"For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind.
The standing grain has no heads; It yields no grain.
Should it yield, strangers would swallow it up"
~Hosea 8:7~
"We can stand here like the French,
or we can do something about it."
~Marge Simpson~
“ You grew up in freedom, and so you can spit on freedom,
because you don’t know what it is not to have freedom "
~
The scientists at Ben Gurion University in Israel have developed a new material to
collect solar radiation and covert it to electricity. With a few more years of study, they
may have a great way to generate electricity while using less space. It is thought that
this process might eventually become price competitive with conventional means of power
generation.
XXXXXXX
Greece has had more than it's share of fire
tragedy this year.. But how is it that entire olive groves are burnt? Is there no
clear cutting around the groves? What about the techniques used to reduce the brush near
the groves in a system of staged brush removal campaigns? In this system, the first fifty
feet from the vineyard would be mowed every year to prevent any fire at all from burning
freely, the next fifty feet would be cleared by hand removing all brush with the exception
of water-holding plants (like cactus, get a hint Greece, by some plants from us), the next
fifty feet would have a limited amount of native brush, and the fifty feet after
that would have a small amount of brush removed. Now sure, this means intruding into the
brush by some two hundred feet, modifying the environment, but if standards such as this
wee common, much less would have burnt.
Many environmentalists decry techniques such as this, or control burns as
being harmful to wildlife, I liken it to 'tough love' with a kid. Let them range
uncontrolled and wild for twenty years and you will likely have someone looking at the
beginning of a twenty-year prison term. The land is used to occasional fires, it needs
them. Animals can run and escape from a slow burning fire that is burning in an area that
burned in the last twenty years. the load of fuel is lower so the fire burns with less
intensity and burrowing animals can hide in the ground and likely survive such a
low-intensity fire. But the dynamics change when fuel is added in. Add a few tons per acre
of dried brush and old dead tree branches that have been sitting in the open drying for
thirty years, and you have a recipe for a Mega firestorm.
Lots of control burns is what the land needs, and every rural dweller needs to clear all
brush from their house to at least a defensible space, and go a bit beyond that as well.
Believe me, when you see flames one hundred feet high, being two hundred feet away does
not seem so far anymore.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Another
article speaks of a company that has developed a system of 'soil erosion containment'
after a fire. This system uses particles that will bond with the soil opening it up after
a fire. This will help reduce erosion and landslides that are common after big fires.
They say the system even though it is chemical based will eventually break down to common
organic matter. I don't trust synthetic chemical-based systems. Also, the article said it
is smoke infiltrating the soil that causes the soil to crust over and refuse water
afterwards. I differ on the thinking in that case, I don't think smoke tends to really get
into the soil much, it is the high heat of huge blazes in areas that have not burned for a
century that causes the soil to bake as in a kiln. The answer is not more money spent on
dropping chemicals over the landscape by helicopter, the answer is in a massive campaign
of control burns, happening over the next decade, burns that will eventually target almost
all areas of the USA. Afterwards the burns will not be as costly because they will be
happening in areas that have burned before. Although I know that most environmentalists
disagree with me on this and see fire as anathema to the ecosystem, and to be controlled
at all costs.
XXXXXXXXXX
And a report that desertification in some areas of China caused by
destructive farming methods in the fifties has led to sandstorms that are eroding some
parts of the Great Wall of Chine, especially the sections made primarily of rammed earth
construction techniques (similar to the adobe building techniques used in California
before a century ago).
XXXXXXXXXXX
An Eco-prison in
Norway. Hmm, OK, it sounds like a faddish thing, but still I like the concept.
XXXXXXXXXX
Wow, now here's
one fellow with a huge heart! The driver who had a bowling ball dropped from an
overpass is not angry at whoever did this stupid malicious act. His wife explains, “I
just feel if someone was stupid enough to do this, then they really have problems, and
they’re going to have a hard life ahead of them,”
That reminds me of the saying attributed to John Wayne... "Life is tough, it's even tougher if you're stupid"
These folks have got a lot of forgiveness. But still I hope they catch
whoever did this, that person needs to have the danger they represent removed from the
streets, whether it be by incarceration (this could have been a murder charge if he'd
died), or long-term court-mandated counseling.
The fellow found frozen in the ice in Italy in 1991 had been
presumed to have died from arterial bleeding due to an arrow underneath his collarbone
that presumably severed an artery. But new findings show that his actual cause of death
was from head trauma, either from his attacker, or perhaps from hitting his head as he
fell from blood loss due to the arrow.
The researchers further believe he might have been turned onto his stomach
and the arrow removed by his attacker. While this accounts for the missing arrow, it does
not answer the question as to why his weapons such as copper ax and flint knife were not
taken. It seems these would be such valuable things in that time. Perhaps the attacker was
worried of 'haunted' items? Maybe there was a taboo on taking the weapons of someone you
killed?
Anyway, it remains an interesting thing, to read these occasional tidbits of info
as more is learned of Otzi every year.
August 30, 2007
Funky Little Shack
~B-52's~
'Love Shack'
The Love Shack is a little old place
where we can get together
Sign says.. Woo... stay away fools,
'cause love rules at the Love Shack!
Well it's set way back in the middle of a field,
Just a funky old shack and I gotta get back
The Love Shack is a little old place
where we can get together
Love Shack bay-bee! Love Shack baby!
