It's an unusual topic and I spent around 90 minutes today reading up on Polar Bears and their 'dinners'.
So lets start with an odd fact which few people grasp....Polar Bears don't eat Penguins. Why? You'd think some type of relationship thing? Well....no. Penguins only frequent the South Pole region. Polar Bears only frequent the North Pole region (to include the US, Canada, Iceland, Greenland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Finland). So they never meet up. However if a couple of Penguins did meet up Pete, the Polar Bear....they'd likely be a mid-day snack.
Polar Bears do like the taste of Seals, along with various Whales and Walruses. Geese and bird eggs? Yes....that's on the list as well. Fish? Yep, and various types. Rabbits and mice? That's on the menu as well. The various berries that might grow in the northern 'circle'? Polar Bears will go for that, but it's not worth the low calorie count.
So here's the thing, if you go and read summaries by guys who spend weeks out in the wild and observe Polar Bears....their primary source of food is Seals (adults and pups). If you subtract Seals or hunt them out of existence....then you got a problem. Whales and Walruses, down on the list? You are mostly talking about the caucus of Whales, that might accidentally end up on some beach. The Walrus thing is a good number two source of food for Polar Bears.
So if you have a Polar Bear standing in front of you and looking 'sickly'? Well....it's fairly good odds that he's in the same age group as those old sickly lions that you occasionally see on Mutual of Omaha shows, and toward the last year of his life.
If you wanted to wipe the Polar Bears out? You'd have to go and hunt the Seals and Walrus populations down to nothing. Presently, no one seems to have that agenda on their list.
Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Bernie and His Registry
I tried to make sense out of this....Bernie Sanders came out yesterday and said that America needs is a “national wealth registry.” You make over X-amount....you'd be on this registry.
What's the purpose of the IRS? Well....no matter what amount you make, you kinda have to fill out paperwork and let them know how things are.
Is Bernie even aware that the IRS exists? I don't know.
But after thinking over this....I have this better idea.....a national nutcase registry.
When the cops or some judge says you are a certified nutcase....your name goes on this registry. No matter where you move, or live.....folks could look you up and feel good that you aren't on the list, or bad if you are on the list.
But I guess that my registry idea won't take off.
What's the purpose of the IRS? Well....no matter what amount you make, you kinda have to fill out paperwork and let them know how things are.
Is Bernie even aware that the IRS exists? I don't know.
But after thinking over this....I have this better idea.....a national nutcase registry.
When the cops or some judge says you are a certified nutcase....your name goes on this registry. No matter where you move, or live.....folks could look you up and feel good that you aren't on the list, or bad if you are on the list.
But I guess that my registry idea won't take off.
Greta and Evangelist 'Kids'
After watching the UN clips of Greta Thunberg, I turned off the sound and watched the animation of the speaker.
If you've ever been in the south of the US for an extended period....particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.....especially in the heat of the summer, there are revivals. Around one-percent of these will include Evangelist 'Jimmy Joe' who was typically 12 to 14 years old, and some teenage kid who'd gotten all Jesus-energized, and started quoting scripture (mostly all from the New Testament).
After he'd impressed his parents and relatives....some minister would hear about 'Jimmy Joe' and come over.....getting some hyped-up feeling over this kid's minister actions. Then he'd convince 'Jimmy Joe' to come to a revival one evening to preach.
They'd put out the word in the community, dozens of extra folks would drive five to ten miles out of their way, to hear this 13-year-old evangelist to preach to them. Maybe a two or three dozen young teens would show up....who typically wouldn't be at some revival.
'Jimmy Joe' would put the emphasis into his speech....slaming the Bible down, talking trash on Satan, praising John the Baptist as if he were a uncle, describing angels as if they were from the Dallas Cowboys, and trying to touch people (usually the adult minister would try to correct him and avoid that fakeness) to rid them of demons.
A dozen folks would come forward at the end of the 'show'....confessing their sins, and they'd all hustle on Sunday to be baptized.
