Archive for June 2006
What’s The Matter With (Having) Kids Today?
Both America and Europe are both experiencing an influx of immigrants from other countries and cultures. With this mass infusion of humanity comes change, culturally, economically, and religiously.
Being resistant to change is part of out human nature. We like living with others that speak the same language, wear the same clothes and worship the same God in the same way we do. We don’t like being in a minority, there’s safety and comfort in numbers. We want our children to marry their own kind and we want our Grandchildren to look like us.
The newest of our immigrants are much less like us than any wave of newcomers that have come before. They will change the face of America, like it or not.
What is the reason for this world wide wave of immigration? Outside of politics and poverty, one issues stands out, We, ( America and Europe) simply put, have invited them all here by virtue of our declining birthrates.
Modern society seems to place little value on children except as potential consumers. As the Baby Boomers refuse to grow old gracefully and choose to return to the footloose ways of our childless days, the next generation seems to have decided not to give up the materialistic and self indulgent days of youth to settle down and raise families at all. As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.
We seem to be at an impasse, either return to a family based society or
become a footnote in the history of our own country. You make the call.
Bovine Bouillon, Americas Remooable Resource
There’s been a gold strike in Vermont, brown gold that is. On the Audet farm, the methane from cow manure is being transformed into cow bedding, fertilizer for both the farm and commercial sales, and electricity. Enough electricity is generated from the 35000 gallon daily output of manure to supply the Audets needs with plenty left over to sell to Central Vermont Public Service Corp., the area’s electricity supplier.
The technology involved is being used elsewhere including the conversion of tomato waste and the “waste” from a fish stick plant in Washington.
This is a great example of American ingenuity and the Audets and all those who take a hands on approach to solving our energy and ecological problems should be recognized and lauded. I hope that the Pied Piper of Pollution Pessimism, Al Gore , takes notice of this.
A Trifecta Of My Thoughts
Okay okay, simmer down please faithful readers. To avoid any further clamoring, I, your humble servant, will give you my thoughts on the three news items not discussed yet in this forum. My opinions on these subjects are short and simple. If you are hoping for something more flowery and verbose check out Bill Buckley.
The Supreme Court’s Decision to Allow Flag Burning: What a load of Corral Cookies! Our flag is more than cloth, it is a symbol of who and what we are as Americans. Many good men have died while carrying Old Glory into battle. When people of other nations see her they know that as long as she waves the hope and rights of the common man everywhere are honored and protected. As far as being a vehicle of free speech burning our flag is as eloquent as a swift kick in the crotch.
Isreal threatening war over a captured soldier: While going to war over one man may seem extreme we all know that the soldiers capture is just a focal point for Israel which has, and must, stand up to any challenge or threat to it’s National security. For pure shock value as a news item I give this one a 3 on the 1-10 scale.
The New York Times: Much ado about almost nothing. President Bush broadcast the governments plan for such endeavors in 2001 but shame on the Times for re-hashing this news. Other than propping up sagging revenues, what purpose did it serve?. Anyone that has their BVDs in a bundle over this one is naive on two fronts. The first is thinking that it is wrong for our Government to do everything it can to conquer a sworn enemy of America ( especially one that doesn’t include boodshed), and the second is thinking that the said enemy is not expecting and anticipating such surveillance by the US.
The Debate Heats Up
Recently, a report by the National Academies of Science (NAS), suggested that our temperatures now are warmer than when Jesus walked the earth 2000 years ago. With all the scuttlebutt of Global Warming being the current rage, a true sense of concern is developing within the general populace, and rightfully so. We really need to, and have been increasingly so lately, aware of the consequences of our human activities to our planet. We must never allow our technologies get ahead of our ability to control them.
That being said, a close and critical look at the NAS report shows that the logic of interpreting the facts presented within it are somewhat skewed and/or flawed.
Given little or no consideration were the warmth of the Medieval Period of 1,000 years ago or the coolness of the “Little Ice Age” which started about 400 years ago.
