Sunday, September 06, 2009

Cowgirl Sass & Savvy

The 89-cent pizza

Julie Carter

Cooking has always been a challenge for our boy Dan the Team Roper. He seems to focus on the shortcuts and then wonders why he has a 99-percent failure rate, that he still has to eat.

Dan has established a running record of blowing up tator tot casseroles in the microwave and a subsequent serious failure with his attempt at cornbread in the Crockpot.

His latest venture has been the acquisition of a brand new "deeeluxe" toaster oven and last week's attempt to make a nice supper for himself when he got in from the roping arena.

"They looked real good in the picture on the box," he said his slow Texas cowboy drawl accented with a touch of his happy-hick personna.

"I bought a couple of them 89-cent frozen pizzas and thought they would make a right good supper for me and Mary Margaret."

Mary Margaret is Dan's newest dog who is the replacement for a few "good'uns" that went on to their great reward. She's one of those little dogs that is half a dog high and three dogs long - a black, tan and white Corgi who quickly established her adoration of Dan.

They all - the dog, cat, horses and cowboy - live happily at Dan's place in the woods. The smaller critters 7share the comfort of his trailer house where he has put the bed in the kitchen "where it belongs," he said. I was afraid to ask the logic on that one.

Mary Margaret has her own recliner that she occasionally shares with the cat named Gato. She is not allowed in Dan's recliner and he isn't allowed in her's. It's an understanding they reached early on and it keeps the household orderly.

To give Dan his due, he hasn't always been school-ed in the finer points of dining. One time he and some of his kin headed over to Joe Allen's barbeque joint in Abilene - world famous, at least in those parts.

The waitress that appeared, had on a very low-cut shirt, and was showing an ample amount of cleavage. One of the male kinfolk zoomed right in and was quickly lost in the staring. The waitress gave her spiel of the day's specials and as she wrote the orders, this mesmerized cowboy, still staring, said, "I'll have one."

They waited awhile and lunch appeared. He looked at whatever it was they brought him, unable to identify it, and tells his wife, "Mama, next time we go somewhere and the waitress has more cleavage than I do butt crack, you do the ordering."

Dan's nearly a celebrity now. His following of fans down at the tractor store gathers on Fridays to read the latest of the Dan stories.

When the last cooking adventure showed up in print, they began offering their treasured bachelor cooking recipes, although not all are single. The best one involved tuna, jalapenos and mustard on tortillas and for breakfast, stale Fritos with beer to moisten them.

That particular guy had been rodeoing for a week or so, came home to a Mother Hubbard pantry, woke up hungry and remembered a bag of Fritos in the truck from the last road trip. And, of course, he had beer.

Dan hasn't quite figured out what happened inside the toaster oven but related that the pizzas came out tough enough "to use for new soles on his boots."

"They just didn't look like the picture on the box," he lamented.

He offered them to Mary Margaret and the last he saw, she was tossing one around like a plastic Frisbee and wasn't quite sure it was something she should eat.

Dan said soon after he was headed out to find some pliers to try to get the cheese off that "thing" in the bottom of the toaster oven.

I hope he remembered to unplug it first.

I'd say it might be a real hair-curling event, but with Dan, there would be no evidence of that.

Visit Julie's Web site at www.julie-carter.com. Her books are available there..

It's The Pitts: It’s Not My Fault

Lee Pitts

Have you noticed how nothing is nobody's fault any more. An accused mass murderer is not guilty because his daddy whipped him when he was a pup. Or his mother took away his teddy bear. If a politician gets caught with his pants down it's not his fault... it's the media's fault for bringing it to the attention of his wife.

Currently the art of excuse-making is being raised to new heights by husbands, Wall Street businessmen and politicians.

Naturally, there are occasions around the ranch and home when even you might need a good excuse that was written by a professional. Here are some of my favorite excuses that may come in handy for you someday. Just remember, if my excuse doesn’t work don’t blame me for the failure of your career, car or marriage (choose one). It was bound to fall apart sooner or later.

"I'm sorry officer, I know I was speeding but my tail lights don't work and just to be safe I wanted to get home in a hurry before it gets dark. Safety first is my motto."

"How was I supposed to know you were coming home early? It’s all your fault: you should have called."