Love Shack, that's where it's at!
Huggin' and a kissin', dancin' and a lovin',
wearin' next to nothing
Cause it's hot as an oven
The whole shack shimmies!
The whole shack shimmies when everybody's
Movin' around and around and around and around!
Everybody's movin', everybody's groovin' baby!
Folks linin' up outside just to get down
Everybody's movin', everybody's groovin' baby
Funky little shack! Funky little shack!
I love these little shacks people build on the beaches in some
spots in California. It's funny how a few teenage boys can put one of these together
in a few hours of fun, yet you can watch a dozen adults on a 'Reality Show' struggle and
argue for days over the necessary shelter they need to get together to build. Maybe
there is just a bit of advantage to not losing that sense of wonder and fun in life that
kids have.
Here's the video of 'Love Shack' by one of the greatest party bands of
all time, the B-52's
August 29, 2007
Mine is not to question why...mine is but to do or die
'The Charge Of The Light Brigade'
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson~
'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.
A cannon parked on display at the entrance to the pier in Santa Monica
California.
While I was circling this cannon to take photos, there was a homeless man carrying
on a conversation with his 'invisible friend'. He was giving him legal advice and
discussing the best options for finding an attorney. It was pretty sad.
On a happy note, I noticed most of the Homeless in this area have nice packs, often with
wheels such as you see the 'smart and fashionable' wheel around the airports. So, people
are helping these poor souls lost in the night.
Artillery and guys just kinda go together.
My Dad is an old-style 'Warrior-Poet'. A survivor of two
wars, he has an accomplished poet for a brother, and he is himself a natural storyteller
(I think I picked up a bit of that trait from him). He is also a fellow who learned
to memorize poems long ago in his youth, while sitting in a foxhole days on end. The poem
above is one of the many he memorized long before I was ever born, and it was often
recited to us kids when we were young (we didn't live in an area with TV until I was
nine).
Having worked in a prison myself (long ago), I enjoyed the stories the
convicts would tell me of their accomplishments. They enjoyed retelling the stories of the
times they 'got away'. One story I recall well is the fellow who told me about going to
Peru in the seventies; he and his buddies bought an old antique cannon that had been
plugged much as this one. They removed the plug, and packed the bore with cocaine,
replaced the plug and got it into the USA safely. His only lament was that he continued in
his smuggling activities long enough to get caught and get a fifteen year federal prison
sentence. Like so many smugglers I met, he alluded to having lots of money hidden
away, this would be his 'retirement' money when he retired from prison. I suppose
he's lounging in a hammock in a cabana in Acapulco drinking out of a coconut shell with an
umbrella right now.
August 28, 2007
Shrimp as art
~Benjamin Buford Blue (Bubba)~
From the film 'Forrest Gump'
Shrimp is the fruit of the sea.
You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it.
There's, uh, shrimp kabobs, shrimp creole...
shrimp gumbo, panfried, deep fried, stir fried.
There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp...
shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes,
shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich...
that's, that's about it.
Bubba Gumps' Shrimp place on the Santa Monica Pier.
Yep, the famous 'Pacific Park' on Santa Monica's Pier. I was there a bit before
the loads of tourists. And you can just make out the fellow painting away with the spray
gun. The paint fumes were a bit thick. But heck, I guess it takes a lot of paint to keep
the ocean from corroding that metal right off, and it sure does make some nice colors.
I liked the colors so much that I made pieces of artwork out of the
photos above. You can download this and some other twenty photos I did the same type thing
to as a screensaver for free from our screensavers page at Rivenrock Screensavers.
August 27, 2007
Ich hab' mein hertz in Marina del Rey verloren
~George Strait~
'Marina Del Rey'
We said goodbye in Marina del Rey
"I had a good time" was the last thing I heard her say
As I walked away
And on the plane back to Tennessee
My mind comes across her memory
And yesterday in Marina del Rey
On a hidden beach under a golden sun
She spread a blanket that we laid down on
And loved the world away
In Marina del Rey
And as we looked into each other's eyes
We found our bodies lost in paradise
Like castaways in Marina del Rey
Like the ocean tides, highs and lows
Love sometimes comes and goes away
In Marina del Rey
And as this plane is touching down
Tears touch my eyes for I have found
My heart has stayed in Marina del Rey
Surfers line up for the tiny little waves on this day in Venice
California.
It's sad, they should all go to Jalama
for some real action.
But...this is some nice water, a pleasant sun and tranquility.
A good day to float around on foam.
This view is from Venice Pier looking South toward Marina Del Rey.
You can see an airplane rising into the air from LAX in this photo.
This view is from Venice Pier looking North toward Santa Monica where the large white
buildings are.
I've heard of these 'Paddle Boards'. It looks like fun. He can get a good propulsion
with that paddle, and the large board combined with paddling seems to make the best of
even a small wave. But it does look a bit tougher getting back to the lineup, you have to
either try to paddle upright through the oncoming surf, or go ahead and paddle the large
wide board conventionally (on your stomach) while keeping the paddle tucked under your
body. Also I suppose it's not easy to slip under a nearly-breaking wave, or 'turn-turtle'
under a wave that is gonna break right down on you and push you down hard. But, it looks
like fun; I'll give it a try one time or another.
