Archive for April, 2009

Writing about Mother Earth on Earth Day is so predictable.  So I decided to write the morning after.

John D’Anna from the Arizona Republic thinks that Disney’s new release Earth is shallow because “filming a full-length motion picture about the planet without mentioning the very real threats it faces is kind of like making a movie about Iraq without mentioning the war. Or a movie about the economy without mentioning unemployment, foreclosures and AIG.” 

Really John?  What’s wrong with filming a full-length motion picture about the planet because it is a beautiful creation worth celebrating?  We’ve been given a priceless gift, and rather than remaining in a perpetual whine about keeping people out of beautiful areas (and yes, that’s what radical environmentalists want – us out) we should celebrate that Disney has brought some of that awesome landscape to us in a moving way.

I hope this becomes a hugely successful movie.  Millions need to see the raw power of nature, the scope and size of the outdoors and they need recognize how small we really are.  When we better understand the miniscule speck that the human race puts on the earth in total, we get some perspective about how ridiculous it is to worry about cow flatulence, oil derricks beyond the horizon, power lines through a sage-brush desert, freeways to the outskirts of town or a cell tower at Saguaro Lake.

I believe that Earth was created for mankind.  I also believe that we have a responsibility to tend to it and care for it.  And when I say care for it, I don’t mean lock it up.  I mean use it, mold it, improve our lives with it.

Every time I read or hear some professional environmentalist talking about clean air, I think about the stories my dad told me about walking to school in the winter with black soot layered over the snow because people burned coal and oil to heat their homes.  That was the 1950’s.

There are few places in this country where you could see that today.  And yet we still get blamed (mostly by our fellow Americans) for being a blight on this Earth.  We have made huge strides in making the Earth a better place, and yet we still get lectured by jet-setting Hollywood stars and sandal-wearing, hairy-arm-pit-sporting hippie throwbacks about how “evil” we are just for being born.

As we reflect on Earth Day, let’s celebrate our life, our standard of living and our bright future.

I don’t typically agree with Canadians, nor do I have much affinity to things Canadian.  Their health care system is deadly, it’s too cold, they play hockey rather than baseball, etc. 

Good things from Canada?  Vince, my favorite rental car guy who owns the Avis franchise at Bell and 3^rd Street in north Phoenix; bacon that goes well with pineapple on pizza; a less restrictive atmosphere for film-making and T.V. production; Evangeline Lilly (Kate on the awesome-ist T.V. show Lost).

A new thing I like from Canada is this commentary about DHS Secretary Napolitano, entitled “The Border for Dummies.”  Ouch.

Can someone please tell us how U. S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano got her job? She appears to be about as knowledgeable about border issues as a late-night radio call-in yahoo.

In an interview broadcast Monday on the CBC, Ms. Napolitano attempted to justify her call for stricter border security on the premise that “suspected or known terrorists” have entered the U. S. across the Canadian border, including the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack.

All the 9/11 terrorists, of course, entered the United States directly from overseas. The notion that some arrived via Canada is a myth that briefly popped up in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and was then quickly debunked.

Informed of her error, Ms. Napolitano blustered: “I can’t talk to that. I can talk about the future. And here’s the future. The future is we have borders.”

Just what does that mean, exactly?

What does she mean?  That is a great question, but don’t expect a straight answer.

“Nature abhors a vacuum, and if I can only walk with sufficient carelessness I am sure to be filled.” –H.D. Thoreau

At 2:54 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, the Arizona Republic posted this story about John Shadegg and his thoughts about the economy and recovery.  Less than 3 ½ hours later, the left-wing website, TPM (Talking Points Memo) posted this.

Not sure what hang-time we’re looking at here. But is Rep. John Shadegg yet another GOP rep. moth to the Rush flame, with this comment today in an interview with the Arizona Republic …

Shadegg disagrees with radio commentator Rush Limbaugh, who has said he hopes Obama and his liberal policies fail.

“I sincerely hope he creates the strongest recovery possible,” Shadegg said. “It is petty to worry about who gets the credit when people are losing their jobs and their homes.”

As for Limbaugh, Shadegg said, “I think he is an entertainment personality who is an interesting factor in American politics. I agree with much of what he says on some issues, but not on other issues.”