"Honey, I know I failed to feed the kids and the cows, and a few other minor jobs, but I had to take the week off to get my teeth cleaned." Or, if you don’t like that one try this... "I know you told me to feed the kids good food while you were gone to your sisters but we ran out of Velveeta, Kool Aid and beer nuts."

"Yes, I know he built her a new house, bought her a Mercedes and took her to Italy but it’s all your fault, not mine. She made a better marriage than you did."

"Hi honey, I'm home. I know I'm late but the clock broke at the bar."

"I know I didn't get you that expensive bubble bath you wanted for your birthday. Have you tried eating chili beans and taking a bath? It works for me."

"That darn calf must have just fell on the wrong branding iron."

"Well, if those darn writers would write shorter stories maybe I wouldn't spend all my time in there reading. So there!"

"I'm afraid sir that my wife must have left my deer tags in my other pants. Besides, how was I supposed to know the gun was loaded? There’s no warning label."

"If you wouldn't have been driving so fast in the first place my spit cup never would have fallen over."

"I know I promised you that we'd be rich some day but how was I to know that my wealthy parents would live so long?"

"I’ll admit that if I hadn’t been drinking that maybe our new pickup would not have been stolen. But I did get the license plate number of our truck as the thieves drove away."

"I didn't want to wake you so I just stayed out till I knew you'd be awake. Wasn’t that thoughtful of me?" (This excuse is usually followed by the sound... KABOOM!)

"I had to order out because dinner wasn’t ready. I thought I heard you say 60 degrees at 450 minutes! It's not my fault you gave bad directions."

"I realize now that I should not have cut up my newest pair of Wranglers to make eye patches but they were the only clean pair. Maybe if you'd do the laundry a little more often we wouldn't have these problems." (Warning: If you use this one you’d better be ready to run fast or defend yourself!)

"I'll agree that we don't get much milk from that cow I bought at the auction but it's not his fault."

"I know I should have been there... but we'll have other kids." (Probably not.)

More Pork For Pig Farmers

The Agriculture Department, in a bid to help the ailing pork industry, said Thursday it will buy another $30 million of pork in an effort to boost prices. The USDA already has pledged to purchase $121 million of pork this year for government food-assistance programs, but producers continue to struggle. "This action will help mitigate further downward prices, stabilize market conditions, stimulate the economy, and provide high-quality, nutritious food to recipients of USDA's nutrition programs," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said...WSJ

If $121 million didn't work what makes them think another $30 million will?

It won't mitigate, it won't stabilize and it damn sure won't stimulate anything except my typing fingers.

If the gov't could buy our way to prosperity they'd a done it a long time ago.

These pussy pig farmers can now join the ranks of other government lackeys and inbred industries - Wall Street, banking, autos, etc.

It's a bunch of political pig shit and I can smell it clear down here at Mesquite.

Get a Gun in D.C. -- Do You Feel Lucky?

It took $833.69, a total of 15 hours 50 minutes, four trips to the Metropolitan Police Department, two background checks, a set of fingerprints, a five-hour class and a 20-question multiple-choice exam. Oh, and the votes of five Supreme Court justices. They're the ones who really made it possible for me, as a District resident, to own a handgun, a constitutional right as heavily debated and rigorously parsed as the freedoms of speech and religion. Reluctantly, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's administration set up a process through which about 550 residents -- now including yours truly -- have acquired a handgun. But as my four trips to the police department attest, D.C. officials haven't made it easy. Which was exactly their intent...WPost

Song Of The Day #126

Our gospel tune today is Mac Wiseman singing I'd Rather Live By The Side Of The Road.

This version is from his 6 disk box set 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered: Complete Recordings 1951-1964.


Friday, September 04, 2009

White House hiring contractor to collect e-mail, comments from social networks

The White House is hiring a contractor to harvest information about Americans from its pages on social networking websites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr. The National Legal and Policy Center, or NLPC, revealed the White House New Media team is seeking to hire a technology vendor to collect data such as comments, tag lines, e-mail, audio and video from any place where the White House "maintains a presence" – for a period of up to eight years. "The contractor shall provide the necessary services to capture, store, extract to approved formats, and transfer content published by EOP (Executive Office of the President) on publicly-accessible web sites, along with information posted by non-EOP persons on publicly-accessible web sites where the EOP offices under PRA (Presidential Records Act) maintains a presence," the posting states. According to the 51-page solicitation of bids posted Aug. 21, the purpose of the mining and archiving project is to "comply with the Presidential Records Act," though the listing does not specify how the information will be used. It states that the government is currently collecting data from social networks both programmatically and by use of daily screenshots. Contractors must agree to keep information disclosed by the EOP in the "strictest confidence" and restrict access "to those employees who must have the information to perform the work provided herein on a 'need-to-know' basis."...WND