George Strait with his hit 'Marina del Rey'
But my favorite George Strait song is 'I can still make Cheyenne'.
August 26, 2007
Santa Monica Farmers Market
The beauty of the world for sale in Santa Monica
But I prefer to EAT pretty things. These taters'll do nicely, thank you
very much.
Some neighbors of ours have a berry farm. They take their beautiful
berries to both the Santa Monica and the Beverly Hills Farmers Markets. I helped
them out with something once, they were grateful and so very gracious and generous and
sent me home with a large lug of berries. Yum! (my mouth waters at the thought).
August 25, 2007
Why the Dinosaurs went extinct
Avoid extinction..Read
One of the Dinosaurs running down the center of 'The Promenade' in
Santa Monica
This is a 'Triple-Whammy' for me. Not only does it (Shudders) bring back memories of 'The
Terminator', it also reminds me of the terrible 'Freddie Kruger', and then toss in the
evil effects of 'Devil Weed' (tobacco) and you have WMD.
I've heard from reliable authority that smoking caused the extinction of the Dinosaurs.
Kids, you're smarter than some critter with a brain the size of a walnut....don't smoke.
OK, here's another Din-Ivy.
This is an appropriate use of local tax money. Displays such as this
attract tourists and visitors and lead to an invigoration of the local economy. But it
only works so long as appropriate Policing keeps the area safe.
August 24, 2007
Not Fragile
This is me (John) and my friend and neighbor Lane in Lane's
Hummer. This is the most awesome Four Wheel Drive vehicle I have ever been in. It has all
kinds of controls to manipulate the traction that the tires can put onto the ground. For
instance, you can hit a switch and take air from the tires to increase the 'footprint' on
the ground for low-speed traction on loose terrain. The pump will later inflate the tires
when you need to put more air back into them for road use.
The original military-spec Hummers (such as this one) are really hardy and
go-anywhere vehicles. This is not your neighbor's H2 or H3. I've seen this vehicle go up
slopes that might be some forty degrees and full of scree that has laid down to it's
'angle of repose'. This thing will crunch over the unraveled slope like a tracked vehicle.
It just slow-crawls up, going where you think a wheeled vehicle cannot go...amazing.
This particular vehicle is so maneuverable that I've seen tractors get stuck
on precarious slopes, and the operator will go to Lane for his assistance in pulling the
tractor out of a bad spot on the hill. This thing is low and squat, it's low center of
gravity is so much more stable than that of a tractor.
Photo taken in Feb 2004
August 23, 2007
Gophers and corn don't mix
We had a gopher that was taking down a stalk of corn every
day. It took me two tries to get him.
I wish I could make deals with the local critters, letting them know what I
need, and sometimes they could have all of the rest. But, communication is key in any
negotiation. And since I can't even get these critters to sit and parley, we never come to
an understanding of appropriate distribution of local resources. So we all just continue
on in our misunderstandings, and we are all the poorer due to this.
There was a book I read long ago called 'Loafers of Refuge'. In this space
fantasy the inhabitants of another planet are able to get the animals to do their bidding
through mind control. It was something like the way 'The Flintstones' used animals to help
them.
I'd like to get the foxes, deer, bears and gophers to help me around here.
But heck, I can't even get my dog to drive the truck to town for feed.
August 21, 2007
What is Beauty?
Tao-Teh-Ching
Chapter 2
It is the world of man that defines ugly by comparing it with that which man calls
beautiful.
Skillful is considered such by comparison to that which is called 'without skill'.
Alive and non-alive are delineated by nature.
Difficult and easy are abstracted by our perception.
Long and short are defined by the one against the other.
High and low are reckoned so by the contrast of the one with the other.
Music is seen as pleasing if the notes and tones are recognized as being harmonious with
each other.
One in front, and one behind are recognized as one following the other.
It is for this reason that the sage lives in the condition of wu-wei (unattached action,
or; doing-not doing),
And teaches without words.
He knows that names and images are fleeting, and all things will transform.
One who seems to follow tonight might lead another time.
He sees all that is done as neither large nor small.
All things are neither grand nor miniscule.
Actions are neither difficult, nor done with ease. He acts without expectation.
Things spring up around him, and he accepts them, but does not possess them.
Things go away, and he recognizes their departure without grief or joy.
When the work is done he leaves it be.
Because he does not dwell in it, it will last.
What is the nature of inner humanity? What is the
nature of beauty? The 1932 film Freaks
looked deeply into these aspects.
The Director Tob Browning had worked in a circus as a contortionist some
years earlier. He created many of the situations in this film from his own experiences
living with the circus people.
In this most interesting film the 'beautiful' trapeze artist decides to seduce and
marry the ringmaster, a man who is a 'Little Person'. He has a huge inheritance coming,
which she intends to inherit after she and the 'Muscle Man' she is having an affair with
murder the ringmaster by poison.
The scene below shows actual 'Side Show Attractions' playing their parts in this
film. And we get to see them honoring the trapeze artist and letting her into their
companionship with a chanting ceremony of "gooble gobble, we accept her".
This causes her to go wild and throw the celebratory wine at the assemblage
of Side Show People, and casting them away from her as she rides her new husband (who she
has poisoned) on her shoulders, humiliating him before his comrades.
