NPCA Report on NPS land

The National Parks Conservation Association has issued a report, America's Heritage Land for Sale, (PDF), describing the current status of the possible loss of land within or adjacent to National Parks which should be incorporated into the National Park(s). This is not a thing that would be nice, it is a thing that embodies America, it's past, present and future.

The report only focuses on ten examples, one of which is land adjacent to Mt. Rainier NP along the Carbon River in the northwest corner of the Park. The inclusion of this land protects the upper Carbon River corridor into the National Park, preserve the forest and riverine environment and wildlife, and help ensure the fisheries and water quality of the Carbon River.

The report makes it clear this is only the start of a longer plan to acquire as much as possible of the enclaved land in National Parks and all appropriate lands adjacent to the Parks which helps preserve America's heritage for future generations. And sadly in these time of fiscal restraint by the Bush administration with federal agency budgets and unrestrained spending, adding to the national debt, for war, this isn't about land versus national security, it's about who we are as a nation and the value we have for our land.

We need these new and additional lands for the protection and preservation of our National Parks. Most American believe it, NPCA Press Release, and American's should let their elected representatives and especially the President know our views. This isn't something we want to look back on and think of what we could or should have done then, when we had the chance. We have the chance now.

So let's exercise our freedom of speech and raise our voice for America.

Sunday thoughts

copyright David Horsey

Ok, it's Sunday April 6th. I've read the sunday newspapers, watch my, yes mine because fans are like that, very possessive, Seattle Mariners blew a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, to Baltimore no less. And that's three loses in a row to the Baltimore too. They're a very frustrating team to watch, and especially going 8 innings of great baseball to have the closer blow it.

Anyway, I thought today's editorial cartoon (above) by David Horsey Seattle PI newspaper is excellent. It's self-explanatory.

Or if you don't know, our President "served" in the Air National Guard (ANG) during the Vietnam war, first in the Texas ANG and then in the Georgia ANG, except he was attending university at the time as well as working political campaigns for republican candidates, and no one in either Air National Guard can remember him or did he ever show up for weekend and annual duty, not even for the required physicals.

His father pulled strings to get him in the ANG to avoid active duty, pulled strings to get him transferred to help on campaigns, and then pulled strings to get his discharge when he was in university in the face of his inattendence. All the offiical records have been deemed classified, but it's easy to see his service is a lie and a fraud. Nothing more.

Ok, enough on George. Onward.

The Census Bureau has cancelled plans to use the new high tech census wireless communications recorders. Both sides seem to be at fault, the Bureau for never had experience with large contracts and routinely changing the specifications during the life of the contract, and the company for typical government contracting, bid low and raise the cost after you win it and progess. Even cutting the number of recorders to 1/4 didn't help, the cost still went up. The whole thing simply got out of hand and is costing the taxpayers $3 Billion.

Amazing what the price of pencil and paper goes for these days?

The peace sign is 50 years old. It was originally designed for the No-Nuke protests in England where the symbol was meant to identify their view of US nuclear bomber bases. The peace advocates and protesters latched on to it. And the designer didn't copyright it so it's free. Gee, peace and all it's symbols are free. What a concept, cheaper than war.

Two researchers have broken the Aztec math code for land surveying and measurements. All these centuries later too. Geographer Barbara Williams and mathematician Maria del Carmen Jorge y Jorge have solved the connections between the symbols (hand, arm, heart rod, arrow and bone) for distance and area in the Aztec land survey. The Aztec developed it for irregular shaped parcels of land which used fractions for shorter lengths.

Do we really need a missile defense program in Europe? NATO agreed to Bush's plan to install two anti-missile defense sites in Eastern Europe, over the objections to Russia. But the logic is to protect us, yes us here in the US, from missiles from Iran, yes Iran. Well, we have secret prisoons under the extraordinary rendition program operated by the CIA in Eastern Europe, so I guess this is normal for a paranoid President.

I hope the next President cancels the program. It's unnecessary and too costly.

The GAO conducted their annual evaluation of 295 Defense Department military contracts for equipment, and discovered all over buget, to the tune of $1.6 Billion, all overdue, at least 2+ years past their deadlines, and all don't do what's specified in the contract. Gee, the new industrial-military complex?

Is this the new government? And ideas who's paying the bills?

MRAP's are saving soldiers' lives. That's good. No one doubts the benefits that no soldier has yet been killed in an MRAP in Iraq. But that's only half the story. These are $1.5 Million vehicles. The enemy knows that all they have to do is disable them to be successful. The fewer of them there means more to repair, if possible, or buy new ones. They's using a few hundred dollars IED to destroy a $1.5 Million personnel vehicle.

Who has the cost-benefit ratio here? And what's the price of a soldier? I'm not being critical, just trying to understand they if we save 3-4 soldiers in one MRAP, worth the cost to me, but at $400-500,00 for each soldier. At what point do we decide the cost is prohibitive to stay in Iraq?

