February 6, 2013

Anyone else watching the weather reports for this week-end?

The scenario has been getting worse and worse all day today ( Wednesday)

February 6, 2013

We killed Yamamoto

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isoroku_Yamamoto#Death


I am very ambivalent about the drone program. Among other problems, what do we do when other people get drones.

I'm old enough to recall when assassination of foreign leaders by the CIA was a back ground scandal.

Any executive power that can be used with discretion and judgment buy one President can be abused by the next.

But - what are the choices here? We can invade an entire region. We can use drones. We can wait to see if we are indeed attacked.

As near as I can tell, some of these regions are more groups of war lords than they are actual nation states. Negotiation and depending on local law enforcement are not options. There is no one to negotiate with. There is no local law enforcement. All of our laws and customs come from a time when warfare required the resources of a nation state. Now, all it requires is a small group of people and some cash. (Which goes back to the question - what do we do when the other guys get drones?)

I've been saying for many years that what we're dealing with now is closer to piracy than it is to warfare. As such, I think we have to look at how the rules for dealing with piracy differ from the rules for warfare.

Ultimately, the questions come down to this: Is there a clear and present danger to Americans? If so, how do we remove that danger with the least harm to ourselves and others?

February 3, 2013

The Great Backyard Bird Count

http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

February 1, 2013

A question about how Christians are perceived:

Do you think of "liberal" denominations ( Episcopalians, United Church of Christ) differently from "conservative" denominations (Southern Baptists) ? Where do you place the Roman Catholic Church?


Just curious as to how these different groups are seen.

February 1, 2013

About those killer cats -

the real question is not whether carts are killing birds, but whether cats are responsible for an ongoing drop in bird populations. By comparison, we humans in the US kill millions of cattle every year, but what has caused a drop in the population is the ongoing drought: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014387837

Presuming that bird populations have dropped and/or the distribution of bird species has changed, then the question is whether cats are a significant factor when compared to such causes as loss of habitat and/or pollution of habitat.

Which kills more birds: a domestic cat or a 1/4 acre suburban lot with a grass lawn monoculture, no cover, no water, no insects or seeds because it is chem-lawned?