As the film goes on, we have to examine anew the concept of beauty. Many of
the 'Side Show' folks show an inner beauty that shines from the core of their being, while
the beautiful and 'normal' trapeze artist shows the inhumanity and desperation that
reveals a rotten and ugly soul.
This is really an influential film, although it was a bit too much for
'early twentieth century audiences'. So it did not really get big until years later. The
director Tod Browning
found himself unable to get very many directing jobs afterwards due to the controversial
nature of this film.
August 20, 2007
In Praise of Dirt Roads
~From Country Whispers~
What's mainly wrong with society today
is that too many dirt roads have been paved.
There's not a problem in society today
crime, drugs, education, divorce and delinquency
that wouldn't be remedied, if we just had more dirt roads,
Because........
dirt roads give character.
People that live at the end of dirt roads
learn early on that life is a bumpy ride.
That it can jar you right down to your teeth sometimes;
but it's worth it, if at the end is home...
a loving spouse, happy kids
and a dog and a few cats.
We wouldn't have near the trouble with our
educational system if our kids got their exercise
walking a dirt road with other kids,
from whom they learn how to get along.
There was less crime in our streets before they were paved.
Criminals didn't walk two dusty miles to rob or rape,
if they knew they'd be welcomed by five
barking dogs and a double barrel shotgun.
And there were no drive-by shootings.
Our values were better when our roads were worse!
People did not worship their cars more than their kids;
and motorists were more courteous...
they didn't tailgate by riding the bumper,
or the guy in front would choke you with dust and
bust your windshield with rocks.
Dirt roads taught patience.
I took a Sunday afternoon stroll along a few miles of our
dirt road. As always there was plenty to see. Here at the base of an oak in the dry
creekbed is the grill of a car that plunged twenty feet to the rocky bottom. That plastic
grill piece is some five feet long, but it appears like a toy in comparison with the mass
of the oak. I don't think there's been a year that I did not see a car or two that
went into this little creek. A twisty narrow dirt road is not a good place to go speeding
along. There are all kinds of animals that may dart out, and cars and trucks coming
suddenly from around sharp bends. I suppose some folks are left with the split
decision to either crash head-on into another vehicle, or try to pull over to a dangerous
spot where they might end up going over.
There are a few spots where the water breaks the surface. At other
spots it is running along the rocky bottom but covered by rocks, it runs right under the
surface. Here we see a pool that runs on into the rocks. At times during heavy
rains, this spot of creek might carry water ten or fifteen feet deep. It can run heavy
hard and fast, trees and debris gets moved slowly downstream, some of the detritus
catching in the trees. It is amazing how high up the trees the waters sometimes go. These
can often be noted by the packets of debris caught in the forks of the trees.
When the waters were a few feet deep, they were obstructed
by this fallen tree. The waters dug a dish out below the tree, and piled rocks immediately
downstream. So we have this pool that has stayed wet all summer.
We only got some four inches of rain all last rainy season.
And it has been about four months since we've had any rain at all. The hills are very dry
right now, the brush is dying so much on the hills, that I'm seeing details of strata and
outcroppings that were previously hidden under a thick mat of ten foot tall chaparral. But
this spot gets so much moisture constantly seeping in from the surrounding hills, that it
seems a mass of greenery hidden away like a treasure, tucked into the folds of the seared
California landscape.
Tao-Teh-Ching
Chapter 66 The great rivers and streams all pour their tribute of the world onto the seas.
The seas gain this tribute and are called high and mighty because they lie low,
humility gives the sea its power.
It is for this reason that the followers of Tao humble themselves before mankind.
They speak in tones of humility and lowborn status.
They do not attempt to lead, but learn to follow,
and find themselves leading the people from behind.
In this way the wise sovereign will rule over the people, but they will not feel his
weight.
He will lead the people, but they will not feel slighted or displeased.
The people will gladly uphold and support such a one as this.
The master does not strive, in this way no one can strive against him.
Chapter 8 The highest goodness is like water.
Water effortlessly benefits all things without struggling.
It is content to flow to the low places that people scorn.
In this way water is in accordance with the TAO.
Therefore:
In dwelling, live close to the Earth.
For the mind, depth should be sought.
In conflict, be fair and righteous.
In government, self-mastery, competence and timing is preferred.
The sage does not strive,
Therefore no one can strive against him.
This canyon carries the watershed of a great many acres. It
is lush and rich in biomass due to the giving of water to it from surrounding areas that
remain parched in the summer. Here we see another spot where the stream breaks the
surface. The water flows just fast enough to keep it clean and clear. It gets filtered as
it flows through the natural filter of the broken rock and pebbles of the streambed. It is
streams such as this that are often used in the right season to spawn steelhead trout and
salmon. The old timers used to speak of fishing with pitchforks on these streams.
The fertility and natural strength of the plants and animals
here is amazing. These are poison oak vines climbing up the side of the oak trees. These
vines are some four inches across, and climb twenty five feet into the oaks. In this deep
steep canyon with it's thick canopy of poplars, oaks and sycamore, a plant that likes sun
has to climb up on the shoulders of 'The Big Boys' to get some sun on their face.
Chapter 23 Nature says only a few words:
To speak little is natural.
Express yourself completely,
and then keep quiet.
Be like the forces of nature:
a gale seldom blows the whole morning,
nor does a downpour last a whole day.
When the clouds pass, the sun shines through.
