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Never say ‘never happen’
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By
JIM STREET Ed
& Pub Whenever
anything goes wrong, from a plane crash to a terrorist attack to an oil
spill, there is a loud cry that government should “fix” it so it will “never
happen again.” Accidents
happen and you can do things to make them less likely. But there is no way to
prevent them forever. As much as we
like to complain about too much government, there is one agency that gets as
close as possible to making sure things “never happen again.” That is the
National Transportation Safety Board, one of the few government agencies that
seem to work pretty well. OPINION When there is
a plane crash or any other involving transportation including rail disasters,
pipeline accidents and the like, the NTSB goes to work. I have seen
them in action, taking apart and reconstructing a crashed airplane,
inspecting even the tiniest of parts. In one case, an investigator showed me
two tiny pieces of metal that both fit in one hand. They once were the same
part. One side was
badly burnt, the other apparently not touched by flame. The part came from
the wing root – where the wing attaches to the fuselage. From that, he was
able to determine clearly that the wing separated, leading to the accident. This exacting
work allows corrections to be made so an accident like that would be a lot
less likely in the future. It is a major reason flying is statistically safer
even than going to bed. But accidents still happen. As well as the
NTSB and our Defense Department work, however, government is inherently inept
in most other things. The oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico is one of the worst environmental disasters ever and
again there is talk of making sure this “never happens again.” Hello. It was
an accident. There are some 36,000 rigs working in the Gulf and we have never
had an accident like this after some 60 years of drilling. We don’t stop
flying because a plane crashes. And if we stopped driving whenever there was
a car crash, we’d never get anywhere. President
Obama wanted a six-month moratorium, not just on new drilling but on all oil
operations in the Gulf. That would
have simply caused the drilling companies to move their equipment to more
friendly waters and we would likely never see them again. How’s that for
reducing our dependence on foreign oil? And saving jobs? US District
Judge Martin Feldman in New Orleans overturned the moratorium Tuesday in a
lawsuit brought by Hornbeck Offshore Services of Covington, La., which
claimed there was no proof the other operations posed a threat. But the government
has threatened to appeal the ruling and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar even
announced a new moratorium. Don’t these guys understand the meaning of “no?” Really, there
is no way to stop the drilling that is now going on anyway without risking
even more disasters. And Obama
announced a new panel to investigate the Deep Water Horizon accident, none of
them with any oil drilling experience, only one with any engineering
background at all and several with ties to environmental groups. Obama lied
when he said a group of scientists had agreed with him on the moratorium. The
scientists said they thought a temporary ban on new drilling might be a good
idea but they never agreed to a full six-month moratorium on all operations. Obama has
refused to allow resources that could clean up the spill, including
common-sense plans like building berms to keep the oil offshore, burning off
the slick or using some chemical dispersants, because they said they needed
an “environmental impact” statement first. What about the
environmental impact on the fish and pelicans who were covered with oil or
the livelihoods of fishermen and others on the coast? That would be
like denying certain foods for a death-row inmate’s last meal because they
might make him sick. One thing is clear,
at least to me. Drilling a mile down in the Gulf was pretty risky – and
inexcusable when oil is readily available on land and in shallower water.
They were drilling in deep water because the environmentalists drove them
there. There is a
wide divide, including among Republicans, over whether US Rep. Joe Barton of
Texas was right to “apologize” to BP, calling the company’s agreement to put
$20 billion in an escrow account to pay damages a “shakedown.” But Obama had
sent his team of lawyers to the Gulf Coast threatening lawsuits and criminal
complaints. Is that not a shakedown? We keep
getting into these messes because too many people believe government is there
to solve all their problems. It doesn’t
work that way and it never will. The collapse
of the Soviet Union and worldwide Communism is testament to the failure of
that idea. Our country
has become the world leader and the richest nation the world has ever known
because of our Constitution. It grants
certain “innumerated” powers to the government. But it is
mostly about protecting us from the government, not the other way around. “Government is not the solution to our
problem,” as President Reagan famously said. “Government is the problem.” The sooner we
learn that, the better we all will be. How
to deal with a cop killer Larry Gill is
a historian and is active in the Merkel museum, which is celebrating its
fifth anniversary this year. The museum has
had an active five years. It started out in a building that once was a
western wear store. It filled up
quickly because residents of Merkel anxiously donated articles of historic
interest. Two building expansions have increased the museum to more than
three times its original size. The displays
of vehicles, photographs, uniforms and other items are so well done the
museum looks like it has been there for decades. When Larry is
not doing museum work, he serves as a constable. Occasionally both his jobs
come together in some of his presentations to school kids. “I love to
dress up in some of the costumes and uniforms we have around here,” Larry
said. “Sometimes I dress up like Johnny Reb and tell some Civil War stories. “Since I’m a
peace officer, one of my favorite stories in the museum is about an incident
that occurred back in 1925 when a Merkel constable was killed,” he said.