Most 'Jimmy Joes' would last around five years, and half the time....they'd get burned out or emotionally strung up to such a degree that they needed to be sent off to a rehab unit in Bessemer or Ozark Springs.
I look at Greta and I basically see the same behavior, and the same 'saving' at work. 'Jimmy Joe' characters always believed they were doing God's work, and Greta believes she's saving the Earth.
At some point, she'll go over the line, and say something that will bother the social folks of Sweden, and they will come to suggest to the parents that she's either burned-out, or emotionally unstable. My guess is that they will swiftly remove her from Sweden and find some country where they don't grab folks for forced rehab.
But I'll say this. There's nothing wrong with 'Jimmy Joe' people being evangelists and carrying on this 'save-your-soul' business. If it makes them happy.....fine. I generally believe the same for Greta, and her save-the-Earth business. If it makes her happy, fine. But there is this fine line where you are burned-out, and I would suggest Greta is about half-way there.
If you've ever been in the south of the US for an extended period....particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.....especially in the heat of the summer, there are revivals. Around one-percent of these will include Evangelist 'Jimmy Joe' who was typically 12 to 14 years old, and some teenage kid who'd gotten all Jesus-energized, and started quoting scripture (mostly all from the New Testament).
After he'd impressed his parents and relatives....some minister would hear about 'Jimmy Joe' and come over.....getting some hyped-up feeling over this kid's minister actions. Then he'd convince 'Jimmy Joe' to come to a revival one evening to preach.
They'd put out the word in the community, dozens of extra folks would drive five to ten miles out of their way, to hear this 13-year-old evangelist to preach to them. Maybe a two or three dozen young teens would show up....who typically wouldn't be at some revival.
'Jimmy Joe' would put the emphasis into his speech....slaming the Bible down, talking trash on Satan, praising John the Baptist as if he were a uncle, describing angels as if they were from the Dallas Cowboys, and trying to touch people (usually the adult minister would try to correct him and avoid that fakeness) to rid them of demons.
A dozen folks would come forward at the end of the 'show'....confessing their sins, and they'd all hustle on Sunday to be baptized.
Most 'Jimmy Joes' would last around five years, and half the time....they'd get burned out or emotionally strung up to such a degree that they needed to be sent off to a rehab unit in Bessemer or Ozark Springs.
I look at Greta and I basically see the same behavior, and the same 'saving' at work. 'Jimmy Joe' characters always believed they were doing God's work, and Greta believes she's saving the Earth.
At some point, she'll go over the line, and say something that will bother the social folks of Sweden, and they will come to suggest to the parents that she's either burned-out, or emotionally unstable. My guess is that they will swiftly remove her from Sweden and find some country where they don't grab folks for forced rehab.
But I'll say this. There's nothing wrong with 'Jimmy Joe' people being evangelists and carrying on this 'save-your-soul' business. If it makes them happy.....fine. I generally believe the same for Greta, and her save-the-Earth business. If it makes her happy, fine. But there is this fine line where you are burned-out, and I would suggest Greta is about half-way there.
Tuesday, 24 September 2019
Me and Global Cooling
In the midst of the summer of 1974, going from the ninth to the tenth grade, Time magazine produced it's wonderfully graphic report on the approaching ice age. The title? "Another Ice Age".
I was at the book store in Florence....saw the cover....and impulsively bought the issue. I was mostly a regular reader of Reader's Digest, Argosy and National Geographic.
I read through the article at least three times over that summer period. As the new school year started, I used the meager and marginal library at the school to read up on the topic....discovering that this ice age business was slated to start between 2020 and 2030. The Time piece? It only said 'maybe' and that it might be a couple hundred years.
Trying to discuss this? Well....no other juvenile associates read Time, and the school librarian suggested that it might not be all that bad (she hated hot summer weather).
Around fifteen years would pass, and I kinda noted one day via another Time article....that the glacier age thing was long gone, and 'heat' was now the worry. Facts were facts, I was told. It bothered me....the facts were lined up with an ice age, and then it just disappeared? How was that possible?