We waging this war on credit, so it's hard for people to see the money, but the future generations will be paying the bills, including interests, and especially with China who holds 40% of the US debt. Is that what we want?

This one I really have to say, "WTF?" The Homeland Security Administration has decided Boise, Idaho is the highest terrorist risk, the only one west of Houston, Texas. Really. Boise, Idaho, the city no one knows what's there to even be a target for terrorists. Even the local law enforcement officials are asking, "WTF?"

And you wonder where HSA's mind is at? Obviously not in reality that any of normal people know. Can you picture terrorists planning a high risk, high publicity attack on the US, and out of the blue they decide it's in Boise, Idaho. Can you imagine Osama bin Laden's leader listening to this plan?

That's hard to follow up on. Have a good week.

Thursday's Thoughts

It's still spring and the road to paradise is open (near right side of image), and that's over 19 feet of snow, which is about a third above normal (graph). The snow peaked about a week ago and is now going through diurnal melting-freezing, which you can just see in the streamflow graph (Nisqually River near National).

Ok, enough about paradise. The news?

Starbucks. I wrote they were buying Clover Equipment Co. in Seattle, makers of $8-12,000 coffee makers used in some highend coffee cafes. Well, they did buy the company and announced the company will only make their equipment for Starbucks, and not available by other baristas, cafes and restaurants. I've read differing reports about the coffee maker itself and the results, and I can't say either way because I've never had coffee from one.

But I do think it's rather presumptive of Starbucks to stop selling the equipment to non-Starbuck customers, not a smart longterm business strategy. It will only put other companies in the business of their own machines to those customers, and probably lose some customers as a decision of conscience about corporations. Like me. I can't avoid Starbucks, and while I choose other cafes or baristas over Starbucks, I now may think twice now about buying coffee from them.

Onward. Torture. Yikes, but the reality is that before the Iraq war the Office of Legal Council in the Justice Department issued two memo authorizing torture, specifically defining it as anything less than "death, organ failure or permanent damage." In short, our leaders, the Justice Department and the Defense Department didn't just turn a blind eye to it, as seen in Abu Ghraib (prison), they condoned and implicitly encouraged it.

They built a culture around so anyone in the military and CIA can use it with impunity. What were all these supposedly bright people thinking about what's good for the US where this degree torture is also good for other nations, groups or people to conduct on our soldiers? Did they think the Geneva Convention only applies when it's our soldiers?

NATO. I really do wonder if Bush is either arrogant, stupid or blind. I don't know which, but he has the guts to stand there and tell anyone what they should do for the benefit of the US, and refuse to listen, let alone concede, others can and should have the right to do that to us. He thinks the world is for the US' interests and nothing else, and he, as the leader of the "free world" (a debateable issue after 9/11), can tell everyone what is right.

I know from the news Bush isn't happy with NATO's role in Afghanistan, and especially their very small, limited role in Iraq. So what doesn't he understand they have a right to do that, even against our objections? Does he think everyone else thinks he's a visionary to offer salient ideas of the future? Or maybe he's just the blind street peddler preaching from a soapbox with religous fervor about other relgious zealots wanting to kill him and destroy his way of life?

This you gotta wonder. A Chinese spy has been operating in the US defense world for over twenty years. I'm sure a lot of people are slapping their foreheads wondering what has been compromised.

The upshot? Well, they've been preaching about the Chinese spy threat for years, and now we know it's been a several decade issue that we've simply overlooked. When you're the target, it's easy to lose track of all those aiming at you, until they hit you where it hurts. And then you discover how blind you've been.

Parting jesture? None really. A good friend and spouse lost two of her three cats within a week to illnesses. It's hard knowing an animal can be so sick or ill there is nothing you can do but help them die, more quickly and humanely than nature would. I don't have answers for losing pets. Only sorrow and sadness.

Spooky Thoughts and Reality

Ok, I got ahead of myself yesterday, and should have waited for today for some really interesting stuff. What? What's so interesting it couldn't wait a day? Like, Yeah Dude. Or somesuch stupid, off-hand response by someone sitting in front of a computer with a dumb look on their face, like "WTF, Dude". Ok, onward.

I've been listening to WHYY's (NPR) radio show Fresh Air. You should listen to Wednesday's (4/2/08) show about the Bush Adminstration's illegal warrentless wiretap (NSA) program, and Tuesday's (4/1/08) show about Osama bin Laden and the bin Laden family, it's history, buildup to be one of the richest in the world, and its connection to the Bush family.

There is a lot there to absorb, with the author Steve Coll of "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in The American Century" and with author Eric Lichtblau of "Bush's Law: The Remaking of American Justice". It wakes you up to the world about what's going on all around you when you're not paying attention.

They are paying attention, and likely to you, if only just in passing. What's the best case scenarios for anyone? Be a joke to NSA's surveillence of you. No one pays attention to someone funny except as a joke.

