Forum Laziness

I actively participate in several forums related to interests of mine. On these forums members discuss various topics and share information that benefits most (sometimes). What I don't understand is why some of these people who are clearly competent with the internet are constantly asking for information that a simple one or two word search phrase entered into the search engine would give them the answer they seek.

It would be much easier to get several good answers without the editorial that sometimes accompanies the answer provided by forum members. When they could get the answer faster, with less effort if they just Google it!

Summer Daze

Summer is officially past. Well for those who have school age children still at home. The Labor Day weekend and the return of the big yellow school buses signaled its end. For those of us empty nesters get an opportunity to now enjoy the last of the warm days, without the din of children playing during our precious nap times. With the kids in school, laying under the umbrella on the back patio is even more relaxing. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but I do enjoy 'my time' free of noise and distractions.

Parents of these children also revel in the calmness having the kids in class brings to their households. A chance to volunteer or just catch up on many of the choirs put on the back burner. A chance to take a breath without interruption. A holiday all of its own just the prescription for the metal state of a parent.

So while the weather holds, get outside and enjoy the silence and solitude. Falls beauty will be upon shortly, as will winters nasty bite after that.

Taking the right path

In life we make choices, some good some bad. Hopefully we learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating our errors.

I've found that it is important to take a path that leads me into the light. Place your trust in God to carry you through life. You can share this path with a loyal friend, together life will be full of rewards and happiness.

Alone, the travels can become lonely. But he'll always be with you throughout your journey.

From Drought to Soggy

The weather has made its end of summer swing. A few days ago when you walked across the lawn the grass crinkled and cracked under your feet. Today, the ground has a water soaked sponge like texture with the grass rapidly reaching mid calf levels.

Some are suffering from more than just a soggy lawn, their homes are under water. As the water recedes they are left with mud. Smelly stinky, sticky mud as well as other contaminants. I guess I'll just be happy that I cut the lawn for the first time in two months.

Another Empire Blossoming?

Recently I read on a forum posting about a guy (in the UK) who was asking a question about purchasing an item from China (on eBay). The responses were varied but many were negative about China and its inevitable take over of the world.

Reflecting back it was boasted that the sun never set on the British Empire. Well many decades later, the sun only shines on a small fraction of that empire. On the other hand the United States, as some would describe it is attempting to create it's own empire by imposing it's will on other nations.

In retrospect, even China was invaded countless times over the centuries, each time those invasions failed. Not withstanding some aspects of each of these remained within its borders and society.

The Romans failed to keep a grasp on the lands and civilizations they conquered, what makes anyone believe it can happen again successfully, if at all? China certainly isn't willing to expose itself to destruction at the hands of countries that have the ability to retaliate with nuclear weapons. Even small countries with an extremist government such as Iran wouldn't stand for an invasion by China. It may not survive but the death toll on both sides would be catastrophic in scope.

Our little planet which shrinks more every day will have to undergo a balancing of many factors. Economically, those with the most will have to accept the fact that they will have to do with less so those without can achieve a greater portion of the economy and raise their standard of living. Politically the extremist will have to be swayed towards the center in order for the whole world to be balanced. Militarily, all governments are going to have to exercise restraint and work together to oppose those who take violence against anyone inside or outside their own borders, to make the world a safe place for all.

History has proven, those who wish to impose their will on others eventually fails, destroying those who attempted it. Are we ready for another failure?

It Must Be Global Warming

The weather of late has been nothing but extreme. Whether is temperatures or rainfall, most of us are experiencing weather that we only thought was possible somewhere tropical. Here in my neck of the woods, the weather has been warm and humid but lacking in rain. The crops and lawns are stressed to the point that if a couple of days of steady rainfall could savage the crops. The lawns will recover as cooler fall temperatures return. Or will they?

Scientists have told us that noticeable swings or extremes of weather are an indication that global warming is real. Well if you just look around, you can definitely see extremes in weather patterns. Will this get worse or will it just stay like it is. Either way the future for those effected are going to have a rough time of it.

Maybe we should begin to listen to the nay sayers that global warming is a real concern that will impact our children's future. I believe they are right, as I have felt for many years after listening to the elders who remember and shared the past and witnessed changes in our society.

I for one like weather as it was, the extremes are something I can live without.

Russia-Cold War Redux?

The recent incident in the Republic of Georgia of a alleged launch of a missile fired from a Russian aircraft has begun a new round of speculation that the Cold War may be re-rooting itself.