Wolves Shot, Boycotts Called, Fur Flies

Game officials and wolf hunt fans often say the same thing when it comes to the wolf hunt in Idaho and the upcoming one in Montana. Don’t worry, they say. Wolves are fast, nocturnal and darn hard to draw a bead on. The question of just how tough they are to shoot even came up in federal court, where U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy on Monday heard a plea by environmental groups for an injunction to stop the wolf hunt seasons. “Isn’t there evidence ... that with fair-chase hunting, not many wolves will be killed?” Molloy asked. Yes, that’s right, as Steven Strack, attorney for the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, explained during the hearing. “There are nine million acres of wilderness areas in Idaho,” Strack said. It’s hard to even spot a wolf without using a helicopter, traps, baits or motor vehicles like ATVs (which are not legally allowed in the hunts), he noted. The news from Idaho this week seemed to, well, blow a hole in that theory. On the very first day of the first wolf hunt ever in the Lower 48, two Idaho men shot and bagged wolves. Robert Millage of Kamiah told longtime outdoor writer Rocky Barker of the Idaho Statesman that he was surrounded by a pack of wolves before dawn. He used a hand call that “sounded like a wounded coyote,” and when an 80-pound female came running, he shot her, Barker reports. (To see the story in full, click here.) “The whole area is lousy with them,” Millage told Barker. Archery hunter Jay Mize of Emmet, Idaho saw a wolf spooking his horse at a lake near Stanley, Idaho. “He walked back into his tent, put his rifle together and shot the wolf,” Barker’s story continues. Those and other tales are going viral this week as the sporting world—and beyond—waits to hear whether Judge Molloy will issue the injunction sought by the coalition of 13 environmental groups trying to halt the hunts...NewWest

Video - Actress Ashley Judd Opposes Wolf Hunts

Wolf Lovers Rip Into Lewiston Hunter

Robert Millage’s phone wouldn’t stop ringing Wednesday and his e-mail in-box was choked with messages. Most of the people contacting Millage are not happy with him, and they are not shy about letting him know. He’s been called a wolf murderer and every dirty name in the book. I have a thick skin and a good sense of humor. What am I going to do, yell back at them?” he said. “I obeyed the law and did what (Idaho Department of) Fish and Game wanted us to do. I can sleep well.” On Tuesday, Millage, of Kamiah, became one of the first hunters in Idaho to legally kill a wolf. He was featured in several news stories that quickly went around the globe via the World Wide Web. Before long, some people opposed to wolf hunting posted Millage’s contact information on Web sites like Craigslist and Facebook. He received about 50 phone calls and hundreds of e-mails...SpokesmanReview

Oregon tried to deter wolves for months

Federal hunters prepared to resume hunting Friday for two wolves responsible for killing more than two-dozen head of livestock at eastern Oregon ranches. Federal hunters will resume the hunt today for wolves responsible for killing more than two dozen head of livestock at eastern Oregon ranches. Coupled with controversial wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana, Oregon's decision to kill the two wolves, a male and a female, has produced an uproar among conservation, ranching and farming groups. Meanwhile, state reports show the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife tried a series of nonlethal tactics after wolves killed 24 lambs and a calf at two Keating Valley ranches in April. The efforts succeeded for several months, but new attacks in late August, on three more lambs and a goat, resulted in the state issuing permits to kill the wolves. Capturing and relocating the wolves is not an option under Oregon's wolf management plan because they've repeatedly attacked livestock, said Michelle Dennehy, spokeswoman for the department...TheOregonian