“When I tell it, I wear my law enforcement clothes complete with gun,
gunbelt, hat, bandana and boots and try to re-enact the story. “The sheriff
from Big Spring came to Merkel and told the constable he needed some help,”
Larry said. “He said a man from Merkel had killed a man in Big Spring and the
killer was working on a farm south of Merkel. “The sheriff
and constable go out there to find the wanted man in a field grubbing tree
stumps,” he said. “As they walked toward the man, he reaches down and picks
up a rifle he had lying on the ground and shoots the constable in the
stomach. “He falls and
crawls over against a tree,” Larry said. “The sheriff starts running to keep
out of the line of fire and borrows a car from a neighboring farmer. “As he is
driving off, the man with the gun catches up to him and shoots him,” he said.
“Then he went back to the constable, took the pistol from the constable’s
holster and shot him in the head. “He then came
back to Merkel to tell his family goodbye and began running south,” Larry
said. “They caught him at Lohn. He was hiding in a boxcar. “There was a
huge posse. Thousands of people were looking for this guy,” he said. “The
posse was led by the Abilene police chief. “The assistant
chief walked up to the man in the boxcar and told him if he would surrender
he wouldn’t be hurt,” Larry recounted. “He shot the assistant chief in the
leg. “That was it,”
he said. “Some of the men had dynamite and they threw it under the boxcar. “They got his
body out of there, secured it with a rope on the running board of the Abilene
police chief’s car, then they drove all over the county showing this man off,
sending the message that you don’t kill law enforcement officers,” Larry
said. “That might not go over too much today but it seemed perfectly all
right in 1925.” The museum has
a photograph of the man tied to the running board of the Model A vehicle. The people in
Merkel didn’t want him buried in the local cemetery but he was taken out to
the cemetery at night and placed in an unmarked grave. Our
Beautiful Vegetable Garden Our family
decided to plant a bigger garden this year. It started off
with my wife wanting me to till that old hard ground. She started bringing in
mulch material for me to till in and I did not think she was ever going to
stop. I finally got
all the material tilled in, then started the watering. She and my
daughter were looking at different seed catalogues. Then went to town and
bought some plants and ordered some seeds through the mail. This was
followed by planting and more watering. Shortly came the problem of weeding
and finally a top mulch. Now we have
fresh squash daily, green beans, tomatoes – my favorite – and other kinds of
fresh vegetables. We just sit
back and admire it and enjoy the produce form it. That garden
reminds me of something in the Christian life. There is no such thing as an
instant garden and there is also no such thing as instant Christian maturity.
Both take a
lot of time and hard work and constant care. But there is a reward involved. When we make
an effort to remove the things from our lives that are not pleasing to God
and put in the things that He approves of, there will be a harvest of good
things (Colossians 1:10, Romans 7:4, John 15:8, 1 Corinthians 3:7,) a life
filled with love, joy and peace. See you in
Church next Sunday. Brother J Stargazing
while camping out Recently, I
received an e-mail from Joe Garcia who reads “Stargazer” in the Kingsville
Record. "I am a
Cub Scout leader and am taking my boys camping June 11-13,” he wrote. “I want
to do an astronomy section one of these nights, something that the boys will
enjoy and learn from. “I would
greatly appreciate any suggestions you might have,” he wrote. “I am new to
this and want my boys to learn and have fun. Thank you for your time." After
re-reading my response to Joe, it occurred to me that my ideas might be of
interest to others, especially those who, like Joe, work with kids. So here are
some of my offerings. As the Sun is
setting in the west, have the kids watch the western sky and see who can be
the first to spot the "evening star." After it gets
darker and other stars begin to appear, it will be apparent that this
"star" is much brighter than all the other stars because it's not
really a star – it's the planet Venus, the nearest planet to Earth. Then as it
gets darker, have the kids look all around the night sky and try to find the
Moon. The Moon
wasn’t even out on June 12. That just happened to be the new Moon when it was
in the same direction as the Sun, thus it set at sunset and didn’t rise until
sunrise the next morning. Each night
thereafter, the Moon rises and sets nearly an hour earlier than the previous
night. This can lead
to a discussion about the phases of the Moon. Depending upon
how near to a city you are camping, you will likely encounter light
pollution. Point this out
to the kids, especially if you can see more light pollution in one direction
than another. Show how the
more light pollution there is, the fewer stars one can see. If you happen
to be far from city lights, show them the Milky Way which they can't see from
town. For a final
activity, help the kids learn to use the stars to find north and the other
directions. Have them
search the sky for the Big Dipper. Then show them that the two stars at the
outer end of the dipper's bowl are "pointer stars" pointing to
Polaris, the North Star. As they find
and identify Polaris, have them notice that it is not the brightest star in
the sky as many think. To dig a bit
deeper, these and other topics are elaborated in previous
"Stargazer" columns, which are archived on my Web site and in my
book, “Learning the Night Sky,” about which you can also learn more on my Web
site. Sky
Calendar. Friday
evening, June 18, the first quarter Moon is below Saturn. Early evening,
Saturday and Sunday, June 19 and 20, Venus passes within two moonwidths of
the Beehive star cluster low in the west, Use binoculars to see the subtle
cluster. Sunday
evening, June 20, the Moon is below Virgo's bright star Spica. Monday, June
21, Summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Saturday, June
26, the full Moon, called the Flower Moon, Rose Moon, Strawberry Moon and
Honey Moon, shows a barely visible partial lunar eclipse low in the east just
before dawn. Friday, July
2, the midpoint of the year 2010. Saturday
morning, July 3, The Moon is above Jupiter.
