Truth, Justice, and the Environment

The news today seems vaguely familiar. A leader goes before a governing body and warns of a disaster facing the planet. Those who don't want to believe the warnings do everything from ignoring the warnings to deriding the messenger, calling him misguided and wrong.

Today it was former Senator Al Gore warning the United States Senate about the impending problem of global warming, imploring them to take action to protect the planet and its people. Why does this seem familiar? Two young men in the 1930s crafted a similar story. A leading scientist goes before the ruling Science Council to warn of an impending doom facing the world. The council fails to act, and ultimately, the entire population of the planet die, except for one.

The two young men who wrote this story were Joe Siegel and Gerome Shuster. The scientist in their story was named Jor-El. The sole survivor of the planet's destruction was Jor-El's son Kal-El, who was rocketed away from the doomed world by his father. As his home world of Krypton died, young Kal-El arrived on Earth, where he was adopted by a kindly farm couple who taught him right from wrong. He went on to stand for truth, justice, and the American way!

Superman is part of the American cultural mythos. Krypton was fictional, but Earth is not. I don't know if global warming is caused by the activities of humans, but until we do, we cannot go wrong by being cautious, taking care of our environment. Like Mr. Gore said, this is not a political issue, but a moral one.

Ultimately if we are responsible for climate change to the point of disaster, the earth will go on. However, there is no guarantee it will go on with us aboard. The planet could ultimately change to where other life, better adapted to the new environment, would supersede humanity.. Even in a milder change, melting polar ice caps could flood coastal cities, cause billions of economic loss, and drastically change life for our descendants.

Here's hoping the governments of earth are smarter than the Krypton Science Council. Our future, and that of future generations depend on it.

As an aside, click on Superman's "S" Shield to read an interesting web page about the evolution of this iconic symbol.

The Vernal Equinox & The Passing of Time

Well, it is just after midnight, a couple of minutes into a new day as we reckon time. Late yesterday was the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere, the beginning of spring and one of two days when the sun appears to be directly over the equator, giving us equal periods of daylight and darkness.

I am ready for spring, given the blizzards of December and January. Still, we will probably get some more snow during the months of March and April, as is typical in Colorado. Yet most days during these months are very pleasant. This week we have even exceeded the 70 degree Fahrenheit mark.

Despite the calendar, Spring starts further south and moves northward during this time of year. In Tulsa, this is the time of year the redbud trees are blooming along the banks of the wide and lazy stretch of the Arkansas River that passes through the city. In Charlotte, the dogwoods blooming add a beauty to the city, and in Washington, DC, the cherry blossoms will add their white and pink hues to the landscape of some of our most cherished national icons and monuments. Here in northern Colorado, the trees are still devoid of leaves, grass has not turned green, and in general Spring is slower to arrive. Even so, it won't be long until the new season brings a rebirth to the Front Range, as well as new photo opportunities of the Centennial State in bloom.

Personal challenges and financial disasters over the last few years have given me some days of gloom; even so, I cannot yet give up on enjoying the things life has to enjoy. Given even a life extending to old age, we are afforded all too few equinoxes, solstices, and times with those we love. Distance and time rob us of so many opportunities. It seems that life has been set on warp speed and there are no brakes to slow things down.

I have a theory about that. It seems to me that the years appear to be shorter and shorter as time goes on. My idea is that our perception of our lives is a set psychological block of time. No matter how many actual years our memories hold, the totality never perceptually changes. As we gain more years behind us, each year is a smaller percentage of this total life perception. Thus the years seem much shorter. Remember as a child how the passing of a single year seemingly took forever? Well, at 5 years old, one year is 20% of our life! At 50 it is only 2%. Hence, the perceived compression of time.

I have no facts to base my theory upon, yet it makes perfect sense to me.

Make a promise to yourself. Enjoy the Springtime, enjoy life, and don't give or sell your entire existence to any company or endeavor. Life is finite and limited; thus each day is very precious. We should do our best to make the most of every moment. None of us know how many ticks of the clock we have left.

I am reminded of the poem by John Donne, For Whom The Bell Tolls:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore, send not to know
For whom the bell tolls,
It tolls for thee.

So Much Happening

Well, we are now four years into the so-called "War on Terror", a.k.a. the Halliburton Revenue Enhancement Initiative. Over 3200 dead American soldiers, along with deaths of the few allied troops, and tens of thousands uncounted Iraqi deaths later, and no resolution in sight. We are now deeply entrenched in a sectarian religious civil war, and a Commander-In-Chief who's only plan is stay the course. This invasion of Iraq has cost more lives than the 9/11 attacks and has lasted longer than World War II, yet there is no goal, no exit strategy and no indication any progress is being made at all toward whatever unstated goals the administration has in mind.