If nature's words do not last,
why should those of man?
If you open yourself to the Tao,
you are at one with the Tao
and you can embody it completely.
If you open yourself to insight,
you are at one with insight
and you can use it completely.
If you open yourself to loss,
you are at one with loss
and you can accept it completely.
The Tao accepts this accordance gladly.
Virtue accepts this accordance gladly.
Loss also accepts this accordance gladly.
He who does not have trust in others
should not himself be trusted.
August 19, 2007
Tao Teh Ching
Chapter 29
Do you wish to change the world?
If you wish to change the world
and adjust it to your desires,
you cannot succeed.
The world is shaped by the Way;
the self cannot shape it.
If you tamper with it, you'll ruin it.
If you treat it like an object, you'll lose it.
The world is as it is, so;
Some will be leaders;
while others will be followers.
Some will be warm, others cold.
Some will be strong, others weak.
Some will get where they are going,
While others will fall by the side of the road.
The Master sees things as they are,
without trying to control them.
He lets them go their own way,
and resides at the center of the path.
Jute is a natural fiber made from plant materials. As such it becomes
part of the soil when left on the ground. This makes it a fine material to use for
stabilizing disturbed soils. Here is a good example of how it is used in such an instance.
It allows the native and seeded plants to grow through it, yet the fibers which lay
horizontal to the slope will trap sediments washing down from above. This reduces erosion
on the slope until the plants get a chance to lay down their own roots and leaves which
will give a final stabilization. This is all a part of technology and scientific inquiry
working together to enable us to modify the world around us without destroying the natural
processes that have shaped the world.
August 18, 2007
Living Well is the Best Revenge
And yeah, we as a nation have been living High On The Hog
for some decades now. This Fast Food Nation will get heartburn before it gives up it's
dependence on 'tater chips and the myriad of yucky foods out there.
Sure, I eat like a pig, but luckily for me, I like real food (nine out of ten
pigs prefer real food). So even though there's a lot of meat involved, I have a pretty
decent diet rich in greens and fruits. I think it's the processing and additional
chemicals that is the real culprit in our food system. Still, it's best to eat your food
as close to it's natural state as possible.
The video below speaks well on the inadequacies in our farming system, that great
bastion of progress. Even while we grow more food per farmer, the quality of the
end-product seems to go down. Gone are the days of fresh corn and vine ripened tomatoes,
instead we have some kinda processed corn chips and green picked tomatoes ripened in a
trailer with ethylene gas while being trucked from a thousand miles away. We all
have the ability to pick out some decent produce, but governmental farm policy tends to
reward the bad foods with subsidies, while us poor fruit and veggie growers sit out in the
rain (or the sun) choppin' cactus stalks to use for bedding 'cause we don't get no gubmint
handouts for not growing corn (even though we don't grow any we still don't get no
subsidies for not growing it).
It reminds me of the 'Catch-22' gag where Major Major's father got so much
money for not growing corn he was able to buy more land to not grow even more corn. Before
long he was not growing so much corn he became the wealthiest man in the county.
Watching the video below got me a bit sick, it shows too
much processed foods, but I suppose if it keeps even one person from swallowing that
greasy potato chip, it's worth it.
Now, just so ya' know.... If you ever get stranded in the woods, you
can actually get a nice hot fire by burning potato chips. Yep, that's right, there is so
much oil in those greasy things that just getting a few started burning might help you if
you have to get a fire going, and are an inexperienced tenderfoot. Try it one time (adults
only, under the eye of experienced medical and fire teams, and NOT while driving), light
the end of a potato chip and watch that hot fire burn slow and sparkly right across that
'tater. All that oil is gonna stick inside of your veins and arteries. Instead, I
recommend you get some good fresh tomatoes, corn, cilantro, peppers and cactus and make a
good and healthy salad to fuel you the way you are meant to be fueled.
August 17, 2007
We're all in this together, and we ain't gettin' out alive
~Natalie Merchant~
'Kind and Generous'
You've been so kind and generous,
I don't know how you keep on giving
For your kindness, I'm in debt to you
For your selflessness, my admiration
For everything you've done, you know I'm bound to
thank you for it....
I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave with love and tenderness,
I wanna' thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity,
the love and the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you, show my gratitude, my love and my respect for you,
I wanna thank you
The world's a tough place, and mankind long ago learned to band
together. From small hunter-gatherer groups to larger tribes, then finally nations.
Now we look forward to a time in the distant future in which we will be allied as one
people, a nation planet, but that is to be a great many generations from now.
From ancient times we've had a desire to help those of our population, this
helping extends from the giver and passes to the recipient. This is done in the hope that
others will help those we love but cannot help ourselves. If I see a woman stranded with a
flat tire I will render assistance if I can, and I do this in the hope that one day if my
wife has a similar occurrence there will be some Good Samaritan who will help her. Thus it
is in a population that assistance is rendered and accepted freely.
Since we acknowledge that we are incapable of a life alone, it follows that
an 'Attitude of Gratitude' must be cultivated. We are all indebted to each other on a
daily basis. To go into the world with a smile on one's lips, and a prayer of thankfulness
is an affirmation of dependence and gratitude for assistance. This attitude is so well
encapsulated by the singing artist Natalie Merchant in so many of the songs she has
written and sings so skillfully. The one below is the pinnacle of such thoughts...