Around twenty-five years ago, I came to the realization....doomsday 'chatter' sells magazines, TV news, and newspapers. It also pays for college professors and various research foundations.
So I'm sitting back and wondering....from the kids around in the summer of 1974....how many of them were like me....hyped up on doomsday global cooling, and then let-down on the glacier period never occurring.
I was at the book store in Florence....saw the cover....and impulsively bought the issue. I was mostly a regular reader of Reader's Digest, Argosy and National Geographic.
I read through the article at least three times over that summer period. As the new school year started, I used the meager and marginal library at the school to read up on the topic....discovering that this ice age business was slated to start between 2020 and 2030. The Time piece? It only said 'maybe' and that it might be a couple hundred years.
Trying to discuss this? Well....no other juvenile associates read Time, and the school librarian suggested that it might not be all that bad (she hated hot summer weather).
Around fifteen years would pass, and I kinda noted one day via another Time article....that the glacier age thing was long gone, and 'heat' was now the worry. Facts were facts, I was told. It bothered me....the facts were lined up with an ice age, and then it just disappeared? How was that possible?
Around twenty-five years ago, I came to the realization....doomsday 'chatter' sells magazines, TV news, and newspapers. It also pays for college professors and various research foundations.
So I'm sitting back and wondering....from the kids around in the summer of 1974....how many of them were like me....hyped up on doomsday global cooling, and then let-down on the glacier period never occurring.
Sunday, 22 September 2019
Stranded Story
It is front-page news today in Germany and likely to remain there for the next seven days. The Thomas Cook travel group....is now bankrupt. What journalists say (from this weekend) is that about 150,000 Brits are stranded somewhere, and around 300,000 Germans are in some vacation situation and no way back.
Airline tickets? Worthless. Hotels will be asking you to check out. One source today said that in Tunisia....hotels were holding vacation folks 'hostage' and you couldn't leave the country until you provided a paid bill to the hotel.
Coming up with alternate methods to return? You could be talking about a whole week before seats are available on some plane to return to Germany, and this cash required comes out of your own pocket.
Airline tickets? Worthless. Hotels will be asking you to check out. One source today said that in Tunisia....hotels were holding vacation folks 'hostage' and you couldn't leave the country until you provided a paid bill to the hotel.
Coming up with alternate methods to return? You could be talking about a whole week before seats are available on some plane to return to Germany, and this cash required comes out of your own pocket.
NBC, Guilt, and Reality
NBC, in the past week, has started up some series on their news episodes....where they go and ask regular Americans to 'confess' and admit their own personal guilt for climate change.
Around a decade ago, I read through two books on Martin Luther. There are a couple of central themes to the life and accomplishments of the German Lutheran priest. Most of these lead back to the Catholic Church and the need for Catholics to continually feel guilt. It's not a modern thing on this guilt business....the church was built with a base of guilt.
Letters of Indulgence? Martin Luther came to be amazed over the Catholic Church introduction of the letters and the need of Church members to continually 'buy' the letters to avoid 'hell'. So in period, you'd go and confess your sins to the local church, and they'd sell you letters to absolve you of your sins, and ensure you felt good, and guaranteed you a spot into heaven.
The NBC gimmick here? More or less the same thing. You announce your sin, and the NBC guy gives you a verbal 'we can forgive' message, which leads you to feel better. The fact that it's a free 'we can forgive' you message? No one can argue about things that are free.
How long will the news series last? I'm guessing for a year or so. Might it end early? Maybe. If you had a guy answer that he doesn't flush if he urinates, or that he urinates in his parking lot (not in the house).....that might convince the bosses to end it early.
The problem I see in this guilt business is that bulk of Americans don't have that kind of guilt problem. These are people worrying about their mortgage, their hot-water heater, where the $50k will come from for the daughter's college, the transmission that seems to be failing in the Buick, the neighbor is shooting heroin in the backyard, or their NCAA football team is all crapped-out. I suspect that if you did the numbers.....climate change guilt won't be anywhere on the top hundred worries of most Americans.
