Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Falling Tree
This dead tree fell on a neighbor's shed partially collapsing the roof. Dead trees like this can be a serious hazard in the forest, especially during storms. This tree fell during perfectly calm weather.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Random acts of kindness
I am not a big fan of the old TV series "Touched By An Angel" but last night they had a thoughtful episode. In last nights story, one mans angry outburst led to a chain reaction of negative events. At the end of the show, an act of kindness brought about many good events. The lesson from the story is that a small act of kindness can change the world in unknown, positive ways. On the other hand, an act of anger or hate can have unknown and terrible consequences.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
New Bridge
This road was almost washed away in a flood. Now the landowner is putting in a new culvert for the stream and a bridge over the new culvert.Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Pond Update
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Book Review- All Quiet On The Western Front
At this writing, the first world war has been over for 92 years. Only the very old have any memory of "The war to end all wars". All Quiet On The Western Front" is a novel of World War One written by a veteran of that war: Erich Maria Remarque. I have read many fiction and non-fiction books on the subject of war but none of them has affected me like All Quiet On The Western Front.
Paul Baumer and his fellow classmates are bullied into joining the German army during World War One by their uber-nationalist teacher: Herr Kantorek. Baumer quickly finds out that the patriotic slogans spouted by his teacher have no connection to the horrifying reality of trench warfare.
All Quiet On The Western Front was first published in 1928, but the writing is still fresh and the reader cares for the doomed men fighting a lost war. In my opinion, All Quiet On The Western Front is the best novel of the 20th century.
Paul Baumer and his fellow classmates are bullied into joining the German army during World War One by their uber-nationalist teacher: Herr Kantorek. Baumer quickly finds out that the patriotic slogans spouted by his teacher have no connection to the horrifying reality of trench warfare.
All Quiet On The Western Front was first published in 1928, but the writing is still fresh and the reader cares for the doomed men fighting a lost war. In my opinion, All Quiet On The Western Front is the best novel of the 20th century.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Fossil Digging
Yesterday, I drove up into the Cascade foothills to look for some fossils.The fossils began their long process of completion when ash from an erupting volcano (probably Mount Rainier) mixed with the water from a pond or lake and many, many years later hardened into rock. On the way up the hill, I encountered a Department of Natural Resources forest fire crew. I asked them if there was a fire up on the ridge, but they said no. I think the fire crew was a regular patrol that searches for early fires and puts them out.
I found several fossils of long dead plant-life and decided to head back home. On my way back to my truck, I ran into the same crew of fire fighters that I had talked to earlier. They asked me if everything was ok, and I said yes. Fighting forest fires is hot, dangerous work and I salute the men and women that do it.
I found several fossils of long dead plant-life and decided to head back home. On my way back to my truck, I ran into the same crew of fire fighters that I had talked to earlier. They asked me if everything was ok, and I said yes. Fighting forest fires is hot, dangerous work and I salute the men and women that do it.
Trip to Dash Point
The other day, I took a trip to Dash point to gather some driftwood. Dash Point is a Puget Sound Beach park in Federal Way, Washington. Not far from Dash Point is Dumas Bay wildlife sanctuary. Dumas Bay sanctuary is primarily for Great Blue Herons. At one time, Dumas Bay park was clogged with English Ivy and Blackberry bushes, but I noticed that volunteers have removed a great deal of the invasive plants.
The beach between Dumas Bay and Dash Point was littered with debris, including the usual cans and various plastics. Someday humans will learn to stop using our waterways and wetlands as a garbage can.
The beach between Dumas Bay and Dash Point was littered with debris, including the usual cans and various plastics. Someday humans will learn to stop using our waterways and wetlands as a garbage can.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Lebron James Duckspeak
Doublespeak Dictionary
In his book "The Doublespeak Dictionary", William Lambdin coined the term "Duckspeak". Duckspeak is a derogatory description of a free press that behaves like a group of ducks. As soon as one duck starts quacking the other ducks soon join in. The Lebron James story is an example of "Duckspeak" in TV news. Lebron James' decision as to what NBA team he is going to is a minor story that was made into a huge story by a lazy press that mindlessly repeats what all the other media outlets are saying without considering the significance of the original story.
In his book "The Doublespeak Dictionary", William Lambdin coined the term "Duckspeak". Duckspeak is a derogatory description of a free press that behaves like a group of ducks. As soon as one duck starts quacking the other ducks soon join in. The Lebron James story is an example of "Duckspeak" in TV news. Lebron James' decision as to what NBA team he is going to is a minor story that was made into a huge story by a lazy press that mindlessly repeats what all the other media outlets are saying without considering the significance of the original story.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
The new "Royalty"
244 years ago, The United States of America declared itself independent from Great Britain and the rule of King George. After a long and bitter war, The United States became a fact. The new country had a belief that ALL citizens should be equal. That every citizen would have an equal voice in government. It took many years and more bloodshed to begin to extend that equality to African-Americans and to women and even though much has been achieved in that regard, we still have far to go.
