Going Around in Circles

Welcome back! It's been a while. I was thinking about traffic circles today, mostly because I drove through two of them. I don't know how long it's been, but they installed them in my hometown of Quakertown while I was living in Washington. 

At the time I thought it was a terrible idea since folks here have a hard time handling a four way stop. Or even a one way stop. And after seeing daily updates on Facebook about an accident in the circle, it seems I was right.

However, the powers that be, in their own stupidity, were undeterred by the stupidity of others and built a second circle. The novelty has worn off and it's much safer going through the circles now. So much so that we have a third circle under construction. 

For the most part, people behave themselves in the circles now. Usually the worst offense is driving over the middle in a straight line rather than following the curving path of the road. My favorite is the people who come blasting into the circle at full speed. Somehow I feel like that is safer than the motorist who decided to make a left turn into the circle, completely ignoring the natural contours of the road. Fortunately there was no one else in the circle at the time. Maybe that's why they decided to take a shortcut. 

Stay tuned in the future for more rants and observations, as I attempt to steer clear of politics. Also, watch me fail at avoiding political rants and observations!

Nature Minute- How to Use Your National Parks
Topic: Nature Minutes

I decided to start a new weekly (or thereabouts) blog about my nature experiences. For this week's topic, however, I am giving you a brief users guide to your national parks. 

This summer the National Park Service is celebrating its centennial. They are encouraging everyone to get out and find their park. In light of recent events at Yellowstone, finding your park can get you in trouble if you don't know what to do with it. Yes, these parks belong to you. But since you have to share them with the rest of us, be courteous. Here are some rules to make your visit safe and enjoyable.

Rule #1: Leave only footprints. 

Rule #1A: Leave those footprints only on designated trails, in parking lots, or on boardwalks. In some areas, such as Mount Rainier's Paradise, the off-trail areas are fragile plants. Other areas, like Yellowstone's geyser basin, contain delicate soil resting on top of boiling springs. Taking shortcuts around a switchback erodes the hillside.

Rule #2: Take only photographs.

Rule #2A: Taking memories is also acceptable. Taking anything else is not. Don't pick the flowers. Leave them for others to look at. Don't take the rocks. Sure, there are a million of them. But if every visitor takes a rock, there won't be any rocks left.

Rule #3: Follow the park rules. They are posted for your safety and to limit disrupting other visitors' experience.

Rule #4: Give wildlife space. You are in their home now. For your safety and theirs, give critters at least 25 yards. In the case of large predators like bears and wolves, make it at least 50 yards. If you can throw a snowball at it and hit it, you are too close. Giving wildlife its distance reduces stress on the animal and reduces your risk of injury. Just because an animal appears docile does not make it harmless. Bison and moose are wild animals, and believe it or not, they can be quite brutal.

Rule #4A: Don't feed the animals. Sometimes it's impossible to keep the 25 yard buffer between yourself and, say a chipmunk or hungry gray jay that approach you at your picnic table. Do not feed them. Equating people with food will draw them to people, which can desensitize them to people. While you might think it's nice to have a furry new friend, they really have every reason in the world to fear humans.

Rule #5: Relax and enjoy yourself! If you are in a national park, you are probably on vacation or a weekend getaway. Slow down and enjoy the scenery. Breathe in the clean air. Take a walk. Explore and ask questions. Have fun! 

Alaksa- my travel series
Topic: travel
Alaksa is one of the most interesting states I've visited. I arrived in August 1990, on a warm sunny day. Being an 11 year old idiot, I was unprepared for the nice weather and left the airport bundled up, while those around me were in shorts and t-shirts. We spent about a week there, based in Anchorage, but we did a few nights at a cabin at Denali National Park. At Denali, we did the "safari" bus ride into the interior of the park. Along the way I saw a bear on a distant ridge and scads of caribou. in Anchorage, we visited the zoo, the science museum, and Earthquake Park. Earthquake park was once a residential neighborhod. In 1964, it was destroyed by the massive earthquake; hence the name. Today, visitors can see the rooves of houses sticking out of the ground. Two excursions from Anchorage: visiting a glacier and panning for gold. Somewhere along the road the parallels the Cook Inlet, we were treated to a pod of beluga whales. I hope to return to Alaska next summer, this time on a cruise through the Inside Passage.

Places I've Been- Alabama
Topic: travel

I've been to a lot of places, and I decided since I am nominallt blogging again, that would be a great topic of interest that I could share with you. So we'll stroll through the entire US, state by state, and examine the marks I left behind.

Alabama is an easy state for me to blog about. My experience there is very limited. I passed through on the way home from the Grand Canyon in 1992. I remember it was raining. Dinner was at the Cracker Barrel in Montgomery, my first time dining there.