This song can be taken on so many levels, one of the
affirmation of interdependence between people, and also of a dedication to loved ones, and
finally an acknowledgement of the Higher Power that guides us all through our lives.
To all in my life, thank you for all the help you have given
me; without the start and lessons rendered by parents, wife, son, relatives and friends, I
would not be in the place I am today.
Thank you all!
August 16, 2007
Wow, solar power is going big in..Germany?
I guess this shows how well solar can work, if even a gloomy, cloudy and cool
country as Germany can generate significant amounts of solar energy through Photovoltaic
cells.
This is reported in the article 'Germany
sets shining example in providing a harvest for the world'.
Like any method of social manipulation, this one relies on monetary rewards
to coerce the actions desired. In other words, the government forces the energy companies
to not only pay rate prices for the homeowners who generate excess electricity to feed
into the grid, the energy companies have to pay four times the going rate. This causes the
solar electric system installed by the homeowner to be paid off sooner, and gives them an
8-9% profit yearly on their investment.
This is a novel idea I'd not considered. And while the Capitalist part
of me has a problem with a power company being required to pay four times what it can sell
the same power for, they can pass that cost on to the German people, which raises the
average bill some few dollars a month. But when you consider the gains made in energy
independence, perhaps it is a good idea for all to pay a bit to rid ourselves of foreign
power needs.
We wanted to get off the grid here some fifteen years ago. I had a solar system
planned, but the county would not allow us to be unhooked from the grid. And this was
before the 'feedback' programs to sell power to the grid companies. So since we'd still
have the monthly service charges as well as a huge cost for the initial system, going for
the system made no economic sense.
We had a similar experience with wanting to put in a 'gray-water' system and
composting toilet. The county disallowed both systems. I came up with a huge report by UC
Berkley (an institute of higher consciousness to our local 'Progressive' county
administrators) that revealed composting toilets to be even safer than septic systems
(which are standard in this area). They still denied the plans. Then a few years later
they wrote me and asked for the report again (they'd disposed of the copy I'd sent
earlier). They explained that they were interested in testing out such a system and would
I be interested in purchasing one and testing it for them? I passed on this since we
already had the septic installed and could not see the (economic) point in having both.
One of our neighbors has built apart from the grid. They had huge costs
involved, but bringing in the one mile of wire to hook to their house was even more
costly. The county gave them fits and held up the project every bit of the way. But
eventually they got the required permits and now are totally off the grid, generating
their own power from the sun, and a backup generator when their power goes down.
It seems to me that being able to generate our own power is a good thing, and
as long as it can be done safely, the government should use it's powers of 'Social
Engineering' to pass through and encourage programs such as these.
August 15, 2007
Downtown Nipas
A lot of folks refer to Nipomo with
the nickname 'Nipas'.
This is the center of our town, the intersection of Mary Ave
and Tefft St.
Ten years ago we didn't have a shopping center. All shopping had to be done at the
two small family owned markets, or we'd have to drive eight miles to the next town south
or north (Santa Maria and Arroyo
Grande).
Yes, life has changed, we now have several traffic signals (just had one
then). We have a gridlock situation that develops at rush hour at this intersection. But
we can get a nice sandwich (but we still make our own), visit one of a few coffeeshops
(naw, we brew our own), or go grocery shopping in a sparkling clean ultramodern grocery
store (yeah, we do buy food).
Yep, it's not quite the same as the famous Los Alamos of 'The Manhattan
Project'. It is instead an artists/ranchers enclave in California. The bars are great and
homey, the galleries are full of Western art. It's a strange amalgam of Western Americana
and Bohemian charm. And now it's become another patch in the 'Grape Quilt' that has become
the tapestry of California highways.
Here's a vineyard that has been 'netted' to keep the birds out from the
fruit.
In this instance, the net is designed to cover two sets of trellises at once.
August 12, 2007
Santa Barbara
Old-World Charm
Santa Barbara is of course well known for it's very excellent and
beautiful Mission.
But being a hilly town of old, it also has some great examples of more
modern 'Old World' building techniques.
Some areas look like they might be in Italy or some other European nation.
Notice the steeple in the distance.
In the early nineteen hundreds many Italians came to Santa Barbara. Some of them were
excellent stonemasons, so being the new underclass of low-wage skilled labor, they got
work building walls and terraces all over town. Santa Barbara is a good example of how
building with an eye toward longevity can yield great results when added to bit by bit
over time.
Anytime I drive along roads like this, I am reminded of Europe.
August 11, 2007
Zaca Fire, Red Sky
The Zaca Fire is still raging over the hills after over a month raging
without full containment.
The people in the hills are going about preparations in case they must evacuate.
The total acreage burned over in this fire to date is about 65,000 acres.
Oh, yeah, it's twenty miles long.
But the smoke from the fire does make for some nice sunsets.
Actually, I'm not such a big fan of 'squelching' fires. I
think that we in California have to come to terms with the natural cycles here which
include natural burns clearing out the over-choked dead vegetation, opening the ground for
the green grasses.
If the fires burn through an area every few decades the load of dry fuel is
kept low. When fire suppression is enforced with vigor, and there is also no concurrent
removal of deadwood fuel loads, the fire when it does come will burn with an intensity
that might well exceed that of the natural burns. This will cause a 'baking' of the soil
surface. Burning it much deeper than normal, killing the seeds that would normally be
waiting for a 'low-intensity' fire to break their dormancy.