Paperwork blamed for misdirected Canadian cattle

A Pacific Northwest beef processor says a paperwork error resulted in a herd of 402 cattle imported from Canada being incorrectly shipped to a Washington ranch without being tested for disease. According to Agri Beef Co., documentation related to 198 spayed heifers and 204 steers incorrectly stated the destination to be the Agri Beef-owned El Oro feedlot in Moses Lake, Wash., rather than the ranch near Northport, Wash., where they currently are. State regulations don't require the testing of cattle headed directly for a feedlot. Agri Beef Executive Vice President Rick Stott told the Capital Press the Boise, Idaho-based company is working with the Washington State Department of Agriculture to resolve the issue. The cattle should have been tested for bovine tuberculosis and were not, Stott said. They have been isolated by the rancher who has the cattle. He will bring them to a quarantined feedlot area for testing, escorted by representatives of the WSDA. "All of those cattle are electronically, individually ID'd," Stott said. "The fact we have individual electronic identification tags provides the highest level of integrity that every one of those animals will be accounted for and tested." Brucellosis testing is not required for spayed heifers, according to an Agri Beef press release. In the meantime, a U.S. cattle producer organization has asked the USDA to investigate the processor, alleging anticompetitive practices. R-CALF USA Chief Executive Officer Bill Bullard sent a memo to the USDA Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. In it, he claimed Agri Beef's cattle commingled with domestic cattle owned by U.S. ranchers who lawfully grazed their cattle...CapitalPress

Governor vetoes card check for farmworkers

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a union-backed bill that would have required farmers to negotiate with a labor union if a majority of their employees signed membership agreements. It marks the fourth time the governor has rejected requiring farm owners to abide by what are known as card-check provisions. The bill he vetoed Wednesday, SB789 by State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, was similar to federal legislation for nonfarm employees that is the subject of an intense battle between business and labor forces in Congress. Unions now must win a secret-ballot election to represent private-sector employees. Both the federal and state measures would allow unions to gain the same status by signing up more than half an employer's workforce...SFChronicle

New Whiskey Row bar top conjures up plenty of history

The bar top at Matt's Saloon on Whiskey Row may be new, but it's branded with a whole lot of history. Dozens of longtime ranchers and their families showed up Tuesday for the unveiling of the bar top that showcases their cattle brands and family names. Saloon owners Matt Brassard and Marco Espitia raised a shot glass with Matt Butitta, who gave the two young men a chance to run a saloon eight years ago just like Butitta got the chance as a young man in 1962. Then all the ranching families surged toward the bar to find their brands. "I haven't seen that many cowboys in that bar for I don't know how long," Espitia said. "I know it's just a bar top, but it's more than that," Brassard said. "Their kids and grandkids will be able to come in someday and say, 'Hey, that's my granddad's brand.'" The sight of so many of their old friends got the ranchers to reminiscing about some of their early days on Whiskey Row and out on the range...DailyCourier

WhereverTV Develops The Cowboys Network Widget With Retro Films.HD

WhereverTV today announced development of The Cowboys Network widget by Retro Films.HD for the Yahoo! Widget Engine. The Cowboys Network widget will be on display at Samsung's Internet@TV booth area in Hall 20 at IFA 2009 being held in Berlin September 4-9, 2009. Soon consumers with Internet-connected televisions powered by the Yahoo! Widget Engine will be able to access more than 1,000 digitally re-mastered Cowboy Western films featuring John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Slim Pickens, Rex Allen, Sr. and many other legends of their time via The Cowboys Network Widget. TV Widgets enable popular Internet services and online media to reach viewers with applications specifically tailored to meet the needs of the television watcher. During the 1930's, 40's and 50's approximately 400 "Singing Cowboy" films and 1,000 "B" Westerns were made. Those films represent not only a very special time in American history but helped set values for generations to come. The Cowboys Network is dedicated to bringing this special slice of Americana to Cowboy and Western fans world-wide through its Yahoo! TV Widget...PressRelease

Song Of The Day #125

Jim & Jesse McReynolds were two brothers from Coeburn, Virginia. Jim sang and played guitar, Jesse sang and played mandolin in a unique "crosspicking" method he invented. They signed their first recording contract in 1952 with Capitol Records.

