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OK, all you amateur psychologists out there, this study's for you.
What we have here, courtesy of Who Tends the Fires, with Eric (strange lad that he is) posting, is nothing short of a giant "Aha! Told you so!"
Either the monkeys have been given too little credit except for "Planet of the Apes", or modern human sexual behavior is very, well, primal.
I blog, you decide.
According to the "Center for Urban Forest Research" in Davis, CA, as quoted in my electric utility flyer PGE Update, Vol. 10 No. 1, January, 2005:
"Trees are powerful. Every 1,000 urban trees we plant in the Northwest today will save our region more than a million dollars in storm-water management, pollution abatement, and energy costs."
OK, I'll do the math. That's over $1,000.00 per tree. Is there any financial incentive to plant said trees? From the Government? Nope. From the Power Company? Nope. From anyone else? Nope. I can't even get free trees to plant if I do all the work of putting them in the ground. In fact, the same article in the flyer went on to exhort me to volunteer to use MY labor to help the power company plant trees so THEY can get some reward.
When I built my house 10 years ago, I had to plant City-mandated Red Sunset Maples in the parking strip. Five of them. On my own volition, I paid a landscaper to landscape my property, including planting a dozen trees. Two have since died, but I replaced them with 4 others. Still no rebate.
When the environmentalists start walking their talk, I'll start acting like an environmentalist. Wait! I already did act like one! Where are my accolades my rebates? Where's my "green" tax relief? Why am I even writing about this, these greenies don't want actual environmental stewardship out of me, they just want to control me and my contacts with the environment (and my taxes, my driving, my construction, etc, etc, ad nauseam)?
It's enough to give me a GCOS moment.
(with apologies to Kim DuToit, that means Green Curtain of Sap)
This one's for you, EllTee. New font (Courier instead of Trebuchet MS), new font color (black on white instead of blue on white), new font size (Small instead of Very Small).
We'll try this for a while. If you have problems reading me now, I'd suggest burning a few more watts of electricity, upping those reading glasses a diopter or so, or waiting until the gunsmoke blows away.
I got a job offer last Friday. Mulled it over all weekend. Decided last night not to take it. You can't go back. I'm retired now. The $25/hour on top of my pensions, doing a job I can do very well, would have been a gravy train.
Then the "buts..." began to pop up.
Under the heading "Military Wisdom" (not an oxymoron), we find:
"AIM TOWARDS THE ENEMY." -Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher
"WHEN THE PIN IS PULLED, MR. GRENADE IS NOT OUR FRIEND." -US Marine Corps
"CLUSTER BOMBING FROM B-52s IS VERY, VERY ACCURATE. THE BOMBS ARE GUARANTEED TO ALWAYS HIT THE GROUND." -U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop.
"IF THE ENEMY IS IN RANGE, SO ARE YOU." -Infantry Journal
"A SLIPPING GEAR COULD LET YOUR M203 GRENADE LAUNCHER FIRE WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT. THAT WOULD MAKE YOU QUITE UNPOPULAR IN WHAT'S LEFT OF YOUR UNIT."
-Army's magazine of preventative maintenance
"IT IS GENERALLY INADVISABLE TO EJECT DIRECTLY OVER THE AREA YOU JUST BOMBED." -US Air Force manual
"TRY TO LOOK UNIMPORTANT; THE ENEMY MAY BE LOW ON AMMO." -Infantry Journal
"TRACERS WORK BOTH WAYS." -U.S. Army Ordnance
"FIVE-SECOND FUSES ONLY LAST THREE SECONDS." -Infantry Journal
"BRAVERY IS BEING THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS YOU'RE AFRAID." -David Hackworth
"IF YOUR ATTACK IS GOING TOO WELL, YOU'RE WALKING INTO AN AMBUSH." -Infantry Journal
"NO COMBAT-READY UNIT HAS EVER PASSED INSPECTION." -Joe Gay
"ANY SHIP CAN BE A MINESWEEPER..ONCE." -Anon
"NEVER TELL THE PLATOON SERGEANT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO." -Unknown Marine Recruit
"DON'T DRAW FIRE; IT IRRITATES THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU." -Infantry Journal
"IF YOU SEE A BOMB TECHNICIAN RUNNING, TRY TO KEEP UP WITH HIM." -U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop
I suppose that this list could have also been entitled "Warfighting for Dummies"
What is the power of united blogging? There was recently an announced "BlogBurst" to gather information and remembrances about the Holocaust, and I read some fine blog posts during it.
