Monday, April 27, 2009

The Story of Bud

In the front yard of the Iowa Blog Cabin is a huge oak tree.  I've named it Goliath.  Goliath is a big guy.  Well, on a small - tiny - little branch of Goliath, is Bud.  This year, we're going to watch the life and times of Bud.  He's just a little guy right now.

Here's a picture of bud on April 23.

Here's a picture of Bud on April 24.
  
Bud on April 25
  
Bud  on April 27

It was too wet to go out and check on Bud on Sunday (it rained constantly), but I'm going to keep my eye on him all through the season.  Keep checking back for updates.  
  
Here's a pic of Goliath showing the location of Bud.
BONUS!  We want your predictions!  Post a comment now predicting what day this Fall Bud's leaf will flutter helplessly to the ground.  I predict October 7. The one with the right answer wins fabulous prizes!

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Friday, April 24, 2009

Friday's Rant: The Earth

All good things come to an end.  Here we are at the end of Earth Love Week '09.  It's been a great week - we've celebrated the many earthly resources that humanity utilize in order to create a better life:  coal, oil, natural gas, wildlife, forests and oceans - just to name a few.

Although the use of these resources have given us all a better life, improved our life expectancy and fueled the growth our nation, there is a group of people who oppose it.  They are called environmentalists.  To the environmentalists, there is not a greater blight on the earth than humanity - more specifically - western, white, capitalist, primarily American, humans. To them, the best case scenario would be complete human extinction.

Understanding the unlikelyhood of this scenario, they try and go about things a little differently.  They've refined their goals to primarily thrust at taking western culture to something as closely resembling the stone age as possible - sans the clothing from animal fur, that's cruel.

But I digress.  The ultimate goal of environmentalists has very little to do with the earth.  In fact, they really could care less.  Using the earth and the "green movement" is little more than a means to an end.  That end being control.  You see, the greatest enemy to the environmentalist is freedom.  The idea that people have the ability to decide the cars they drive, the temperature they keep their thermostat set at, the grocery bags they use, the light bulbs they have, the amount (and type) of energy they use, how far from "city centers" they live, where they shop, how they shop, what they spend their money on, what they insulate their house with, how much water they drink, what they drink their water out of, how a nation utilizes its own natural resources, what kind of toilet paper they wipe their butts with, what they eat, how they eat it, the CO2 they exhale, how fat they are, what they do with their spare time and how many children they "choose" to have is an unspeakable threat to the environmentalist.  They wake up every single day thinking up new ways to control the behavior of every single indvidual in the western world.

Their ration for wanting to control all of this behavior?  The decisions we make about our thermostats, the number of children we have, the car we drive and the toilet paper we use impacts all of us and the world we live in.  It's not a private decision, but a common issue that can't be left up to the individual to decide. 

This rant isn't simply the paranoia of someone the Dear Leader would describe as a "bitter clinger," or who Janet Nepalitano would describe as a "right-wing extremist."  It's reality.  Individual freedom, democracy, free choice and capitalism are absolutely contrary to the objectives of the environmentalist.

A few recent headlines:

Is Being Overweight a Climate Problem?
Coal burning must end, says scientist
One in Three Children Fear Earth Apocalypse
Senator calls cap-and-trade 'the most significant revenue-generating proposal of our time'
Trees are growing faster and could buy time to halt global warming
God 'will not give happy ending'

So in order to dismantle freedom, democracy and capitalism, the environmentalist goes about their day working to frighten enough people into thinking that we - more specifically - western culture is destroying the world.  The glaciers are melting!  The glaciers are melting!  Sea levels are rising!  Global temperatures are warming!  Islands are sinking!  CO2 levels are out of control - QUICK!  Everyone stop breathing!  Plastic water bottles are destroying the world!  SUVs burn too much gas!  Fat people use more carbon and demand too many resources! 