Closer to home, today marked the start of the Denver trial of former Qwest CEO, Joseph P. Nacchio. The government is seeking to take back over $100,000,000 that Nacchio took out of his stock options, all the while allegedly overstating the company's outlook. From a high of about $60 per share, the company was put on a path toward bankruptcy, and only narrowly escaped that fate after Joe's departure. It had to restate earnings for several of the Nacchio years, and the life savings of US West retirees and employees.

Joe, you once called the employees of US West, a company you bought out for Qwest, "clowns". Here's hoping when your expected eight-week trial is over, the clowns get the last laugh as you are hauled off to prison! This is one clown who won't be shedding any tears for you.

Hot Air Balloons

Night-time "Balloon Glow" in Colorado Springs

Hot air ballooning has experienced a revival of popularity over the last 40-to-50 years, and balloonists look for places with the right air currents and conditions for flight. Every year, balloon aficionados converge on Albuquerque, New Mexico for the world's biggest balloon fest. Along the way, they meet in a number of towns to hold smaller events.

I have been to two such balloon festivals, one in Tulsa, Oklahoma back in 1994, and another in the summer of 2006 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. One of the most visually appealing parts of the balloon festival is the night-time balloon glow. The balloons are not safe for night travel, but instead remain anchored to the ground and the owners crank up the flames simultaneously to light up their balloons.

Today, most hot air balloons are made of rip-stop nylon, and come in a variety of shapes, of course along with the traditional globular shape. They also often advertise their sponsors (see the photo below). Yet they can hot air balloons trace their history back to the Montgolfier brothers, who lived in France in the 18th Century. Joseph Michel Montgolfier and his brother, Jacques-Etienne Montgolfier accomplished the first human ascent in their globe airostatique, which carried a physician and an army officer aloft.

The photo above is from the balloon glow at last summer's Colorado Springs festival. Someday, I hope to get down to Albuquerque to see the big balloon festival there. That one has become such an attraction that it is featured on New Mexico's license plates.


Re/Max advertising balloon

Mad Mama Bison

Here is a picture I took just outside of Parker, Colorado last summer. There is a herd of American Bison, commonly called Buffaloes, at a ranch about half a mile from where I live. These noble beasts once roamed in great herds across the American West, but were nearly hunted to extinction by settlers out to fulfill Manifest Destiny. Luckily, they have made a comeback, and are now raised for their meat, which is lower in fat than beef, and quite tasty.

This is a shot I got where there were several adults and calves. This mama didn't like me getting that close to her young one, as you can see by her stance, and the dust she is kicking up. Needless to say, I took the photo and quickly got away from the area! Still, I think this is an interesting photo.

Garden of the Gods

Colorado is a very interesting state. Its geologic history has resulted in some very unique natural beauty. I have often thought about the first pioneers heading west across North America, with animals and wagons, crossing the Great Plains for hundreds of miles, when all of a sudden, the mighty Rocky Mountains loomed as an obstacle ahead.

The Great Plains was once the bottom of a great inland ocean, and the Front Range of the Rockies was the shoreline. This ancient geology provides spectacular and interesting things to see. One of these is the footprints of a dinosaur herd in the rocks near Morrison. Another is in the photograph above. This is the entrance to the Garden of the Gods, a city park for the City of Colorado Springs.

Garden of the Gods is a free park whose signature is the 300-million year old red sandstone rock formations. Every time I go there, I am in awe of the sight that nature has left from erosion and uplifting of land. In my photo above taken from the outdoor deck of the Visitor's Center, you can see the road leading into the park, with Pikes Peak, "America's Mountain" in the background. It was on the summit of Pikes Peak that Katherine Lee Bates was inspired to pen the lyrics to America, the Beautiful.

If you ever get to Colorado Springs, your trip is not complete unless you take the time to visit the Garden of the Gods.

Good News in Medical Legislation

There are a couple of very good items in the news today regarding legislation related to medical issues. I am very much opposed to politicians restricting people's access to needed medical treatments, but that is all too common.

Today, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is hoping to get a bill legalizing medical marijuana through the state legislature, after two very close votes failed to pass on a bill last week. Richardson, who is a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, is risking political backlash, but believes in the issue to the extent he is willing to take the fallout. If the legislature can get this done, "The Land of Enchantment" would join states like Colorado and California in legalizing the drug for medicinal use. Given my last post about Angel Raich in San Francisco, the federal government can still negate the effect of the law, but it will make a statement. Progress will eventually be made on this front.

Speaking of progress, high praise goes out to Colorado's new Democratic governor, Bill Ritter, who signed into law a measure to require that rape victims be informed of Plan B contraception. This legislation was passed several times, and vetoed by former governor, Republican Bill Owens. Owens and Ritter are both Roman Catholics, but Owens cited beliefs based on his religion in his vetos. Ritter noted the bill has exemptions based on religion so that no person can be forced to go against his or her religious beliefs in this, but even Catholic healthcare institutions mus have someone who can relay the information to rape victims.