The baked soil glazes over, resulting in less water infiltration when the
rains do come. This run-off water will flow to the gullies and chasms, eventually breaking
through the baked soil at those spots, the resulting flood of water and stones will
further scour the soil surface resulting in silting of waterways, and erosion of the
watershed.
I think the solution is regular control burns in the wintertime. We do
control burns in California now, but not at near the frequency needed. Some studies have
shown that control burns are safer and less expensive than fighting fire in an area not
burned over for a century. The costs of the Zaca Fire were estimated at some 50
million dollars a few days ago.
August 10, 2007
Sweetbreads
It's summertime, and across the country there are millions of grills
firing up each week.
We often BBQ a few times a week in the summer. This is an easier way to prepare food in
the summer. Instead of Vickie slaving over a hot stove all day, I can cook over oak wood
and watch the fire, practice my smoke signals, and have a beer (kids, don't try this at
home, I'm a trained professional).
Sweetbreads
are a mighty tasty treat, one which has become a regular part of my diet lately.
We also BBQ'd a pork roast, (Vickie doesn't like to eat offal, she
thanks that's awful).
It is the way of the Tao that:
To reduce the influence of something, first allow it undue influence.
To reduce something, it must first be allowed to expand.
That which will be torn down, must first be raised up.
This is the subtle way the weak can overcome the strong.
A fish should not leave the water.
And one should not display ones weapons.
"This is my weapon, this is my gun"
So goes the old saying of the infantryman.
It is said that the second amendment was created to protect
the first amendment.
We as a nation have always had a love affair with firearms. They are
symbolic of the revolutionaries who freed us from our Imperial yoke. In most
conflicts, the less technologically savvy combatants are the ones to lose their hearth and
home, fire and kin. It is Americans who picked up quickly on firearms technology, bringing
it steadily upward to the culmination of smokeless powders and high-power firearms with
recoil suppression.
A properly maintained firearm can last generations and be passed down as
family heirlooms. A firearm is a symbol of freedom as much as it is a way to bring home
some meat, a fun way to 'plink' at targets or in dire circumstances; a home protection
device.
The awesome and deadly capabilities of firearms should be made apparent to
all children so they will be impressed with the necessity to keep away from them without a
responsible adult nearby. Some areas have training programs with the NRA's Eddie Eagle
Program which teaches children the importance of having NOTHING to do with firearms.
There are plenty of folks who don't really know much about
firearms and might have a skewed perception of the people who do own these 'firesticks'. I
suppose such might be the opinion of the fellow who put together the expose called One Nation, Under Gun. Although he paints a decent portrait of the
firearms users, I tend to have a less than comfortable feeling about almost any journalist
who reports on firearms. But this expose was a good slide show of Americans of many
types, not the usual trashing and portrayal of Gun America as illiterate inbred hicks.
August 08, 2007
Ventura Oil Derrick
A repair made to an old well.
At Las Sauces Creek, north of Ventura
August 07, 2007
'Heinz Sight' Commercial
OK, a couple of months ago Michael Moretti and his wife Piper asked me
if I would like to appear with a bunch of Movie Bikers to film a Heinz Ketchup commercial
for a contest Heinz is doing.
The conversation went something like this...
Piper: We need a bunch of real Bikers to sing and dance for our commercial.
Me: Sure, I'd love to, except that I can't sing and I can't dance.
Piper: Yeah, well, that's kind of the fun of it all. We need real-looking biker guys, so
if you can't dance that's OK, Biker realism is more important than the dancing.
Me: Well, if a non-dancing Biker is what you need, I'm all for it.
So, we went and made the commercial below. That's me you can see on the
right side carrying Mason Storm (he's as heavy as he looks).
The thing is, the commercial contest has now begun, and part of the judging (besides the
technical part which was masterfully completed by the technical people behind the camera)
is dependent on consumer interest in watching the videos. So we'd be really appreciative
if you all could watch the video and give it a five star rating and make some cool
positive comments.
You can reach the comment section here.
Heinz Sight, commercial (2007)
30 sec
Directed by Michael Moretti
talk about having a blast while working, this was fun to shoot
August 06, 2007
I spent a few years as a cop;
I suppose the experiences I had cause me to have a particular interest in this line
of work.
There are many people who don't like the job the cops do, they seem to feel if it weren't
for the cops, everyone would magically get along. I tend to look at 'The Thin Blue line'
as just about the only thing that stands between civilization and anarchy.
Cops face one of the most difficult jobs in the world. Decisions must often
be made in a matter of seconds or less, and the actions that follow the decisions are best
made as rational actions that are instilled through many hours of training.
Training, instinct and compassion are things that most cops possess. And all will
prove to be the officers greatest tools.
In the video below we see an officer arresting a subject,
the cop is giving a bit much latitude to the perp, and this resulted in a near horrendous
incident. Luckily the training of the officer took over, and his fellow officers also
rushed to help.
It is just a quick lesson in why it is important to act appropriately when
being pulled over or confronted by an officer. Any move you make might be misinterpreted
as the beginnings of a hostile action toward the officer.
