Eleanor Duckwall's Spotlight

First Algae Biodiesel Plant Goes Online: April 1, 2008

Wouldn't it be great if we could eliminate the need for petroleum-based fuel and harvest sunlight or something as basic as ever-present algae?

At gas 2.0:

PetroSun has announced it will begin operation of its commercial algae-to-biofuels facility on April 1st, 2008.

The facility, located in Rio Hondo Texas, will produce an estimated 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs. of biomass per year off a series of saltwater ponds spanning 1,100 acres. Twenty of those acres will be reserved for the experimental production of a renewable JP8 jet-fuel.

Soothing Music for a Wednesday Night

"An absolutely gorgeous performance of Angelina by Australian acoustic guitar virtuoso Tommy Emmanuel" at YouTube via Little Green Footballs.

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How Localism Might Save Europe from Postmodernism, Multiculturalism and Islam

Paul Belien at The Brussels Journal tells how Europe might be saved by giving a little history lesson: What's Going Right in Europe - How Localism Might Save the Continent

Following the victory of Silvio Berlusconi’s rightist alliance in Italy, The Economist wrote a condescending editorial, entitled “Mamma mia.” The article stated that Berlusconi was not The Economist’s choice and said that the “Italians may come to regret electing [the jester of Italian politics] once again.” Barely a month earlier, Spain had re-elected its own “jester,” Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, a man whose main ambition is to destroy Spain’s Christian heritage and substitute it with a postmodern, multicultural utopia where homosexuals marry and the state raises children. At that election, however, The Economist did not feel compelled to snub the winner. It just told its readers that Spain needs “a bipartisan approach to […] solve big questions of national identity.”

US defense chief visits Mexico seeking improved military ties

At Asia Times:

Failure of the US Congress to approve a 1.4 billion dollar counter-drug aid package for Mexico would be "a real slap at Mexico," US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said here Tuesday.

Gates said the focus of his talks in Mexico was the so-called Merida Initiativeproposed by US President George W. Bush in October to build up the capabilities of the Mexican military and law enforcement to battle drug cartels.

The multi-year package would provide, among other things, helicopters and surveillance aircraft to the Mexican military, which the Pentagon sees as an opportunity to strengthen military ties that historically have been chilly.

China's Slave Children

Scandals connected to China seem to pop out of the woodwork. Recently we have heard of tainted blood thinners, poisoned toothpaste, pet food, lead paint on toys, poorly designed and dangerous products, some which is the fault of China. China cannot be faulted for executing poor designs, but must take the consequences for using tainted food stuffs and improperly using chemicals or chemical-laden materials.

Demonstrations against China for various reason happen all the time. This year thousands demonstrated to protest, linking human rights to the occupation of Tibet. Protestors marred the progress of the 2008 Olympic Flame as it was moved throughout the world.

Thousands in big movements to protest large events. But will anyone demonstrate or speak for China's child slaves that are becoming another scandal?

U.S. population seen tripling to 1 billion in century

The huge increase in population is one reason to limit immigration now.

U.S.A. Today:

If the USA seems too crowded and its roads too congested now, imagine future generations: The nation's population could more than triple to 1 billion as early as 2100.

That's the eye-popping projection that urban and rural planners, gathered today for their annual meeting in Las Vegas, are hearing from a land-use expert.

"What do we do now to start preparing for that?" asks Arthur Nelson, co-director of the Metropolitan Institute at Virginia Tech, whose analysis projects that the USA will hit the 1 billion mark sometime between 2100 and 2120. "It's a realistic long-term challenge."

The nation currently has almost 304 million people and is the world's third most populous, behind China (1.3 billion) and India (1.1 billion). China passed the 1 billion mark in the early 1980s.

Nelson's projection assumes that current fertility rates remain constant but that longevity and immigration will continue to rise.

America, You've Been Had (Yes you have!)

From: America, You Have Been Had by Christopher Chantrill at American Thinker:

n his sermons Reverend Wright thoughtfully rehearses to an appreciative audience every humiliation ever suffered by African Americans in North America as though it had happened yesterday. He does not even forget to include the Constitution's relegation of slaves to the status of three-fifths of a person. "Government lies!" he thunders again and again. Just to be sure that nobody misses the point the able rhetorician directs each congregant to turn to the person next to her and say: "Government lies!"

The purpose of such a sermon is obvious. It is to raise the consciousness of Reverend Wright's congregants to fever pitch, to forge them into unity against their elected government, to prepare them for the moral equivalent of war.

Fjordman: In Europe, the natives are restless

From: Riots As Defense? Fjordman's Take on Utrecht by Mr. Smith:

This violence by Muslims is usually labelled simply as "crime," but I believe it should more accurately be called Jihad. Those who know early Islamic history, as described in books such as THE TRUTH ABOUT MUHAMMAD by Robert Spencer, know that LOOTING AND STEALING THE PROPERTY OF NON-MUSLIMS has been part and parcel of Jihad from the very beginning. In fact, so much of the behavior of Muhammad himself and the early Muslims COULD BE DEEMED CRIMINAL that it is difficult to know exactly where crime ends and Jihad begins. In the city of Oslo, for instance, it is documented that some of the criminal Muslim gangs also HAVE CLOSE TIES TO RADICAL RELIGIOUS GROUPS at home and abroad...

...For Dutchmen, in what once was a peaceful and orderly country, to go against decades of indoctrination to stage something like the recent uprisings in Utrecht, they have to feel an extreme amount of repressed frustration and anger. Perhaps they watched the media reactions to the Muslim riots in France, which were sympathetic and were followed by promises from political leaders to listen to the "legitimate grievances" of the rioters. Perhaps the native Dutch in Utrecht thought that hey, we are quiet and peaceful and yet we get only contempt from our so-called leaders. Muslims burn stuff and get concessions. Perhaps we should start burning stuff, too. What have we got to lose? We're already losing our country."

There is a reason why Europeans were disarmed after WWII, and why membership in the EU requires that a nation's citizens be disarmed!

Here is Fjordman - "Native Revolt: A European Declaration of Independence:"

The Educational Achievement Gap Continues Unabated

Saturday was the 25th anniversary of the famous "A Nation at Risk" report issued by the Reagan Administration's Education Department in 1983. Unfortunately the "rising tide of mediocrity" hasn't receded. Here is Steve Sailer at VDare.

Taking Reverend Wright to Task

After viewing the good reverend at the National Press Club, I was tempted to reply with a curt, impolite and improper two-word response, but my better angel has prompted restraint, and I would say to Reverend Wright: If you want to promote good relations between African Americans and the White population of America, it would be better NOT to hit them over the head with the institution of slavery, and then slap them in the face with racist commentary - the result will not be positive, unless that is your intended outcome.