Other countries see Russia as a bully wanting to pick a fight because it stands alone, scared and paranoid. Russia has lived too long in the past believing a prophecy that those outside the Russian borders are eager to attack and conquer it's citizens and lands. People within Russia are tired of the corruption and long for the good life others outside have enjoyed while they continue to suffer.

Countries like this are easily targets for ridicule and invasion because they expect it to happen. Russia is a world power that is powerless within its own borders. Corruption continues to plague reforms that could take it into a bright new future. One with freedom and trade benefits for all of its citizens.

Yet Russia's people fail to recognize this fact, or are powerless to overthrow the mafia and corrupt government officials controlling the keys to a successful reform. Take away the bully's power, the bully and his reign of evil dies. Russians may have to revolt to eliminate those evils, which will mean paying a high toll, but they have done it in the past to save their country from invaders. This time the invasion is a disease within its own borders.

Citizens of Russia take back your country before someone casts a stone into the pool of isolationism and war.

Lifespan of a Bridge

Yesterdays news of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota (which I've traveled across many a time) should give new light that the structures we rely on everyday have a life cycle much as we do.

Bridges don't just sit there shouldering the burden of daily commuters, trucks or trains. The are a living entity. They expand in the heat, contract in the cold, vibrate and shudder from the weight of the wheels rolling across them. The weather effects them as does things like salt in the winter months as well as the liquids that ooze from the vehicles they were built to carry.

All of this causes bridges to moan and groan both in an audible and silent form. We can hear the sounds of expansion and contraction. What we don't hear is the sounds of decay from corrosion or water trickling into cracks and crevices turning into ice during freezing temperatures. The ice expands cracking the concrete around it. Eventually this cycle of life impacts a toll on the life of the bridge.

Inspectors look for these signs of decay and disrepair, but we as society take for granted these vital components of our transportation infrastructure. Budgets are shifted elsewhere to more visible and seemingly tangible things like the roads themselves.
Pot holes get more attention than the beams of a bridge that carry us across a span. Unfortunately, this factor comes into play when inspectors look at a bridge's condition. Many minor flaws are deferred as a low priority due to funding for such repairs. As with things that effect our bodies, some things are accumulative and at some point become a problem. Usually with catastrophic results.

It is time America to re-prioritize where the funds we spend on our transportation infrastructure goes. Maybe a few potholes can go unfilled to save another bridge from falling into the river it spans. Remember that the next time you cross even a small bridge, you may be the one experiencing a momentary sense of weightlessness followed by a sudden impact as you crash to the bottom.

Responsibilities

I've been reading a great number of reports, articles and statements pointing out issues related to safety of various subjects. Everything from aircraft, motor vehicles, lawn mowers to fireworks. They all seem to want to point the blame of the resulting mishap towards everything except the individual using or operating them.

In well over half of these incidents the person was severely injured or dead as a result of the mishap. They even point out that in all probability the person was also impaired or using the product improperly. So why is it they are trying to blame the everyone from the manufacturer to the party that sold them the item?

Clearly if you load a gun, chamber the round, point it at your head then pull the trigger it has to be a defective product, right? The dumb ass (this is where the defect lies) who pulled the trigger definitely no longer cares, or didn't even care long before loading the gun in the first place. But the blame still seems to fall on everyone but that individual. Again why?

The resulting blame directed towards all the others in this equation costs all of us in higher prices for goods and services. If we would accept the fact we do make mistakes, we'd all benefit.

Civics

Hey Congress! You guys and gals up there talk a good game about what the Pres does and doesn't do. But why do you fail to hold up to your end of the balance of power? You introduce legislation and do all that voodoo you do to pass a bill, then the President Veto's the thing and it just dies...why? If the bill (I am speaking generically here) is so good for the country (hence the reason it was introduced in the first place) why is it allowed to die when YOU have the ability to overide the veto and pass it into law. Doing the right thing for the country. Have you forgotten Civics 101 or are you just doing this as 'busy work' to keep the voters thinking you are doing your best and re-elect you because you tried so hard to make a better country for them? I think there is way too much personal agendas and politics being conducted instead of really getting what needs doing done. The Democrats little demonstration of getting things done in a hurry was another example of doing just enough to get by. You set aside a certain number of bills to pass in a certain time frame, which was good, but why didn't you use the rest of the alloted time to get more done? Seems to me more productivity could have been accomplished with that time, but no all of you (Dems & Repubs) dropped the ball half way down the court...again so you could gloat and go home early. You talk the talk...now walk the walk or find the path directly back to the place you started because you are not what we wanted in our Capital.