On top of that, how about the article in the Washington Post about intelligence centers around the country consolidating personal information about everyone. So next time a law enforcement officer, detective or some such person talks to you and says, "We know all about you.", you can probably bet it's true.

The trick here is simply act as if you are public so when confronted with the information, you can pull a Cheney, "So?" - the comment he made when asked about the public disapproval rating (66%) of the war in Iraq.

This one is interesting. You may not even be able to walk down the street anymore, lest the electronic information about you in your wallet or billfold. There's something to being hermit?

Ok, on a ending but still significant note, Julie Sweeney's blog. She's not scary or spooky, but way cool in many ways. Some of her work I could leave, but much of what she says is alright with me, and it's funny in the way it makes you stop and think. And that's even more cool. Thanks Ms. Sweeney for being and being the balance to the spooky and scary world it is.

Tuesday Thoughts

A rare Tuesday entry. Mostly because Tuesday's are spent running errands and going to appointments, but the latter were postponed this week. So after reading the newspapers, perusing the news Websites, listening to NPR Morning Edition, I found some interesting stuff. Ok, interesting to me anyway. And, hey, it's my new and opinion blog, so I can voice away, even if the surveillence agency think this stuff or me are interesting. Or likely not.

And the photo? It's Paradise in Mt. Rainier NP at 8:00 am today. Not bad, 19+ feet of snow on the ground with a month or so to go before snowmelt normally starts and often lasts through Memorial day, and in some years to Independence Day. Really. We've had a colder than normal spring some years which slows the snowmelt where you encounter snow on the trails at 5-6,000 feet into July. And in years with colder summers, it's not uncommon for snow to last into August in sheltered areas at mid-elevations.

Ok, the news.

Just can't get away from the Bush administration. Awhile ago I mentioned they plan to allow developers to build in wetlands on the promise of building wetlands elsewhere. Well, the EPA and Corps of Engineers approved the final plan to this outrage or injustice - or whatever else you want to call the attack on wetlands, which allows developers to "bank" wetlands, meaning they can build on them now if they invest in them elsewhere, but that's only an investment with intentions, and not actual new or renovated wetlands.

Why the outrage? Wetlands are the primary temporary and food source for migrating birds. Without them, the birds have to use other lands, like farms, parks, etc., and we all know how well that goes over with people. Wetlands provide so much good for the environment and wildlife we should be protecting what we have and trying to develop more. It's about the health of this planet, and one day we'll realize the stupidity of these decisions to allow their destruction.

Onward with Bush bashing. Gotta love Bush for bashing. Or at least I do.

Did you know the President's daily briefing report now has more information gleened from the Internet than from traditional data and information techniques, like spying and surveillence? All the federal agencies now have branches dedicated to Internet watching and intelligence gathering. You can do the same if you know all those languages.

There's an interesting blog at Connecting the Dots. Not sure what he saying except noting the contradictions in things, events, views and even truth and reality. He has an interesting column in today's Wall Street Journal which noted the failures in our intelligence services.

But as many other have noted in the past, our intelligence services have long missed the boat on many issues, events and things, not just 9/11, Iraq's WMD's, and so on. Those very services seem to be more about the political spin on the intelligence at the behest of Presidents than anything, and much of the reality and truth are left in the wastebaskets of those who really do know but told not to write or say.

For something different, Washington Post article on Campaign financing through the Internet and Websites, click and support your candidates, post pro/con blogs or videos, and so on. The campaign now is shifting to cyberspace than real space, or at least sharing the media.

I don't know what to make of this one, yet anyway. While Bush as ranted at the Democrats about the now-expired surveillence law, wanting a more free-for-all legal spying and with immunity to the telcom companies (postumately too), he's had his staffers and Republicans work with the Democrats for a compromise.

What George, wanting it both ways? Or is he just stalling to blame the Democrats when things don't go the way he wants. But I'll say the same thing I've said to the Democrats, Stand your ground for the American people. We want what works but more importantly restores civil rights and protections against invastion of our privacy. The intelligences services have shown a history of violating that, so we want them corraled into being lawful.

We don't want the telcom companies getting immunity for their illegal acts on the public, the very customers who trusted them. And we don't want the intelligence and surveillence agences to get carte blanche access to our privacy without establishing their need and the evidence we're worth the warrant. American citizens aren't the enemy. And George must be held accountable.

Our government has shown it's not about fighting terrorism they're after, but surveillence on citizens. They aren't concerned as much about terrorist than wanting unrestricted access to everyone and everyone's records in the name of power and control, and eventually arresting and prosecuting people for simply thinking and speaking. We want our freedom. Let's not forget it's the Constitution we're protecting and defending against government's intrusions.

Ok, I've ranted enough for today. I'm reading David McClullough's book "1776" and it reminds me what they fought for. Let's not forget what they sacrificed for what we have now. And buy the book to learn some real history.