In my opinion, the biggest threat to our democracy is money. In the present United States, money can buy propaganda that can spout the buyers agenda 24-7. Money can influence our political system to the point of making it dysfunctional. Our present economic depression is the result of powerful forces that I call "The New Royalty" that lobbied for deregulation of the financial system in the 1980s and 1990s. Those same forces lobbied for bailouts from which they took huge bonuses and even after a horrific financial disaster that we are still suffering from powerful multi-national corporations are lobbying against re-regulating the financial industry.
If the United States is to survive, we must find a way to control the influence of "The New Royalty".
In my opinion, the biggest threat to our democracy is money. In the present United States, money can buy propaganda that can spout the buyers agenda 24-7. Money can influence our political system to the point of making it dysfunctional. Our present economic depression is the result of powerful forces that I call "The New Royalty" that lobbied for deregulation of the financial system in the 1980s and 1990s. Those same forces lobbied for bailouts from which they took huge bonuses and even after a horrific financial disaster that we are still suffering from powerful multi-national corporations are lobbying against re-regulating the financial industry.
If the United States is to survive, we must find a way to control the influence of "The New Royalty".
Book Review- New Rules by Bill Maher
At the end of Bill Maher's HBO talk show "Real Time With Bill Maher" there is a segment called "New Rules" Bill Maher collected some of his New Rules and put them in book form. Bill Maher's New Rules deals with everything from cell phones to politics and most are very funny and honest. Here is one of Bill Maher's new rules on movies: "Not Another Teen Movie" "Somebody make a movie I want to go see. If you're asking why movies have gotten so bad, I'll tell you why: It's because Hollywood studios now get 60 percent of their money from DVDs, all of which are bought by the young,dumb male demographic, the same one that's given us Maxim magazine, attention deficit disorder, and George Bush.
When I was a teenager, Hollywood didn't give a damn about me-and that was good! Good for the movies and good for me because I was challenged- to smarten up instead of dumbing down. Besides ruining movies, we've also managed to ruin our kids by making everything be about them. And now if I want to see a movie, I had better like loud noises, things blowing up, and Colin Farrell.
Movies suck because Hollywood has figured out that Mom and Dad don't spend their money on movies anymore; they give their money to their kids and they spend it on movies- to break up their shopping sprees at the mall. It's like American parents are on one long date with their kids- no, it's even worse; it's like Robert DeNiro in Casino, helplessly trying to buy the love of a shopaholic hooker with no heart, played, of course, by Sharon Stone.
Before I die, could someone please make one more movie I want to go see? I'm not asking for the moon here, and I'm not some film snob with a ponytail who only likes subtitled Albanian documentaries. But to middle-aged people like me, a good movie is like good sex-you don't have to put one out every day, but when whole seasons go by without getting one, you do start to get a little horny for entertainment."
When I was a teenager, Hollywood didn't give a damn about me-and that was good! Good for the movies and good for me because I was challenged- to smarten up instead of dumbing down. Besides ruining movies, we've also managed to ruin our kids by making everything be about them. And now if I want to see a movie, I had better like loud noises, things blowing up, and Colin Farrell.
Movies suck because Hollywood has figured out that Mom and Dad don't spend their money on movies anymore; they give their money to their kids and they spend it on movies- to break up their shopping sprees at the mall. It's like American parents are on one long date with their kids- no, it's even worse; it's like Robert DeNiro in Casino, helplessly trying to buy the love of a shopaholic hooker with no heart, played, of course, by Sharon Stone.
Before I die, could someone please make one more movie I want to go see? I'm not asking for the moon here, and I'm not some film snob with a ponytail who only likes subtitled Albanian documentaries. But to middle-aged people like me, a good movie is like good sex-you don't have to put one out every day, but when whole seasons go by without getting one, you do start to get a little horny for entertainment."
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Los Links Microsoft Bing ad review
This clever ad for Microsoft's "Bing" search engine is modeled after Mexican soap operas. This is an effective and funny ad even for non-Spanish speaking viewers.
Don't Feed Wildlife
The following item appeared in the June 30, 2010 edition of The Tacoma News Tribune: "Washington state wildlife officials say five black bears being fed by people on the Long Beach Peninsula had to be euthanized because they were too used to people.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday that agency officers and biologists relocated five other bears to Mount Rainier National Park. Meat from the euthanized was donated to an area food program.
Officials say most of the feeding was done at one house in Oysterville, where the resident told officers about spending $4,000 a year on dog food to feed the bears.
Neighbors called for help when increasingly more bears showed up looking for food.
Officials say that bears that are too habituated to people are potentially dangerous and cannot be relocated."
My comment: The lesson from this story is: Don't Feed Wildlife, and teach your children the same
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife said Tuesday that agency officers and biologists relocated five other bears to Mount Rainier National Park. Meat from the euthanized was donated to an area food program.
Officials say most of the feeding was done at one house in Oysterville, where the resident told officers about spending $4,000 a year on dog food to feed the bears.
Neighbors called for help when increasingly more bears showed up looking for food.
Officials say that bears that are too habituated to people are potentially dangerous and cannot be relocated."
My comment: The lesson from this story is: Don't Feed Wildlife, and teach your children the same
Thursday, July 1, 2010
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