I am going to go hug some trees

I was reading environmental news on Oregon Live.
It is pretty depressing.
You know in the old days when the government scientists and university people thought every wolf should be shot, streams should be bulldozed straight, forests should be clear-cut to the beach, Dioxin could be used to keep the dust down on country roads, every river should have a power plant and Salmon could be fished with a water wheel?
Well, there is no in between.
Now wolves are noble creatures which only kill what they need and every snag should be saved and all the dams need to be blown up.
If you read the comments below the stories you will get the picture.
If only wolves would move to the city and chase bicycles. Or be attracted to scratchy wool underwear or the thread used to sew on the REI patches...
The thing is, while wolves may be good for the ecosystem the ability of the Feds to manage them is questionable. Same as every other screw up in management it will be blamed on someone else, farmers or ranchers or loggers.
And you certainly can't depend on science, as science is the is determined by the popular opinions of the rotating door between the University and the Government.

The articles:
Judge opines on river temps-Kind of funny due the utter failure to recognize years of Ag cooperation and leadership in building stream buffer zones and fencing and water quality and the years of NRCS programs providing incentives for those efforts. (One program I actually agree with. They actually got farmers to do soil tests!)
Wolves,
To understand the environmentalists you need to just realize they hate anything to do with 1. The internal combustion engine  2. Domesticated animals (cows)  3. Farmers who don't wear wool underwear  4. Human's in general  5. Only the Judeo-Christian God because apparently they believe He is responsible for the internal combustion engine with is evil beyond belief.
They Shoot non-Spotted Owls don't they?
The undeniable virtue of the oppressed as applied to the environment. There should be an icon of the spotted owl on the wall of every university science room. The Spotted Owl stopped logging in Oregon and has achieved environmental Sainthood status.
Funny to an Oregonian as the Spotted Owl number are declining regardless of logging being virtually at a standstill. Of course the possibility that the Spotted Owl might be in decline for reasons other than the most useful to the cause reasons is not mentioned...
I attempted to read Animal Farm a couple years ago but it was too depressing.
Apparently it has been used as a how-to guidebook, instead of a cautionary tale... 

Patron of the Arts? Anyone?

Will someone please buy me a used 15" MacBook? Could be a couple generations back but NOT first generation. Never buy anything Apple first generation. Don't really care about new, way too expensive.
My G4, 12" ibook is losing it's sight. The cable to the screen backlight is failing which is a pain in the arse to repair.(Needlessly)
I may just start using my GPS tablet but using windows XP makes me swear.
I would post more (perhaps)
I would make MP3's of Legendary Stardust Cowboy albums and Muddy Valley's brother playing drums...
I promise not to look at Pron with it. (Current coffee time pronunciation. Not sure why they don't use the real word-perhaps it that, "I wouldn't want that in my mouth," theory of bad word usage...)
I would not hug you or violate your personal distance in anyway.
Perhaps I will go look at a lottery ticket. I am too cheap to buy one but I understand that really doesn't diminish my chances of winning all that much...

The difference between ideas and fufilment of said ideas is success vs failure, but there is a third way, The Salvage Operation

I hate to admit to being incompetent. The point where you give up is the point where you fail. But, I have some issues. I have been a bottom feeder so long that scrounging is instinctive. Even to the point of compromising a good idea. I have been confused about whether my Uncle is mad at me or not for so long that I am always on edge around the shop, even though I am over 40 and it no longer matters!
So, I am trying to build a light weight sprayer to pull behind a fourwheeler to spray wet and muddy fields.

It was a good design. But the execution of that design has not worked perfectly.
I continually warp the metal when I weld, even though I should know what I am doing. (I've read the book) I do stupid things like use 6013 rod instead of 6011 because I found some behind the welding bench in the shop with the flux chipped and I don't have to pay for it. I switch rod sizes with out adjusting the welder. I forget to clamp the work, or I weld too much on one side before turning it over. I forget the chip hammer. I get rusty metal out of the scrap pile, so I don't have to pay for it.
I mix .082 and .120 wall tubing and then burn holes in the .082. Instead of ordering 3/8 3x3 angle iron I used 1/4. I center punched a row of holes and somehow got them out of line.
The trailer is no longer light weight but may bust in half. (Where did I put that .082 tubing)
I did buy a welder.
It is pretty neat. It is a Lincoln Ranger. Here is a photo. The fellow made me a deal. Can't resist a deal...
Have a nice day.

PS: To those who faithfully leave comments and whose blogs I usually leave comments. Sorry I have not responded. I am trying to get this trailer done and figure out pig feed rations so I have not been wandering about the internet.