The Sun, Moon
and planets rise in the east and set in the west due to Earth's west-to-east
rotation on its axis. Evenings,
Venus is prominent in the west northwest, Mars is mid way up in the west and
Saturn is high in the southwest. Mornings,
Jupiter, rising around 2 a.m., is brilliant in the southeast by dawn. Stargazer appears every other week, space
permitting. Paul Derrick is an amateur astronomer who lives in Waco. Contact
him at 918 N. 30th, Waco, 76707, (254) 753-6920 or paulderrickwaco@aol.com. See the Stargazer Web site at stargazerpaul.com. ‘Robin
Hood’ reviewed If you’re
looking for the romantic tale of Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, Friar Tuck
and Little John with the wonderful Maid Marion, her soft yet remote
affections drawing at Robin’s emotions, don’t go see this movie. Legend is a
solidly formed series of myths that have emanated from the oral stories that
were repeated for hundreds of years by a specific ethnic or social group of
people. Robin Hood is
such a legend. It
started at the end of the Crusades and the fall of the Roman Empire in
the 1200s and 1300s. Robin was a
sole adventurer for 300 years, robbing the rich and giving to the poor. Friar Tuck,
Little John and Maid Marion entered into the story more than 300 years later
as writers continued to expand on the legend with enthusiastic literary
license. Enter Ridley
Scott, director of “Gladiator,” with screenwriter Brian Helgeland, deciding
to create a story of Robin Hood’s humble beginning before the legend. A prequel,
if you will. Robin Hood’s
legend is tampered with, where legend becomes further fictionalized and
passed off as authentic. This is a
movie that will dazzle with battles, blood and gore. Robin’s
character, played by Russell Crowe, is not the affable, likeable man played
by Errol Flynn in 1938 or Kevin Costner’s 1999 portrayal. This Robin
Hood is a serious, brooding, battle-weary veteran of the Crusades who wants
nothing more than rest and distance from battle. The story
really begins when a dying knight makes Robin promise to return his sword,
illicitly taken from his father, to go to war as a young man. Robin agrees
to this dying man’s request and thus the plot develops. Robin, a
yeoman archer well below knight status, and his men don the uniforms of
deceased knights and return to a hero’s welcome in England. In his quest
to return the sword, he meets Maid Marion Loxley, the dead knight’s widow,
and father-in-law Sir Walter Loxley, to whom the sword belongs. So, in this
story, Maid Marion, played by the forever anemic looking but stunning beauty
Cate Blanchette, is of lower nobility, unfortunately downgrading her from the
original legend. The story
continues and Robin is asked by the old Sir Walter Loxley, played by the very
capable Max von Sydow, to take his son’s place in the family as his son who
has returned from King Richard’s wars. Robin is
amused and Maid Marion scoffs at the idea but both acquiesce for the sake of
the family and the lands. The feudal
Lords of England have been taxed to their limit and a rebellion is stirring
only to be averted as the nation unites to repel an invasion by King Philip
of France. This brings
you to the final climax of the movie and you’ll have to go see it to find out
what happens. Two pleasures
for me, not to mention the fair Cate Blanchette, in this movie was Yes, I liked
the movie. Yes, I recommend it. Yes, go see it. Ed’s rating is three
out of four stars. ««« “Robin Hood”
came in at $37.1 million, which is a very respectable showing against a power
house like “Iron Man,” which takes the weekend with $53 million The next
highest movie was “Letters to Juliet” bringing in $13.9 million. “Letters” is a
very sweet chick flick that will do OK dollar wise, But “Iron Man” and “Robin
Hood” will dominate the money until “Prince of Persia” debuts on the 27th
with Jake Gyllenhaal. “Sex and the
City 2” also will come out that weekend but it will fizzle at the box office. ‘Clash of the Titans’ "Release the Kraken." Zeus (Liem Neeson) orders Hades
to punish the rebellion by men against the gods. Hades has an agenda of his own, go become leader of all the gods and reign hell on man. To the rescue comes Perseus, played by Sam Worthington, the heroic Jake Sully from “Avatar.” Perseus is the unknowing illegitimate son of Zeus. The action begins when
Perseus begins his quest to defeat the Kraken
and send Hades back to the depths of darkness. There are great action scenes that will have you white knuckling the
armrest of your theater seat. Sam Worthington as Perseus gives a visual feast of action scenes throughout the movie. Medusa, played