Since the environmentalist doesn't really have a clue, they can't define the problem or the nature of a solution.  For a couple decades it was called "global warming."  But, when people pointed out that the world wasn't really warming - and in some places actually cooling, they changed their term - "global climate change."  Ah, yes, global climate change...a much more vague term that can be applied to literally anything that happens.  The ice cap is expanding in Antarctica?  Three feet of snow in Denver in the middle of April?  Glaciers in Alaska getting bigger?  Well of course!  These sorts of thing can be expected as global climate change takes root.  It will impact different parts of the world differently.  You see how it works?  A nice little term that can always be used to "confirm" their theories.

Since the earth has nothing to do with environmentalism, they care little about an ultimate solution.  Ask an environmentalist what the perfect, ideal, world would look like...If we implemented every single thing that they are trying to cram down our throats - would it actually solve ANYTHING?  No.  You see, solving the global climate change threat is a moving target and outlining or, heaven forbid, finding a solution to it would be bad for their movement.

Obviously, I'm not a scientist.  But you wanna know who else isn't a scientist?  Al Gore and most environmentalists!  I'm not saying the climate isn't changing - what I am saying is the likelihood humanity is having even half the impact we're TOLD we're having is wrong.  If you believe you're saving the world by changing the light bulbs in your house - you're crazy.  No offense

But you see, unlike most environmentalists, liberals and Democrats, I'm pro-choice.  Just like I believe I should be able to choose the light bulbs, grocery bags and car I drive, I believe that if people think all of this crap is doing some good, however wrong they may be, I let them do it.  Go ahead, pay more for your car, light bulbs and energy if it makes you feel good.  Sell your house, all your possessions and go live in a cave while you're at it.  I won't stop you.  But just because you think you're saving the world, don't tell me I'm destroying it just because I don't buy your snake oil theories.  I'm reminded of something one of my favorite history teachers of all time use to say - "There's nothing more dangerous that somebody with a cause."  

Friends and neighbors, do what you think is best.  If you really think that the car you drive is responsible for the planet warming, melting the poles and killing polar bears 5,000 miles away, there's probably not much anybody can say that will change your mind.  If you think letting a bunch of whining, bitching, Marxists who've never had a real job in their entire life tell you how to run yours will save the planet - go for it.  There is not a greater threat to freedom and prosperity on this planet than militant environmentalism.  For me, I'm more concerned about environmentalism, and their impact on my life and freedom, than I am of Al Qaeda, Iran, North Korea, Vlad Putin, Hugo Chavez and the boogie man, combined. 

Breathe in, breathe out that sweet, sweet CO2...this week's rant is over.

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Pic of the Day: Sawdust

Will it end up a porch?  Paper?  A house?  A boat? A desk?  So many options...

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Thursday, April 23, 2009

Thought of the Day: "Green Movement"

Quick!  Somebody uses the term "green movement" - what is the first thing that pops into your head? 

"Oh, sure.  A green movement.  Collin has those sometimes." 

No, no, no...not those kind of movements.  We're talking about the earth.  The movement to make everything we do "good for the environment."  Sustainable, if you will. 

Environmentalists as we know them today, are a case study in liberal clichés and utter hypocrisy.  Case-in-point:

At the Iowa Blog Cabin, for better or worse, we tend to watch a lot of HGTV.  So last Sunday, we're watching this show about this couple that wants to improve the curb appeal of their home - landscape, front porch, etc.  BUT, they want to do it in a way that is completely "eco-friendly" and "sustainable." 
They begin the project by cutting down the tree in their front yard.  Uhh...  They then proceed to rip out four huge bushes that were in front of their porch.  Uhh...  They then rip up half the grass in their yard, all the way down to bare dirt.  Uhh...  Once they completed their environmental destruction, it was time to save the earth.  They constructed a new porch out of some kind of earth-friendly, recylced, reused, plastic composite.  Great.  They ripped up their old walkway and replaced it with a new one made of "reclaimed" stone.  However, they weren't able to get enough reclaimed stone, so they had to buy new.  The host's reaction to this non-eco-friendly purchase, "It's okay, you tried to buy eco-friendly.  That's all that matters." 

Uhh, no it's not! I yelled.  We're saving the BLEEPING earth here!