Today's selection is their 1952 recording Are You Missing Me and it's available on the 20 track CD Jim & Jesse 1952-1955

'Green Jobs' Adviser's Past Could Stir Trouble for White House at Critical Time

President Obama's "green jobs" adviser could become a mounting liability for the Obama administration, as the latest revelation about Van Jones shows his apparent belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks may have been an inside job. Jones joined the "9/11 truther" movement by signing a statement in 2004 calling for then-New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and others to launch an investigation into evidence that suggests "people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war." The statement asked a series of critical questions hinting at Bush administration involvement in the attacks and called for "deeper inquiry." It was also signed by former Rep. Cynthia McKinney and Code Pink co-founder Jodie Evans. But on Thursday, Jones tried to distance himself from the position, saying "In recent days some in the news media have reported on past statements I made before I joined the administration – some of which were made years ago. If I have offended anyone with statements I made in the past, I apologize. As for the petition [9/11 statement] that was circulated today, I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever."...FoxNews

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Feds didn't clear brush in wildfire area

Federal authorities failed to follow through on plans earlier this year to burn away highly flammable brush in a forest on the edge of Los Angeles to avoid the very kind of wildfire now raging there, The Associated Press has learned. Months before the huge blaze erupted, the U.S. Forest Service obtained permits to burn away the undergrowth and brush on more than 1,700 acres of the Angeles National Forest. But just 193 acres had been cleared by the time the fire broke out, Forest Service resource officer Steve Bear said. Could more have been done to clear tinder-dry hillsides and canyons? "We don't necessarily disagree with that," Bear said. "We weren't able to complete what we wanted to do." Some critics suggested that protests from environmentalists over prescribed burns contributed to the disaster, which came after the brush was allowed to build up for as much as 40 years. "This brush was ready to explode," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, whose district overlaps the forest. "The environmentalists have gone to the extreme to prevent controlled burns, and as a result we have this catastrophe today."...AP

As hybrid cars gobble rare metals, shortage looms

The Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods. That makes Toyota's market-leading gasoline-electric hybrid car and other similar vehicles vulnerable to a supply crunch predicted by experts as China, the world's dominant rare earths producer, limits exports while global demand swells. Worldwide demand for rare earths, covering 15 entries on the periodic table of elements, is expected to exceed supply by some 40,000 tonnes annually in several years unless major new production sources are developed. One promising U.S. source is a rare earths mine slated to reopen in California by 2012. Among the rare earths that would be most affected in a shortage is neodymium, the key component of an alloy used to make the high-power, lightweight magnets for electric motors of hybrid cars, such as the Prius, Honda Insight and Ford Focus, as well as in generators for wind turbines...Reuters

Also see China Tightens Grip on Rare Minerals.

Will Support for Cap-and-Trade Energy Tax Melt Away?

People aren’t willing to pay much to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases to fight global warming, according to a Washington Post-ABC News Poll. 52 percent said they would support a law that “significantly lowered greenhouse gas emissions” — but only if it cost them less than $10 a month. Only 39 percent said they would support such a law if it cost them $25 a month — which is vastly less than it would actually cost. In the name of cutting greenhouse gases, the House passed a cap-and-trade carbon tax scheme backed by the Obama Administration in June. But the bill won’t significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions even in the U.S. One reason is that the bill was larded up with corporate welfare. 85 percent of its carbon allowances were given away to special interests free of charge, thanks to lobbying that turned the bill into an orgy of corporate welfare. The bill also contains environmentally-harmful provisions, such as massive ethanol subsidies, which will result in “damage to water supplies, soil health and air quality.” Ethanol subsidies have resulted in forests being destroyed in the Third World, and caused famines that have killed countless people in places like Haiti. Worse, the cap-and-trade tax will cost much, much more than $25 a month — with politically connected businesses like GE profiting at the expense of the taxpayer, as the Washington Examiner’s Tim Carney has chronicled in story after story. Carney calls the bill a “hidden bailout” for GE and other well-connected businesses...OpenMarket

Three Wolves Killed Since Season Opened Tuesday

Few hunters turned out for the first day of Idaho's first wolf hunt Tuesday. Yet Wednesday morning, word started spreading that Robert Millage, of Kamiah, snagged the first wolf kill for the state. By his fellow hunters, Millage is congratulated. However, he says he has received some hate calls and messages. Idaho Fish and Game's tracking website showed three wolves were harvested, two in the Lolo zone and the third in the Sawtooth area. Elk herds in these two areas are considered to be impacted the most by wolves. Two more zones are scheduled to open Sept. 15. The rest, including the zones covering Eastern Idaho, will begin Oct. 1. Idaho set a quota of 220 wolves this season as part of its plan for managing the population, now estimated at more than 800...LocalNews8