Thanks to all the scientists who are hard at work in hopes of understanding, correcting, and preventing any damage to our environment. We need them but what we need above all are unbiased and undeniably accurate reports that we can base our own decisions on the direction our lives are to go.
A Chance To Do The Right Thing
Here, in the safety of our homes we witness the war in Iraq through the eyes of the media of our choosing, not one mandated by our government. We can debate the value and necessity of the war because we live in a country that deems freedom of speech as a basic human right. We are free to exalt or ridicule our leaders in public. We can argue the points of our efforts in Iraq, pro or con, but the one thing we must agree on is supporting the valiant Women and Men on the front lines who lay it all on the line every day to preserve our way of life.
Much support, both material and moral, has been sent their way but such support sometimes sadly fades. Let’s not let this happen. There are many organizations working daily to material goods and other support to our troops. God bless them, but they need our help too. Take a look at the enclosed article and invest yourself ( AND SOME CASH TOO), into their efforts. Make a soldier smile today.
Bases To Bring Big Bucks To Bulgaria
As the result of an accord signed in April by the US and Bulgaria, three military bases in Bulgaria will be modernized for use by American troops with costs running into the tens of millions of dollars.
As a result, the local economy is expected to benefit not only by using local labor but by the eventual presence of thousands of American service men.
Sounds like a great plan until the nasty little thought that considering the way our Government is doing business these days, those bases may someday be turned over to the European Union comes a creeping in.
Sure, such a giveaway sounds implausible or improbable, but’s it’s not impossible in light of everything else that has been doled out by the Powers That Be in the last ten years.
Now That’s A Switch
As we all know the price of gasoline is inching ever upward and the availability is going downwards. After we have done all that we as drivers can do such as proper tune ups, checking tire pressure, avoiding unnecessary trips and SLOWING DOWN, what other solutions do we have for using less petrol and causing less pollution? One possible answer that’s on the horizon is the use of Ethanol or Ethanol and gasoline mixes made from Switchgrass.
Although Switchgrass is not as productive as other plants such as sugarcane for the production of Ethanol, is can be grown nearly anywhere in America and is quite pest and pesticide resistant and needs little fertilizer.
With the price of gas currently high and expected to go even higher the time is ripe for investigating into and investing the manufacturing of bio mass such as Switchgrass into a renewable energy source.
Is it THE solution to our energy problems? No, but it is one solution and a step in the right direction.
Spector Backs Border Block
Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa) is calling for border security to be the number one priority in the illegal immigration debate.
As Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, Specter is calling on President Bush to push for specifics on the Immigration bill. So far, Bush has not shown a willingness to offer much more than generalizations.
Good thinking Arlen. We can’t properly assess the impact of the violation of our border until we have a well defined idea of our many have encroached it.
Blackpool Championship Dog Show 2006
Tony and I went on Saturday to the Blackpool Championship Dog Show at Crown Field, outside of Blackpool. It is the only Championship dog show in Lancashire, with over 10,000 dogs with my sister Jean Collins judging 97 Gordon Setters from junior to veteran categories. Jean judges Gordons around Great Britain and the world like Australia and Italy.
The three of us were worried at first that the morning would be wet and dank, but it actually alternated between cold and warm winds with only a spitting or two of rain drops. My sister Jean is the judge in the white and black jacket.
The dog breeds were the hounds and gun dogs with the Scotties and pastoral dogs showing on Friday and the toys and working dogs on Sunday.
I will post pictures from Scotland when I get back down to Southhampton.
Today’s Top Ten List Of Stupid Articles
As your faithful servant, I, the Grrandwazoo, gleefully accept the onus of perusing through a multitude of articles from all over the Water Planet on a daily basis. Often it is a tedious exercise considering the gravity of the news in a world spinning ever forward as if on some predestined voyage towards total and unstoppable insanity. Most of the time, I simply ignore any article that is about meaningless people doing stupid things but today the stars in the Stupidsphere must be aligned in such a manner as to demand that the spotlight be shone upon strangeness. At any rate, here in no particular order, are the Top Ten of today’s stupid articles:
Sex slave writes for Soap Opera
Sma' Talk Wi' T 