saving energy so you can use it somewhere else

I'm a little skeptical every time I see something like this from someone like them, but it's a cool widget anyway. However, they missed a number of my favorite energy intensive pastimes that they may want to consider adding:

• Shooting rats at the dump
• Peelin' out to impress the ladies
• Burning tires
• Chasing rabbits in the field with my jeep
• Whaling
• Burning coal for heat while reading Charles Dickens to my filthy children (I'm a fool for accurate reenactment)
• Cruizin' and drinkin' fo-tees

a funny exchange

In the random execution of my job, I came across something this morning that I wanted to clarify, so I emailed Doug, who knows some experts:

Git your guns, I need some lawyerin'!
Would you kindly guide your and your various lawyers' eyes to the below and tell me if it means what I think it means, that it's OK to carry a shotgun into a federal facility if you're legally hunting? The public (not to mention Dick Cheney) needs to know!!
From 18 USC 930:

(a) Except as provided in subsection (d), whoever knowingly possesses or causes to be present a firearm or other dangerous weapon in a Federal facility (other than a Federal court facility), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.

(b) and (c) excluded for readability

(d) Subsection (a) shall not apply to -

(1) the lawful performance of official duties by an officer, agent, or employee of the
United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, who is authorized by law to engage in or supervise the prevention, detection, investigation, or prosecution of any violation of law;
(2) the possession of a firearm or other dangerous weapon by a Federal official or a member of the Armed Forces if such possession is authorized by law; or
(3) the lawful carrying of firearms or other dangerous weapons in a Federal facility incident to hunting or other lawful purposes.

His reply:

Are you going to dress like Elmer Fudd and, when you approach the metal detector, you’ll whisper "shhhh…be vewy, vewy quiet…I’m hunting rabbits…pwease wefer to section (a), subsection (d), 3, heh heh heh heh…" Can I watch?

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May 09 159 by Lord Jim, featured in the flickr pool Neon Boneyard

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File under 'if you've thought of it, you're definitely not the only one':

Rock Climbing, Oklahoma City by 1980Andrew

Detroit has a few opportunities to do the same thing. This would be great, especially right next to traffic on the Rouge Bridge.

conserve

I didn't read the Palin op-ed carefully. Even skimming it went against my recent self-imposed blackout of all things AK gov. But I was looking for news on something else and there it was, both her shpiel and the numerous reactions to it. One of those reactions came from someone else I don't give much attention to, but in this case he reflected exactly what I wonder about regarding Republicans and conservatism. Isn't the central tenet to be careful, not move too quickly, and... conserve? So how can conservatives be in favor of burning through essential natural resources? From the Daily Kos:

But I don't eschew the value of conservative thought, with the emphasis on conservation. A truly conservative person, a cautious and pragmatic individual, would save some supplies, just in case. Call it rainy day money, or emergency supplies, whatever you like. In tough times, those reserves will help you survive. And the best way to employ them is in conjunction with a plan. Like our would-be farmer from the analogy, those reserves might help you survive until you can set up a self-sustaining system to meet your needs. A survivor on a raft in the ocean might try calculating how long it might take before rescue, or how far to travel to a life-sustaining island, when figuring out how to ration his or her emergency rations. But, just eating those rations up in the hopes that something will change by the time you're finished, is not acting to a plan. It is a desperate, foolish act, because when you are reduced to that level, you have given up conscious control over your own destiny.

I learned that style of conservatism, ironically, in college. Having very limited cash resources taught me the sting of burning through them without setting aside at least a little, or trying to shave a little off my consumption every day to extend the days that I'd have money. It's a simple lesson, really. Those that blather on about too much spending and too much change should probably also be lecturing the likes of me on the merits of slowing down a little and saving a little of our energy resources.

Heh.

I'm reeeaaallllly not one for I-told-you-so, especially in this case since most everyone agrees with me anyway as is evident by bailouts, manipulated bankruptcies, etc. (though not for Ford, pointedly), but I stumbled across this little ditty from October 2006 while looking for something else.

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Dip Garden, by Aerial Photography

A new favorite flickr contact: Aerial Photography.

One of the things I miss most about flying for a living is the wonderful perspective 1,000 feet gives you, and the combination voyeur/explorer feel of looking into people's lives and the natural world from a very powerful and unique perspective, straight down.