Employee relations Part IV

Today is a beautiful day. It is a little chilly but the sun is out and there is stuff to do! I am blogging on my GPS tabelt computer while waiting for a fellow to come for some chicken feed. I have other stuff to do but I have an employee joke.
I got a text this morning from him which is funny,
"I have an appointment at 9 and a couple of quick errands to run right after that and then i will be in."
Now it is funny because this is the only nice day all week according to the US weather service and he has been gone during all the rain storms last week.
Obviously half the joke is on me as I put up with it but it is amazing how people will take advantage of you if you let them. AND when I point out the folly of screwing around on the only nice day of the week he will have a really good rationalization that will make me out to be unreasonable and no connection will be made between that action and the fact that he will be pressure washing equipment, digging ditches, drilling holes in thick steel instead of working on one project in front of a heater. And why he will never get a pay raise...
People never make the connections...

The Secret Revealed, Why the Mice of NIMH were so smart

We used to have a neighbor whose name was Mrs. Frisby. My brother's told me that she was quite wealthy because she had invented the flying disc commonly known as a Frisby. My brothers were a lot older than I and I looked up to them with respect and admiration.
They were so terribly smart.
But, I digress...
Zeta Woof has revealed the secret of NIMH in his blog today. Click to see it.

Mr. Garrison's Bicycle

In response to a question about my reference to Mr. Garrison's revolutionary fuel saving invention. Here is a link. I must say it certainly answered a few questions I had about the Mayor of Portland's love of bicycles...

Sunday at the Opera, I listen to a 1960's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor whilst my Philisine influenced family watches Hogan's Heroes...

The family is in Junction City or rather is on the way back from Junction City and I am listening to opera.
Specifically to quote the program which was included with the 10.5" reel of tape, Lucia di Lammermoor as presented by the Theater Arts Opera Association, Eugene Fuerst, Musical Director, Lincoln High School Auditorium, November 1960, under the auspices of the Bureau of Parks and Public Recreation, Portland, Oregon. I assume this was what lead to the Portland Opera but I don't know. I'm pretty low brow and don't want to contaminate my Google Search cookies with culture
My goodness how the mighty have fallen. I'm not sure what passes for culture in Portland now. Whatever it is probably features Mayor Adams on Mr. Garrison's bicycle invention...

I have the Magnecord 728 professional reel to reel connected to the Dynakit PAS-2 preamp and am playing recordings made by Muddyvalley's father. They sound amazing to my imperfect Audiophile understanding. Except for that fellow with the Croup or Influenza in the second row. The Doc should have smacked that guy upside the head. Kind of like when I "bootlegged" The Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo Folks playing "Bonaparte's Retreat" a few years ago and did not realize the how close lady with the poor sense of rhythm attempting to play the washboard was to the microphone.
I know Holden Caulfield thought the adults were are a bunch of phonies but Portland must have been pretty interesting way back then. Folks were trying to learn to appreciate the arts. They knew they were all one step out of the woods and the wheat fields and wanted to appreciate "culture."
Drat! The tape busted or came unspliced. I suppose I will not trot down to the Amity Drugstore, or Oregon Stationary and pick up some more splicing tape...I'll give the generic Scotch tape a try.

Ok, I spliced the sucker with cheap tape and we are back in business. Since I do not understand Italian I must only guess at the main parts of this opera.
I am pretty sure it follows the standard dramatic for as observed by most tween drama's that I have seen.
The girl's dad wants her to marry this guy, she is in love with some other dude who is either a peasant (with a heart of gold and drive and determination) or a sworn enemy.
This is followed by a major misunderstanding, a car chase, a minor misunderstanding that will derail the resolution in the final act but could also be used to pull off a clever switcheroo, otherwise known as a "plot twist."
If it has a traditional ending everyone will kill themselves-and take a long time to do it with much impassioned singing.
If it is a modern tween movie they will put on a show and the best friends will learn that they can depend on each other and celebrate diversity, along with a gender confused sidekick...
I shall now look this up and see if I am right!
I should note that the family is now home, the door has been closed to the music room and they are watching Hogan's Heroes.
My wife shared that she had in fact been to a number of Opera's and Chamber Music performances as well as the Symphony and did not need a musical education. I countered with the fact that I had seen the Knox brothers and The Born Again Bluegrass Band as a child but that argument got me nothing but a declaration that, "We are Watching Hogan's Heroes..."
Sometimes I feel a bit under appreciated...