Plan B, unlike RU-386, does not induce abortion; but instead prevents either fertilization or implantation of reproductive cells. This is just another reason that religion has no place in government. People are free, and should be, to hold religious views. When they try to use our government to impose them on all of us, that crosses the line. I don't care whose god says so, eggs, sperm and zygotes do NOT have rights above that of a rape victim. If it was God's will that a child results from a rape, wouldn't that make God an accomplice to the crime? People really don't think their religious beliefs through to their logical conclusions. Forcing a girl or woman who has been raped to bear her attacker's child is victimizing her all over again. I am glad that Governor Ritter is progressive. Now, if only we can elect a progressive President maybe we can get somewhere.

Medical Marijuana

Let me start this entry by stating a fact of my life. I have never used any illegal drugs. I say this not to pat myself on the back, but because it plays into the subject of this post. Certainly, coming of age in the early 1970s meant I had opportunity to partake. I knew people who did. However I don't like putting substances into my body, plus I truly never had any desire to try them. So my opinion about what is going on with a San Francisco woman in the news is not based on my desire to use marijuana. If it were totally legal, it is still something that I would not choose to use for recreation.

The problem lies in the case of 41-year-old Angel Raich of San Francisco. She is suffering from multiple, life-threatening conditions, including scoliosis, a tumor in her brain, chronic nausea, among others. Raich lives in California, a state that has legalized the use of marijuana for legitimate medical reasons. Raich claims her use of marijuana is what is keeping her alive.

The problem is that two years ago, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that regardless of state law, use of medical marijuana is illegal under federal law, and that users of the drug, along with their suppliers, can be prosecuted. Now, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected Raich's case based on the right to life argument; the idea that people have a right to use marijuana to save their lives when legal treatments have failed to help.

Raich says she will not let them kill her, and that she will continue to use marijuana to treat her condition. Who can blame her, short of the federal court system, that is. First of all, I see no benefit for the government to deny the legitimate use of a drug that helps people with dire health conditions. Many drugs are derived from plants, and just because it is commonly used as a recreational drug, doesn't mean that marijuana doesn't have legitimate medical uses. Marijuana is a drug with no known lethal dose, no evidence that it is physically addictive, and apparently has the capacity to alleviate much suffering. Putting aside the libertarian view that the government has no business regulating what people do with their own bodies for a moment, where is any compelling interest by the government to deny medicine to someone whose suffering it alleviates? I see none.

As I said, I am certainly no stoner, and have not once smoked marijuana, nor used any other illegal substance. Yet I am appalled at the repressed and puritanical attitudes displayed by our outdated laws about this matter. Sometimes I think I am living in a weird parallel universe where no one sees the obvious.

Conformity or Else!

You may not have heard the name Rich Cizik, but you probably have heard the name James Dobson. As Dobson's Colorado Springs-based "Focus on the Family" organization continues to push its right-wing, evangelical extremism into our government, it becomes less and less tolerant of divergent viewpoints, even within its core constituency. The most recent example is how Dobson has turned on Cizik, the career lobbyist for the Evangelical Association of America. Dobson led the charge to draft and gain signatures on a letter chastising Cizik.

What did Cizik do to be the recipient of "The Wrath of Dob"? Did he renounce his Christianity? No. Maybe he didn't focus on his family quite enough? Wrong again. Cizik's transgression was to be involved in environmentalism. He believes in taking care of the environment. For that, he is a persona non grata around the Focus campus.

You see, many modern Christian evangelicals believe that we are living in the last days; that Jesus is coming to rapture his own from the earth, prior to letting it enter the Great Tribulation, a time when the earth will be ruled by the anti-Christ. Then Jesus will return to set it all right and restore the earth under a 1000 year long theocracy where Christ establishes his government on earth.

This ridiculous fable has not only made enormous wealth for Tim LaHaye, co-author of the "Left Behind" books; it has caused many Christians to go against the climatic evidence, denying the compelling case for the reality of global warming. Rather than heed the words of their Savior to be good stewards over the earth, their motto seems to be, "Use it up, tear it up, because the end of the world is nigh anyway."

So when Cizik started speaking out for preservation of the environment, a true conservationist position, he is vilified by many of his fellow evangelicals. Dobson's heavy handed tactics show that many in the Christian community have no tolerance for differences of opinion in matters not of theological significance. This reveals the political nature of such so-called "ministries" such as Focus. They have much more to do with politics than with matters of theology & orthodoxy.