My tips when being questioned by an officer...
keep your hands in plain sight, either on the steering wheel, or open
at your sides (if standing)
Follow the instructions of the officer. Hopefully you did not do
anything wrong, but you may resemble someone who did, so just do as they command. When
they see you are not the perp, they will release you with apologies, (this has happened to
me on occasion).
Don't make any sudden moves; these can be interpreted as reaching for a
weapon, the officers are trained to respond with force (deadly even) to such an action.
Be pleasant to the officer, he/she is doing a job that results in all
of us having a lower crime rate. It is the most difficult job I know of (other than
being a parent), and for the life of me, I don't know why anyone would be a cop with all
the recriminations and armchair decisions made after-the-fact of any incident. And any bad
move made by a cop is run through his mind for the rest of his life, so even when not a
cop anymore, he will still live with the actions he accomplished whether for good or for
ill.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Now, to rant about plastic bottles and water. Personally I
don't much care for tap water, I prefer to refill a gallon jug at a supermarket R-O
machine. This will usually cost me 25 to 35 cents per gallon. I try to drink a half gallon
daily. I reuse the gallon containers for a few months until they become a bit fragile,
then I buy another gallon of water in a new jug, and reuse that jug for another few
months.
I can't see using the tiny bottles people use so much. For one thing, they
don't dump a lot of water in my mouth at once, I've got a big mouth and believe in
efficiency, I like to dump a few ounces of water down my gullet in just one swipe of my
hand. And I'd need a few of those little bottles each day for the amount of water I drink.
The cost would be way high for a poor country boy like me.
I was in a ritzy place in Santa Monica a couple of months ago, passing out my
cactus flyers. One fallow came to the checkout and picked up his meal to go, the meal
alone in it's little foam tray was some $25. When he asked for a bottle of water
(just regular bottled water, nothing special) they tacked on an additional $2.50. Wow,
that's a lot to pay for 12 ounces of water!
My family in Germany drinks bottled water, most of the tap water there is
felt to be unsafe for drinking (a thousand years of pollution), and they like the
naturally carbonated mineral water from their native region of Baden. But they buy it from
the local bottler who comes by weekly and picks up all his old bottles, and exchanges them
with new full ones in their cellar. He charges only for the water, and I suppose it's not
too high a price.
I suppose half the problem I see with plastic water bottles is the high rate of
throw-away involved. I've been to some gatherings where the piles of bottles is so high
and seems to comprise a majority of the trash. I'm surprised in this era of
environmentalism there are so many people willing to throw away so much plastic, and the
funny thing is, it is the people I think would be most environmentally aware who seem to
be doing this the most.
Highway 101, near Buellton
Calif.
This photo was taken in the wintertime. Now as I write this, we have had no rain at all
for about six months, and likely will not get any for another three months. The grasses
are no longer green. A dun color takes over the grasslands of California in the
summertime.
August 03, 2007
'No-Jokey' Grade
Nojoqui (Nah-Ho'-We) Grade; Santa Barbara County, California
~Dire Straits~
'Brothers in Arms'
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is in the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But its written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
Were fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
A video put together using footage from the film 'We were Soldiers'
and featuring the music from Dire Straits 'Brothers in arms'.
Masterfully rendered, horrific...it's a cryin' video for sure.
August 02, 2007
'No Guarantees'
~Poopan~
I’m a man of little means,
Pockets torn at the seams,
I work hard like a slave
For the dreams of a King
With thanks for every sunrise
On our way to the top
There’s blood, sweat and tears
on every stage that we rock
Wear our heart on our sleeves
Whether you feel us or not
Cause we play for the cheers
With everything that we got
It’s our ‘Reality show’
It’s like ‘Lights-camera-action’
And ‘stay tuned for the coming attraction’
But sometimes it feels like
getting’ slapped on and passed up
pissed on with bad luck
we pressed on through stand-up
Through tough times and handcuffs
Is that tenacious
Band in the sun
Yeah, guess what..that’s us!
There are no guarantees
You cannot categorize me
As long as I got my dreams
There’s only me
Sometimes you run across a song that speaks to you so well.
So it is with this little Reggae number here. I like the music (I've always loved Reggae)
and the tune is infectious. Like so much Reggae that addresses ethics, morality and
socio-economic issues, this tune reaches out and says 'Hey, if you're gonna get anywhere
you ain't gonna do it sitting around'. It takes hard work, planning and tenacity to make
it big. And this little band from the San Fernando valley is gonna hit it big because they
possess the talent and the drive to fit the disparate elements together and make it fire.
They say an internal combustion engine needs ignition, fuel
and compression to run. If those are there the engine can be made to run. These fellows
(and girl) have got the steam to make a good run at the top of the hill. I wish them the
best in their journey. And keep crankin out hits like this one fellows, I'll be
downloading (legally) and diggin' on my MP3 player out in the fields.
August 1, 2007
Tractor Roll
A bit of a near-terrible accident.
A tractor went over onto it's side when travelling along the slope.
Luckily, the ROPS (Roll-Over-Protection-Structure)
saved the tractor from rolling on down to the bottom of the hill, and rolling over onto
the operator while doing so.
This shows well the importance of utilizing your safety features and not modifying the
original system in favor of 'ease of use', or 'speed'.
The operator escaped serious injury, another tractor was used to push this one back
up. So, all ended well, but illustrates the dangers that can come when using equipment,
especially in 'challenging' terrain.