Has the blogosphere considered trying out the power of united blogging to achieve a political goal?
There was an association, Blogs for Bush, that kept up a drumfire of political support for GWB, and there were likewise blogs against Bush, most notably the Daily Kos and the DU.
I propose another BlogBurst. This one would be to achieve one objective, that of unsealing the inquest into the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, the woman that Senator Ted Kennedy killed in his vehicle crash at Chappaquiddick Bridge.
Remember that Kennedy cousin who was recently convicted and imprisoned for murder, decades after the crime? A re-examination of the evidence with modern forensics and re-interviews with witnesses made that conviction possible. Could it not be also in the interest of justice to re-examine the evidence in the Kennedy crash?
What would it take to get the inquest results unsealed to do that? How much money would have to be collected to aid and assist the lawyers who bring the action to unseal?
The District Attorney in a jurisdiction causes a Grand Jury to consider an indictment when there is Probable Cause to believe a felony crime has occurred. I believe that the sealed Inquest results include evidence from the mandatory autopsy on Mary Jo that would have given a motive for Kennedy to have intentionally killed her. That evidence can probably be re-examined today and re-certified, if it still exists. The reasons that no Grand Jury examined that evidence before is simply that the Kennedy clan used huge political power to prevent it from happening. Remember their power back then. It shouldn't be hard today to find a DA who would be less affected by Ted Kennedy's power, because we are over three decades removed from the last Kennedy besides himself. He no longer has the shadow of his brothers to hide in, and now there are also other organizations that might seek justice in this case, such as MADD.
Ted Kennedy has never answered all the questions about Chappaquiddick Bridge. He has been asked many times, but has never answered. Since he has recently raised himself to such a high level of political importance, that of the chief critic of the Bush Administration, I think that it's only fair that he answer the questions. Since he won't, we have to go around him for the answers.
How about a lively discussion of what it would take to get a Kennedy BlogBurst going, and from it, maybe a paid organization to get us the answers we seek?
This is nothing short of genius, both in concept and humor.
The fact that the gal involved in this escapade is still friends with the Chef speaks well for her, too.
Who said, "A picture is worth a thousand words"? That quote has been around a long time, but it was written just for bloggers, it would seem.
Let's try out some photos here that you won't see in the MSM.
The captions are mine, and BTW, just in case you want to bust a stereotype, these pictures of heart were sent to me by my gun dealer.
These photos all mean a lot to me because I was also in a war that was viciously opposed by the MSM and the political Left. I can see myself in every one of these photos.
"There are no Atheists in Foxholes"
And BTW, all you readers of a leftward political bent, can YOU come up with a better "Diversity" photo? I didn't think so.
"Medic with Baby"
You'd want to play poker with this troop. He can't hide his concern for his patient very well.
"Soldier with Friend"
You can read his young face, too. He's thinking of peace at home, even while he's geared up to kill in a foreign land.
"Gimme Five"
The trooper may be old enough to be this kid's grandpa, but he knows how to communicate with the boy, and through him, his elders. Yes, we are, in fact, winning a few hearts and minds.
"Missing You"
I'll bet that this shot has been taken in every war since the Civil War, which was the first war to have combat photography to record it. In my war, Vietnam, I wrote every letter home knowing it might be the last thing from me that was ever read.
