. But never miss the fact that we are citizens, and we are more responsible to and for each other than we are often cognizant of and "cognitively" active in. The people making decisions at this university are beginning the interweaving of social investments necessary to build a new America infrastructure for all. I applaud the vision. This citizen thanks you.