by an unknown, Natalie Vadianova, will strongly
repulse and captivate simultaneously with her head of undulating snakes. The computer graphics are superb and border on the quality we saw in
Avatar. A PG-13 with no nudity and no vulgar language, the plot may have
been weak but, then again, this is a mythological story. So far,
grossing in at $125-plus million, I'm sure we'll see more
mythology movies. Who knows what Zeus, Apollo, Poseidon or Aphrodite will be up to
next? If you like action movies, go ahead, see or rent this one. You won't
be disappointed. Ed's rating is three and a half stars. «««1/2 ‘Date
Night’ funny “Date Night”
is a very funny, if not hilarious, movie. Rated PG 13, I was a little
uncomfortable with the numerous sexual innuendos and double-entendres. There was no
nudity and negligible foul language, which, I'm supposing makes the
sexual dialog more acceptable. I can only say
I wouldn't take my 13-year-old daughter to this movie. I felt it should
be PG-17. Having said
that, as an adult, I enjoyed the movie. Phil and
Claire played by Steve Carell (The Office, The Forty Year Old Virgin) and
Tina Fey (Saturday Night Live, Sarah Palin impersonator) depict an ordinary
couple from the New Jersey "burbs" who become involved in a case of
mistaken identity. The premise is
formulaic but this movie makes it work. The mistaken identity results
from them stealing a restaurant reservation. The adventure
begins while they're enjoying their dinner, thinking they've been busted when
two thugs approach them and ask them to step outside. Well, that’s
not quite what happens. They end up being chased by mob thugs and corrupt
police. The ensuing
chase and evasion scenes become the hilarious mainstay of the movie. You will laugh
at the mishaps and turn-arounds that occur. There is an
obligatory car chase that has a new twist and will leave you holding your
stomach in uncontrollable, raucous laughter. The Hollywood
staple, Mark Walberg (Four Brothers), makes a surprise appearance as a by-
chance person who reluctantly assists them out of their potentially fatal
situation. I enjoyed the
Phil and Claire characters. Steve Carell and Tina Fey work well together and
played out the mayhem superbly. I'm
recommending this movie as a PG-17. I give it three and a half stars
out of four. Enjoy. «««1/2 ‘Bad’
decisions held To the Editor, I am of the
opinion that Terrell County Commissioners Court made some bad decisions
during the meeting on Monday, June 14. First, they
voted to extend the negotiations regarding Independence Creek for an
additional 60 days. Kenn Norris did not help with his half-baked
motion to extend the process. County Judge
Leo Smith alleged that maintenance is too costly. He has already
refused and the court enables him to disregard my July, 2009, request to
pave side streets similar to the west side of Kerr and Richard Street. Tomorrow, it
will be too costly to maintain the five-mile road. I am certain that
[attorney] Bob Bass' services and time are free to the
county. Lateral road
funding, past and present are also in question. The court needs to
take this matter seriously and cast their votes in a responsible
and tax-payer-minded manner. Second, a vote
to have the community center plans reviewed because all bids are over budget
was not the best decision. This was solely Leo's decision and the
commissioners just went along. Trying to
bring bids within budget will only get us a high priced "outhouse.” The
county and taxpayers would be better served by spending the $1.027
million as it was intended – on county parks. Third, the court's
decision to accept Butch Maldonado's resignation as EMS Director is Leo's
attempt to gain more power and control over the daily business of the county.
The sad part
is that the commissioners allow him to dilute their vote. I heard about this
possibly happening over four months ago. I hope this
resignation does not include the EMS duties themselves. From what I have seen
and heard, Mr. Maldonado has earned the respect of our citizens because of
his effective service and no-nonsense approach to his EMS duties and
responsibilities. At the
meeting, Leo was already talking of someone he knew was interested in the
job. No one should get this job unless all county hiring practices are
followed. All county
officials not prepared to do what is right, fair and fulfills the needs of
the citizens and taxpayers of Terrell County should be prepared to defend
their decisions at the next and subsequent elections. Pete Sanchez, Jr. Sanderson |
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