While the new Mayor, an erstwhile, former Chief of Police in this burg fails to put down a Communist putsch on his City Council (that mainly wants to end the co-operation between the FBI and the Portland Police), the FBI announces that they are surveilling a group of Jihadis who have trained at terrorist training camps overseas. Another local blog, Danegerus, has profiled this matter in some detail here.
Right here in Stumpville. River City. Bridge Town. Portland, OR.
If you recall, the Feds convicted the Portland Seven just a year ago. They were a ragtag group of jihadis, most of whom would have been active in other radical movements just a few years ago. Black Panther types, most of them. The Seven took concrete steps to join the Taliban in Afghanistan and fight the US, but they lacked the smarts, individually or collectively, to get to the Stans and fight.
These new Jihadis haven't been identified to the public yet, probably haven't been indicted either. Probably won't be, for if I read the FeeBees right, they have been surveilling them for almost two years, and don't have enough on them to indict them. Unfortunately, it's not against the law in this nation to go to a foreign country and take military training with a group that is sworn to overthrow the US of A. Should be illegal, but isn't.
I have a solution.
As heavy as the FeeBees are on manpower, they probably don't have enough eyes in the game to get the goods on these wannabe terrorists. I suggest that a leak occur in their organization, and a piece of paper with names on it gets left in a downtown coffee shop. The rest will happen automatically, as the names, and likely some pictures, will go up on a blog within hours (maybe minutes), and the eyes of the city will function as one to watch these chumps.
They will probably take the hint then, and move to Detroit. They may just get pushed over the edge by the stress, however, and do something actionable.
Actionable as in indictable, or maybe even actionable as in justifying the use of force to defend against.
UPDATE: 012705 0900 PST: Random Nuclear Strikes posted on this subject as well. They made the obvious linkage that I originally chose to stay away from, that it's time to review your S.H.T.F. preparedness (here also) in case these local hard boys decide to enact their Jihad fantasies locally. My take, of course, is that one should ALWAYS BE PREPARED for S.H.T.F. situations, and having a few Jihadis around doesn't change that, simply reinforces the reason to be prepared in the first place.
The (D)emocrats' ability to unify on anything took a huge blow today as most of the opposition to Secretary of State appointee Dr. Condoleeza Rice evaporated. The (D)onks mustered only 12 of their Senators to cast votes against her. "Independent" Sen. Jeffords of Vermont, independent only because he's too liberal for democrats in his own state, also voted against Rice, making 13 votes against confirmation.
The threatened filibuster by (D)(KKK) Sen. Byrd of Wuss Virginia never materialized. This is the most interesting part of the whole sorry show the liberals put on. Who got to Byrd? I know what was said: "Filibuster and the first GOP Senator's speaking time will be taken up listing your KKK accomplishments", but I don't know who got to pass that joyous message to Byrd.
The vote was 85-13 to confirm. The liberal press is spinning the news, of course. They ballyhoo that Rice got twice as many "no" votes as any other SOS. Well, they can thank themselves for that because it was the liberal MSM, you will recall, that fanned the fires in the conflagration of political hatred that the (D)ummies set alight starting with Howard Dean's candidacy.
You reap what you sow, and I'll predict right here that dispite a poor showing, the hard-core liberals will try again with Gonzales, and again with each and every judicial nominee.
I'll also predict right here that they will be consumed in the off-elections of 2006. Bush will go against conventional wisdom (which, with a month to go before the election, had him losing it instead of winning it as he did by a clear majority) and the GOP will pick up seats in both the House and Senate two years hence.
It's getting dicey for the (D)ummies. If they lose just a few more Senate seats, they become a splinter party, completely incapable of stopping any major GOP initiative. That would be bad for the country, and it would push the liberals into even more desperate measures.
Time to go work on my weapons. There WILL be armed insurrection in this nation in the not-to-distant future, and I will be able to put down my share of it, as I have already sworn several life oaths to do.