No matter.  The earth saving continued.  They planted some flowers in the freshly barren dirt patch (including building a new retaining wall to catch the run-off and erosion caused by the lack of GRASS in the yard).  In order to make sure these newly planted organic children thrive, they topped the new flower bed off with - the pièce de résistance - organic free-range chicken poop fertilizer (I'm totally serious).  You see, it's free range.  It's better for the earth. 

After they were done, the stood in the street, patted each other on the back and congratulated each other on a job well done.  They had improved the curb appeal of the house - sustainably.  In an eco-friendly way.  Ignore the fact they cut down trees, ripped out bushes, ripped out grass in order to do so.  They felt good.

What's more eco-friendly, class?  Doing what these people did, or doing nothing at all?

One more example of how completely insane these people are.  Don't get me wrong, if you want to cut your trees down, I don't care.  If you want to build a new porch, go for it.  If you want to rip up all your grass so you can lay in the front yard and make dirt angels, I won't stop you. 

But don't tell me you're saving the earth.    

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Pic of the Day: Black Gold


The earth made oil.  All of it.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Thought of the Day: Sustainability

I am absolutely sick of the term "sustainability."  I have for a long time.  It's one more - of the MANY - useless, meaningless, vague terms that the environmental wackos are unwilling to precisely define - until, of course, they decide they want to decide a particular practice "unsustainable."

Farming practices, energy policy, home construction, landscaping, grocery bags, paint, carpet, the "non-organic" food we eat are just a few items that have been deemed unsustainable.  Of course, you must surrender your freedom, free choice and personal preferences and march lock step with this mob of mind numb robots if your lifestyle ever has a chance of being declared sustainable.

So the other day I'm listening to NPR.  They were talking about this group that goes around the world telling "stupid," "moron" farmers that the way they are farming, growing their food and providing for their families is unsustainable.  During this story, they followed this group around as they talked with a bunch Indian cotton farmers. 

The 20-something hippie environmentalist who had never grown anything except pot in his mom's basement explained to these farmers about how the way they were growing their cotton was unsustainable.  The naïve Indian farmer ignorantly responded, "How is our farming practices unsustainable?  My people have been growing cotton like this for over 3,000 years."  Stupid Indian...he just didn't get it.

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Pic of the Day": Happy Earth Love Day!

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Tuesday, April 21, 2009

George Carlin - Saving the Planet

Editor's note:  The IBC strives to be a "family friendly" media outlet.  There are a couple words in this video that a person might consider "dirty."  Regardless, it's very much worth watching. 



This video is spot on and a great way to kick of Earth Love Week '09.

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Pic of the Day: I Heart Coal

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Monday, April 20, 2009

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

IOWA BLOG CABIN RESOLUTION NO. 1
BY THE ENTIRE IBC EDITORIAL BOARD
APRIL 19, 2009
An IBC Resolution declaring April 19 – 25 the first annual Earth Love Week.
     WHEREAS, the earth was founded nearly 5 billion years ago, by God, whoever she is; and
     WHEREAS, to the best of our knowledge, this is the only one there is; and
     WHEREAS, the entire editorial board of the Iowa Blog Cabin loves the earth; and
     WHEREAS, the earth has always held a special place in our hearts and is more than a giant blue ball spinning around a giant yellow ball; and
     WHEREAS, by “love,” we mean we love catching fish so we can eat them and we love to cut down trees so we can build cool stuff in the Old Confederate Workshop and we love to drill for sludgy black oil so we can drive around in big SUVs on the roads we’ve paved and we love to mine for coal so that we can put it on trains and take it to power plants to generate electricity that we use to power our air conditioners and big screen TVs and we love to trap fury little woodland creatures that we can skin and use their pelts for fur coats and, last but not least, we love to hide in the weeds and shoot cute little ducks as they fly by so we can force dogs to go fetch them so we can pluck and eat them; NOW THEREFORE,
     BE IT RESOLVED BY THE IOWA BLOG CABIN, that the Iowa Blog Cabin acknowledges the earth on the nearly 5 billionth anniversary of its existence.
     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Iowa Blog Cabin establishes April 19 – 25 as the official, first annual Earth Love Week for the purposes of bringing enhanced awareness to the existence of the earth, its many trees and plethora of resources and pretty rocks. 

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