Hey, hey, it's the beetles

An article on Koin.com has revealed that British Columbia, Canada, is considering harvesting 21 million acres of forest to stop the Mountain Pine Beetle. If BC should do this, lumber prices will plummet with the huge influx of timber.

They have already increased timber cuts by 78%.

America's Northwest markets will be hit hard in about one year's time, according to a sawmill owner in Washington.

I live in Skamania County--an already severely financially depressed area. The lumber industry has been so hard hit here, that another round will probably finish off what small mills are still existing.

And what does that mean for Skamania County? More jobless; more crime; more financial dispare.

More people are moving in to this region, but shop elsewhere. The small communities here will not allow big business in. But the small businesses do not offer what the cities do--lower prices and more selection. In most cases, one cannot buy many basic essentials in the small communities. We are forced to go to large stores. Hell, where I live, I can't even buy Woolite anywhere.

So, with so much money going elsewhere, and now another large flood of lumber to drive more businesses out, I envision the small communities of the northwest suffering even more hardships.

Aren't there insecticides for beetles?

The Inward Spiral

I visit space.com everyday. Although their catch phrase is "Something Amazing Every Day," I don't always find this is true. However, today I read the article, "Journey to the Black Hole" by Ker Than, and although the article was interesting, it was my own sudden realization of earth's position in our own Milky Way galaxy that amazed me.

The article describes a new study's findings regarding the feeding habits of black holes. Among speeds and mechanics of matter traveling to the black hole's center, the information that struck me came under the section of "How to feed a supermassive black hole."

According to the findings, a spiral galaxy black hole transports matter from the outside edges of the galaxy to the center to sustain itself by the spinning motion of the galaxy.

Here's what struck me as amazing.

Our own Milky Way galaxy is a spiral galaxy. It is believed that at the center of our galaxy lies a massive black hole. We (earth) exist in one of the spiral arms at the fringes of the Milky Way.

Is earth to one day be part of the nuggat for the Milky Way's center?

I wonder if I have read this right. Perhaps I have some information wrong.

Go here to read the article for yourself. http://space.com/scienceastronomy/060116_blackhole_journey.html

Post your comments.

Kids Can't Be Kids Anymore?

Kids pick up rocks and throw them. All kids do. They throw them at other kids, through windows, at cars, anything. When I was a kid, I remember kids picking on other kids and rock fights between rivals. Most of the time, girls would squeal and run away, but in the new millenium, I suppose girls are a little more aggressive.

Hence, my desire to express my opinions over the arrest of an 11-year-old girl in California for retaliating against an 8-year-old boy. He threw a water balloon at her. She threw a two pound rock at him. He required stitches.

Now I suppose parents should not condone the actions of either of these children, but kids will be kids. I'm sure the parents of the boy were quite upset that their little darling needed stitches after a girl hit him with a rock. However, I wonder if they considered the fact that their boy threw something at a girl first. I wonder if the boy's mom thinks it's okay for her son to be abusive toward girls.

Then again, maybe he was just playing.

But it doesn't seem to matter. The police swooped down on the little girl's home to arrest her for assault with a deadly weapon. The girl resisted arrest and scratched an officer. She said that the officer grabbed her from behind by her shirt, and she was scared. I don't think that is unreasonable to assume as accurate, considering that it is California, and we all have read about the cops in California. I don't think that I need to say anything more about CA cops.

This is crazy, though. Arresting and detaining for five days an 11-year-old girl for self-defense. I wonder if the boy had been hit by a rock from another boy, would the outcome have been the same? Or would the whole incident just been explained as "boys will be boys?"

Today, I read a follow-up article in which a judge and a lawyer used their heads. That in itself is amazing. You can read that article from the Associated Press http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GIRL_CHARGED?SITE=KOIN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Unfortunately, the little girl has went through more than Martha Stewart did. She has been put through as much as an adult, but she is only eleven. She will most likely be scarred for life from this. At the very least, she could easily become a man-hater.

And men wonder why women sometimes become lesbians.

Great News!

On July 18, I received an acceptance email from Haunted Encounters. They are publishing another of my true ghost stories. This time, it's my account of happenings in the house we rented here in Washington. The title is "A House Built for Two." I will be posting updates on publication here and on my writing website. Stay tuned!

Hubby Got Stapled!

Well, the hubby got hurt at work and ended up with three staples in his head. He just can't seem to stop having more metal added to his body.