That just about covers the state, sonow I'll walk you through waht I'd like to see there. Fort Mims, Fort Morgan, USS Alabama, and Russell Cave make up the list. Feel free to add more attractions.

Super Bowl Sunday and almost time to report
Topic: sports

The Super Bowl is nigh upon us and once again we are treated to the local team taking on the New England Patriots. The Seahawks got to the big game by rallying from a 19-7 deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers 28-22 in overtime. The Patriots made it this far by cheating. Everyone knows about the deflated footballs by now. I'm not shocked that the Patriots were caught cheating, for two reasons. First, they were caught cheating in the past. A few years back, they were caught videotaping the Jets' practices. It seemed like the Patriots knew what play my Ealges were about to run, even before the Eagles knew when they met in the Super Bowl. Now we know why. Secondly, head coach Bill Belichick moonlights as Galactic Emperor.

How can you expect him to play by the rules? While the cheating needs to be addressed, the NFL is busy scratching its head over what to do about Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch. He won't talk to the media (and gets fined for it), wears gold shoes (threatened with suspension if he wears them), and wears a hat with his own "Beastmode" logo on it (another fine, because it's not licensed apparel). Given the Patriots' sketchy past, I think what the NFL should've done was boot them from the Super Bowl and let the Colts in. Better yet, rather than reinflate the balls at halftime of the AFC Championship, the league should have awarded the game to the Colts by forfeit. The Emperor should be fired and blacklisted. Instead, it's another bungled job by the NFL following a year of player arrests.

In other news, since the Super Bowl is here, that means Spring Training is right around the corner! The local Mariners had a decent finish last year, just missing the playoffs. They added outfielder Nelson Cruz, who brings a big bat to tiny lineup. Former Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ joins the team, coming in a trade that sent outfielder Michael Saunders to Toronto. I expect the Mariners to be competitive again this year, but I'm not expecting a penant. Across the country, my Phillies are gearing up for what should be another long season. Gone is Jimmy Rollins, freshly minted all-time franchise hits leader. I will miss him, even though he was traded probably two or three years too late. In return, the Phils got a righty and a lefty I never heard of. The lone free agent they were able to reel in is 36 year old pitcher Aaron Harang, most likely because no one else wants a 36 year old pitcher whose best season is 10 years behind him. Best of luck, Aaron. What I want is another World Series win. I know it won't be easy (or cheap) and I know it won't come for a few more years if rebuilding is done properly. I think a firesale is in order. I would keep catcher Carlos Ruiz, pitcher Cole Hamels, and infielders Cody Ashe and Darin Ruf are the only players I would refuse to deal. Well, I'd trade Hamels if I get a good return. Only three more years sitting on Ryan Howard's contract. Play ball!

hello
Topic: random
Hey, haven't blogged in a while. Thanks for reading!

Can't Sleep
Topic: random
It's almost 1:30 and I'm still awake so I decided to blog. Haven't done it in about a year. I wonder if I'm still good at it. Not that anyone will read it.

My First Blog in 3 Months!
Topic: sports
Since I no longer have a job where interesting things happen, it seems like I have nothing to blog about. Alicia just finished her softball season an hour ago. Yet another tie- maybe someone should keep score next year. She went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and an RBI. She hit .652 for the season with 24 RBIs and 15 runs scored. In other news, I just finished blogging on my other blog at my campaign site www.goodinforcongress.com and Sasha doesn't have any broken bones. Just a bad infection complete with abcess. She needs antibiotics and some pain pills and she'll be back on all four soon. At this exact moment, the Phillies are in LA, tied at 2 in the 10th, with 2 outs but the Dodgers have 2 on. Last night we left the Mariners game (2-1 Twins in 10) with a 3-2 Phillies lead. I turned on ESPN this morning only to find out they lost 4-3. What do you expect on the dreaded west coast road trip? Certainly not a 3 game sweep of the Padres, which is what we got earlier this week. On tap for tomorrow- taking Lucy out for the day to do some hiking if the weather holds out.

AIG raised my premiuim and I don't even use their insurance
Mood:  irritated
Topic: government issues
Yet another Failout! AIG is charging me 30 billion dollars because they lost over 61 billion last quarter. Rather than letting these schmucks go under the government is bailing them out yet again. Did it ever occur to these morons that maybe they lost 61 billion because no one wants to do business with them anymore?

I 1048
Topic: election news
My proposed ballot initiative has been assigned a name- I 1048. I was hoping it would be something a little more normal, like Tommy, but at least I have something to call it now. If you would like to help get the word out about I 1048 or sign the petition please let me know. Petitions should be arriving shortly and I need a quarter million signatures.