Nothing humbles you like the still-present devastation at Mt. St. Helens. Giant trees are embedded in the hill sides as though they were match sticks.
Nothing contrasts life and death like Mt. St. Helens. Despite the devastation, all around you there is life, from the elk herds grazing far below Johnston Ridge Observatory to the wild flowers, newly formed lakes and squirrels that beg for snacks.
Mt. St. Helens is very much a live volcano. She continues to belch smoke, steam and all sorts of stinky sulfphuric smells from far below the earth. Will the lady throw another tantrum? Only time will tell. Get out of the way if she does!
Speaking of natural disasters, we seem to have avoided hurricanes this summer. Am I bringing on bad Karma by mentioning it?
Don’t you know we can’t set rules in this country anymore? Why it would discriminate against those who would be breaking the rules!
Perhaps if more people spoke out, we wouldn’t make sacred cows out of people who drop the F word aloud at the mall in front of your kids.@SA
I don’t buy the discriminate business. You can object to someone wearing chaps ONLY at chick fil a. That doesn’t mean you hate gays. It means you don’t want to see people dressed like that and you especially don’t want your kids to see it.
But those students are able to carry ANYWAY if they don’t live on campus.
They are adults.
@CArgo, but they cannot bring their guns on campus, can they?
I don’t care if they carry anywhere but on campus.
Let me be even more blunt….I really don’t care. It isn’t my state.
A big-time hollywood director parked his Prius on a bridge near LA, got out and jumped off the bridge to his death. I think it is time we take a good hard look at how the government carelessly builds bridges willy-nilly, where any suicidal director can have easy access to it. I don’t see why we need so many suicide-inducing bridges all over the place. Maybe, for the sake of sheer humanity, we should task our legislature with determining which streams or rivers really need to be crossed and enact some simple bridge controls to keep senseless tragedies like this from happening again. Guns don’t kill people….bridges do!
“For the first time in a generation, Washington seems like a baseball town.”
New York Daily News observation today on yesterday’s two-hour rain delayed
Nats 5-2 win over the Mets. (Was at the game and the crowd didn’t leave
– almost everyone stayed through the drizzle. Made interesting, in part,
beause the large center field screen was showing the Braves-Dodgers game.
For a few hours there were 35K+ avid LAD fans in the middle of DC.)
Go Nats!!
Now if we can just get a permanent bull market…@Steve R
“These are some bad, ugly and angry times, and I’m so
freaked out. Hate has stolen the conversation and
the few are screwing the many. Not hard to figure out how
to start fixing things. Stop letting big money buy our elections.”
Molly Ivins
“Red Hot Patriot”, a one woman show on the life of Molly Ivins
and starring Kathleen Turner is coming to DC soon.
Now that will be entertainment.
@Moon-howler
Yes they can. The SC of CO said they could. What I find interesting is that the govt (the school is run by the State so it is the govt) is trying to say since we can’t ban guns (because of a court case they lost) they’ll try to get students to agree by a contract to contain themselves within a dorm that is ‘segregated’.
If I were only 21 and a CO student you know damn well my latino ass would be in court with Brown v. Education on my lips!
BTW, you know I can carry openly on the campus of Virginia Tech?
Thats why when you mentioned that Rainbow was county funded.. I got all giddy. Another place I can carry a firearm. 🙂
I dont know what a SC of CO is.
I think what you all are doing is driving many people who are “live and let live” about gun ownership and gun laws in general and pushing them into being gun control advocates. Way to go.
UPDATE: oh…supreme court of Colorado.
That’s too bad. I hope you all don’t expect the cowboy mentality to sustain. American people will grow weary of the OK Corral enfironment.
Colorado of all places needs to think about some limits.
@marinm
“BTW, you know I can carry openly on the campus of Virginia Tech?”
Only if you are not a student or employee.
@Cargosquid
If yiou can, then you should not be allowed to. Virginia Tech should be able to say what they want on the campus and what they don’t, as should every other school.
I am sad to say that someone, under the guise of “anonymous” has chosen to go after someone’s kid on one of the blogs. That is information I have known about for several weeks. I wouldn’t use it or allow it to be used on this blog and neither would Elena.
People question why we have such lousy politicians all the time. Just look at the blogs. Who would want to run for public office.
I am calling on all bloggers to raise up that bar a little and stick to issue and policy and leave the personal digs out of commentary. There is enough wrong-doing in this county that we should never have to personalize our remarks at polticians or their families and friends.
Today I am embarrassed to be a part of the local blogger community.
http://manassas.patch.com/articles/events-anniversary-of-the-second-battle-of-manassas
History in our backyard this weekend!
@Moon-howler
I don’t think so. I think people generally just want to be informed and make the choice themselves. VCDL did that when they went onto many college campuses and spoke with students. The numbers overwhelmingly supported them and not the anti-freedom crowd. But, really its up to the individual.
Some may be inclined to want to push for anti-freedom legislation because of the perception they have seeing an armed man on a campus. Others may not care and some will think – WOW! We can do that!?