We do have the always perilous ‘entertainment personality’ description and the suggestion that Rush is “petty”. On the other hand you have to thin gruel walk-back of saying Rush is an “interesting factor” and an expression of agreement on some issues. Really close to the line.

What say you? Do we have another self-criticism session coming?

This is why the Democrats continue to own the debate about most issues lately – they are just that much better than Republicans at the guerrilla-web tactics.  Thankfully, there are some up-and-comers within the Republican ranks – it’s just that 20-somethings tend to be more left-leaning than conservative, and if you are over 30, it’s too late for you.

The Wigwam Resort, an Arizona institution for decades, may be on the verge of closing.  Today every employee of the Wigwam received a letter from the management company, Starwood, informing them that they are being terminated on May 29.  The owner of the property is Kabuto, and word on the street Citibank is moving to foreclose.  Apparently, Starwood has not been paid by Kabuto for some time.  Hard to run a resort when you aren’t getting paid, and very, very hard to run a resort with no employees.  Sounds like it will get shuttered unless something dramatic happens.

You may recall the upheaval caused by a plan by Kabuto back in the mid-90’s to develop some of the fairways at the Biltmore to build more homes.  You had local luminaries like Paul Harvey, Jack Londen, Mel Schultz and others jump into that issue in a big way.

It’d be a shame to lose the Wigwam.  My guess is that someone will come in to save it.  At least I hope so.

This says it all…

This story in the Washington Times exposes, once again, the inherent corruption that is too prevalent in Washington, D.C.  When a powerful Senator can, without the slightest hesitation or second thought, introduce legislation that directs money to the agency that is funding her husband’s business, you know the system has failed.

On the day the new Congress convened this year, Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced legislation to route $25 billion in taxpayer money to a government agency that had just awarded her husband’s real estate firm a lucrative contract to sell foreclosed properties at compensation rates higher than the industry norms.

Mrs. Feinstein’s intervention on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. was unusual: the California Democrat isn’t a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs with jurisdiction over FDIC; and the agency is supposed to operate from money it raises from bank-paid insurance payments – not direct federal dollars.

Having been on the inside of the cesspool that is Washington, D.C. for nearly 15 years, I stopped being surprised a long time ago. Now I’m just disgusted.  This is yet one more example of what is terribly, terribly wrong with Washington today.  And yes, I’m just as disgusted with Republicans who do this kind of thing as well (particularly those associated with the Abramoff fiasco.)

There was nothing surprising to me from the front page story in Sunday’s Arizona Republic about how Americans are less focused on the environment in our economic recession.

Facing the worst recession in generations, Americans said the environment ranked low on the list of concerns. A survey taken in Phoenix found two-thirds of those asked said they cared less about the planet this year than last. For the first time in 25 years, people told Gallup they would sacrifice environmental protection for economic growth…

What pollsters asked this year were the same basic questions they always ask: What issues concern you most? This year, the environment slid precipitously while the economy, health care, jobs, crime and education grew in importance. In one survey, concern about jobs gained 21 percentage points, while concern about the environment fell by 15 points. A year ago, environment ranked 10th on the overall list of concerns; by January, it had fallen to 16th.

A second question rattled the poll takers a little more. For the first time in a quarter century of asking, Americans told Gallup that economic growth should take priority, even if it comes at the expense of the environment. Until this year, the poll found people willing to pay to protect the planet.

It’s always easier to “be green” when times are good economically.  When people are much more cost-conscious the environment tends to take a back seat.  That concerns environmental activists because there is less focus on their cause.  However, what environmental activists fear even more is that tough economic times expose the truth about the costs of “being green.”

We always hear from the green activists that it doesn’t cost more to be green, or that being green will promote economic activity, etc.  Obviously, that’s not true – hybrids are more expensive than conventional cars and solar or wind energy are astronomically more expensive than coal or natural gas. If we were to live and our economy were to function the way environmental activists have been preaching for the last two decades we would be in a permanent depression.

The bottom line is that people do think green – at least the shade of green that is money.

I’m not even sure what to say.  You have probably already seen this, based on the YouTube numbers – north of 24 million views just on this particular link – but if you haven’t, it will be one of the best seven minutes you have had recently. Stunning, unexpectedly beautiful and emotional.

Before you criticize someone , you should walk a mile in their shoes . That way when you criticize them , you are a mile away from them , and you have their shoes . ~Jack Handey (Saturday Night Live)