So having a show to let you admit guilt and get absolved will sell? I have my doubts.
Around a decade ago, I read through two books on Martin Luther. There are a couple of central themes to the life and accomplishments of the German Lutheran priest. Most of these lead back to the Catholic Church and the need for Catholics to continually feel guilt. It's not a modern thing on this guilt business....the church was built with a base of guilt.
Letters of Indulgence? Martin Luther came to be amazed over the Catholic Church introduction of the letters and the need of Church members to continually 'buy' the letters to avoid 'hell'. So in period, you'd go and confess your sins to the local church, and they'd sell you letters to absolve you of your sins, and ensure you felt good, and guaranteed you a spot into heaven.
The NBC gimmick here? More or less the same thing. You announce your sin, and the NBC guy gives you a verbal 'we can forgive' message, which leads you to feel better. The fact that it's a free 'we can forgive' you message? No one can argue about things that are free.
How long will the news series last? I'm guessing for a year or so. Might it end early? Maybe. If you had a guy answer that he doesn't flush if he urinates, or that he urinates in his parking lot (not in the house).....that might convince the bosses to end it early.
The problem I see in this guilt business is that bulk of Americans don't have that kind of guilt problem. These are people worrying about their mortgage, their hot-water heater, where the $50k will come from for the daughter's college, the transmission that seems to be failing in the Buick, the neighbor is shooting heroin in the backyard, or their NCAA football team is all crapped-out. I suspect that if you did the numbers.....climate change guilt won't be anywhere on the top hundred worries of most Americans.
So having a show to let you admit guilt and get absolved will sell? I have my doubts.
Friday, 20 September 2019
Trump and the Wad of Cash
Yesterday, some photographer (from Reuters) got a picture of President Trump and what appeared to be a 'wad' of cash in his back-pocket. Later, journalists came up to ask Trump about it, and he admits....'yes', that he carries cash on himself all the time. How much? That's not clear. Maybe it's ten twenties.....maybe it's forty twenties. The purpose of the money? Tips at the hotels that he stays at.
Several decades ago, I worked with an Air Force NCO who carried a thousand dollars on his person....on a daily basis. In those days, it was a significant amount of money. It was always neatly arranged in ones, fives, tens and twenties....with a couple of hundreds toward the rear of this collection. His 'excuse' was that he'd find some deal at a flea market or garage sale (he was a habitual shopper), and swing the deal immediately. He would go and claim to flipping the item within days or weeks, and yearly....bragging about making several thousand dollars in profit from this habit.
If you bring up this topic today, around most folks.....no one except the guys over sixty might have a habit like this. Some younger folks will tell you that they carry on a charge-card or two, and maybe ten dollars in cash for sodas or coffee throughout a week.
Another oddity about Trump? Maybe, but you can also make the case that he tips well (if it's twenties that he hands the maids).
Course, if you were anti-Trump, you'd say that people are sneaking up to him and offering him cash for 'favors'.....paying him in loose twenties.
Several decades ago, I worked with an Air Force NCO who carried a thousand dollars on his person....on a daily basis. In those days, it was a significant amount of money. It was always neatly arranged in ones, fives, tens and twenties....with a couple of hundreds toward the rear of this collection. His 'excuse' was that he'd find some deal at a flea market or garage sale (he was a habitual shopper), and swing the deal immediately. He would go and claim to flipping the item within days or weeks, and yearly....bragging about making several thousand dollars in profit from this habit.
If you bring up this topic today, around most folks.....no one except the guys over sixty might have a habit like this. Some younger folks will tell you that they carry on a charge-card or two, and maybe ten dollars in cash for sodas or coffee throughout a week.
Another oddity about Trump? Maybe, but you can also make the case that he tips well (if it's twenties that he hands the maids).
Course, if you were anti-Trump, you'd say that people are sneaking up to him and offering him cash for 'favors'.....paying him in loose twenties.
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