August 26 is Go Topless Day! I expect everyone to do their part in supporting women’s equality!
http://www.thefrisky.com/2012-08-20/mark-your-calendars-august-26-is-national-go-topless-day/
From the New York times:
In Rising U.S. Military Death Toll, Signs of Changing Afghan Conflict
So much for the notion that these are kids over there.
“So much for the notion that these are kids over there. ”
That’s always been a false narrative.
For one thing….the minute you say “I………so solemnly swear……….”
you are no longer a kid. That…and the fact that most military members do NOT join up at the age of 18.
But I do get your point.
What were we saying about taking your pants off in another country?
http://www.tmz.com/2012/08/21/prince-harry-naked-photos-nude-vegas-hotel-party/
I am sure he doesn’t want to deal with his Grandmother. He isn’t our problem. Congressmen are. How does Mr. Nekkid differ from Rep. Wiener? Isn’t it all a matter of degrees?
@SlowpokeRodriguez
Apparently what happens in Vegas DOES NOT stay in Vegas. And if I were him, I’d find that “friend” and kick his ass.
Then again, it might have been one of the “wild chicks.” Well, that’s what happens when you pick up strange women and invite them back for “strip pool.”
It looks like everyone won that game.
@Cargosquid
+1 on Topless Day. I support women’s equality on that subject and fully support their right to bare arms and breasts and show solidarity with men.
As for the Prince.. Meh. What happens on Vegas should stay on Yourube.
This is not a locker room.
Wait. I’m confused. We shouldn’t support women’s equality???
I wasn’t arguing with you, just thought it was odd that two similar incidents happened so close to each other.
Its just a comment, not a decree.
So Biden is going to be in Tampa next Monday and/or Tuesday. Who’s going to have to drag his drunk butt out of Mons Venus?
Hurricane possibility in Tampa – democratic plot with Biden dropping hurricane pellets from airplane or punishment for ignoring global warning, wrath of a generous God, do we send government disaster aid – Cantor says no. might attract Westboro gang – this will be fun!
Just a good morning wake up:
RYAN/CUCCINELLI 2020!!
Rep Ryan just made an unintentional gaffe about going to the funerals of servicement. He spoke of the wives and widows and parents. Does he think females haven’t been killed in action?
I rest my case.
@Moon-howler
I missed that.
You rest your case about what? Unintentional gaffes? He left out the word husbands and so he’s a horrible person? Yes. He messed up. But its understandable. When you think of combat troops, you think of men. All of the deaths are important. He did not intentionally try to hurt anyone.
Of the 8000+ casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, about 400 have been women. I base that on the stats that I can find on the internet, so its a rough estimate.
But, if its gaffes that you’re worried about… I’d worry about the log in the Democrats eye before worrying about the splinter in Ryan’s.
yes. To not acknowledge that women have been killed in battle in our recent wars? Absolutely it is a gaffe. Is he a horrible person? No. Is he insensitive and male-centric? Oh yes. You had better believe it.
Which Democratic log? Did some Democrat fail to mention women killed in our 2 wars?
Husbands and boyfriends for starters might have been mentioned. When I think of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan I think of men and women since both were there. IEDs hit vehicles without looking inside to check gender. My big Iraq war hero is Warrior Lori Pestawai. I always think of her.
@Moon-howler
The omission makes Ryan look as though he’s been living under a rock for the last couple decades.
The obtuse males don’t get it.
Gloria Steinem, the National Organization for Women and I roundly denounce the Democratic Party’s War on Women!
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/08/20/3467575/womens-group-slams-dnc-for-not.html
I have never listened to NOW. Why should I start now? The woman needs to leave her child at home or bring someone to keep her in the hotel room.
Gloria Steinham is Gloria Steinham.
I love the DNC convention line-up so far! Sandra “You should pay for my birth control” Fluke and Elizabeth “Sitting Bullshit” Warren are being tapped to speak. I’m all in favor!
Slowpoke, were you planning on watching the convention?
I hope both will set up agendas so we can hear who is speaking without having to buy the whole bag of apples.
Who is going from Prince William County?
I missed this. Great!
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/08/21/DOJ-Backs-Down-Approves-Virginia-Voter-ID-Law
Nope, I think a military-related gaffe would be more like Obama talking about Corpse-men!
That was a gaffe also. I agree. He misspoke.
So is this tit for tat?
Having not heard exactly what was said, if Ryan had used the words “Service Members”, he is correct in that use when referring to males and females serving in the Military. Now, if he “flubbed” and did not include husbands/boyfriends, well, a lot of people do that – especially those who only use the word “spouses” and leave out the boyfriend/girlfriend/life partner. But if he said “Service Members” he is acknowledging all.
I think he said he had seen the widows and girlfriends….@Ray. No, I dont recall service members being said.
It is a gaffe but not one of momumental importance. He just needs to be aware….that it didn’t go unnoticed.