Unfortunately, in today's world the face of intolerance and bigotry comes packaged in the cloak of Christianity. As Sinclair Lewis once said, "When Fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Indeed, it appears that his words could be prophetic.

Rocky Mountain High

Nearly ten years after the untimely death of seventies folk music icon John Denver, his hit song, Rocky Mountain High has been adopted as a co-state song. The Colorado legislature yesterday approved adding Denver’s famous tune, so now it officially joins Where The Columbines Grow, as a state song.

The change was not without controversy. Some legislators wanted to add a disclaimer that the song’s status in no way is an endorsement of drug use. For many years, some have claimed the song is a not so subtle endorsement of marijuana, because of the line, “Friends around the campfire, and everybody’s high”. Denver himself always claimed the song was about being high on the natural beauty of the state. Like any artistic work, I suppose the meaning can be in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. In any case, the proposed disclaimer was rejected.

The song itself has been a standard since its release, and has even been used in a advertising campaign by Coors Brewing Company, which touts its product being made from pure Rocky Mountain spring water. The part of the song I have always thought was creative was the contrasts in the first few lyrics; the actual impossibility of them if taken literally, but full of meaning if taken allegorically.

He was born in the summer of his twenty seventh year,
Going home to a place he’d never been before.

Oddly enough, one of Denver’s other hit songs became the unofficial anthem of another state, as well as giving it one of its promotional slogans. Take Me Home, Country Roads, starts out:

Almost Heaven, West Virginia.

John was right about one thing; even though they are separated by 1500 miles, Colorado and West Virginia are two states of immense natural beauty.

Strange Goin's On Down at the Waffle House

Calling Jeff Foxworthy! Here is some more material for your "You Might Be A Redneck" routine!

Just the good ol' boys,
Never meanin' no harm,
Beats all you've ever saw,
been in trouble with the law
since the day they was born.

The late Waylon Jennings sang the lines above in the theme song from The Dukes of Hazzard. Now it seems we have a real life, dumb redneck boy story coming from the state of Kentucky, and reported by the Associated Press.

If you're going to commit a theft of goods and services, you'd think you wouldn't do it in front of the local cops, nor over $100 worth of food at Waffle House!

In a really weird occurrence at the Waffle House in Richmond, Kentucky, four young men from Lexington ran up the tab, when luck would have it, two girls got into a fight. When an employee of the restaurant flagged down the cops, who entered the Waffle House, these four braniacs ran out the door to avoid paying the bill. They tried to run over police officers, which began a high-speed chase at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour. The chase came to a sudden halt when the driver hit a pole. The four tried to run from the scene, but were apprehended.

Now it's bad enough that these guys committed these acts, and they are charged with numerous counts, including reckless endangerment, driving under the influence of alcohol, and other charges. It is also bizarre that this started with two girls getting into a fight. But what really puzzles police is how the four men ran up a bill of $100, when the most expensive items on the menu don't top the $10 mark!

More Downtown Denver

Late last month, I posted some pictures of public art I took in Downtown Denver. Today, I decided to upload a few more I took that day. The first one above is the Denver skyline near the main library, looking across Civic Center Park. The City-County Building (City Hall) is out of view to the left, and the Capitol building is out of view to the right. This photo looks north toward the heart of the city.

The tall brown building in the background to the left that has a white sign on it is the headquarters of Qwest Communications (Click the photo for a larger view). It is at 1801 California Street, and was once called Mountain Bell Center, then after the AT&T Divestiture in 1984, was the headquarters of US West, which was acquired by Qwest. I used to work in that building from 1997-2000. The top of the smoky grey building just in front of it was once called Anaconda Tower, then it became Qwest Tower when it housed the headquarters of Qwest before it merged with US West.

The tall building on the right with the rounded top is commonly referred to as the Cash Register Building. It has no cash register company inside, but if you were standing on the opposite side, it somewhat is shaped like the top of an old fashioned cash register (that would be a manual point-of-sale terminal for you younger readers!). The white, shorter building in the middle is home of The Denver Post.

The next photo is the south side of the main library building. This is a very unusual building, as it looks like several different styles and colors all attached together. This side of the library faces the Denver Art Museum complex.



The Denver Art Museum has some very distinctive buildings. The next two photos are part of the museum's downtown campus, known as the Civic Center Cultural Complex.



This really unusually shaped building is the Frederic C. Hamilton building of the Denver Art Museum. Look closely at its base, and you will see the whisk broom and dustpan sculpture I posted in a photo in my posting of February 24.



Remember our friend, the Big Blue Bear sculpture that peers into the Colorado Convention Center? The photo below was taken near him. He would be off to the left. The Convention Center complex is very large, and much of it is new. The Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) has light rail tracks that go beneath part of the center. I like the architecture of this building a lot. It was part of a major expansion of the Center in recent hears.