Global forest destruction seen overestimated

The amount of carbon emissions caused by world forest destruction is likely far less than the 20 percent figure being widely used before global climate talks in December, said the head of the Brazilian institute that measures Amazon deforestation. Gilberto Camara, the director of Brazil's respected National Institute for Space Research, said the 20 percent tally was based on poor science but that rich countries had no interest in questioning it because the number put more pressure on developing countries to stem greenhouse gases. A lower estimate for carbon emissions from deforestation would have an impact on the Copenhagen talks, where preserving forests is a top item on the agenda. Given that the Amazon accounts for about a quarter of deforestation globally, a figure of about 10 percent for total emissions caused by forest destruction is likely to be more accurate, Camara said. The 20 percent figure used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was based on calculations from sampling of forests by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), he said. The FAO method came up with an average annual figure of 31,000 sq km (12,000 sq miles) deforested in the Amazon from 2000-2005. But Brazil's method of using satellite images to measure deforestation "pixel by pixel" was far more accurate and showed a figure of 21,500 sq km for the period, Camara said. For 2005-2009, the FAO estimate was double the correct figure, Camara said. "The FAO grossly overestimated deforestation in Brazil and there are papers that show that such overestimation is also true for many other countries, including of course Indonesia."...Reuters

Vast shift in bird species expected from warming

Birds of a feather will no longer flock together, and some California species will face extinction as a result of global warming, according to a study released Tuesday by PRBO Conservation Science. The study, which predicts how birds in California will adapt to changing climatic conditions, says there will be a dramatic change in the pecking order of the avian world over the next 60 years. In one fell swoop, the changes in bird habitats and behavior between now and 2070 will equal the evolutionary and adaptive shifts that normally occur over tens of thousands of years, according to researchers with PRBO, also known as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory. "What we found is that not only will species shift and communities change, but the composition of communities in certain places will not resemble anything we see today," said Diana Stralberg, a landscape ecologist and the lead author of the report, "Reshuffling of Species With Climate Disruption: A No-Analog Future for California Birds?" "Species will exist in different and unusual combinations," she said. "Food and prey might not be available, and there may be unanticipated interactions with other species, including predators."...SFChronicle

View the report here.

Vet dies of rare virus from horse

QUEENSLAND vet Alister Rodgers lost his battle with the lethal Hendra virus overnight, dying after two weeks in a coma. Dr Rodgers, of the Rockhampton Veterinary Clinic, was infected with the virus when he treated a sick filly - thought at the time to be suffering from snakebite - at the J4S stud in central Queensland on July 28. Despite an experimental treatment with anti-viral drugs, he fell into a coma three weeks later. The Australian Veterinary Association today paid tribute to Dr Rodgers. “We extend the sympathy of veterinarians around the country to Alister's family, friends and workmates,” AVA president Mark Lawrie said. “Unfortunately this problem is not going to go away. “We hope that answers can be found so that we never have to mourn the loss of another colleague to Hendra.”...The Australian.

BP Finds Giant Oil Field Deep in Gulf of Mexico

BP announced on Wednesday the discovery of what it characterized as a giant oil field several miles under the Gulf of Mexico, but it may take years to assess how much crude can actually be recovered. The discovery should have no immediate effect on world oil or gasoline prices because it could take three years or more to begin extracting oil. Because the oil is so deep underwater and difficult to extract, the price of oil will need to be above $70 a barrel to make drilling profitable, energy analysts said. Nevertheless, the discovery was another indication that the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico are probably the most promising area in United States-controlled territory to bolster domestic oil production. The rise in gulf production in recent years, in large part because of BP’s deep-water giant Thunder Horse field, has stabilized domestic production after almost two decades of yearly declines. “This is big,” said Chris Ruppel, a senior energy analyst at Execution L.L.C., a London investment bank. “It says we’re seeing that improved technology is unlocking resources that were before either undiscovered or too costly to exploit because of economics.” The discovery, called the Tiber well, is about 250 miles southeast of Houston at a depth of more than 35,000 feet — greater than the height of Mount Everest — and well below the gulf floor...NYTimes

EPA proposes illegal rule

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sent a draft proposed rule to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that would exempt small emitters of carbon dioxide (CO2) from Clean Air Act (CAA) pre-construction permitting requirement, Greenwire reports. The proposed rule, as described in Greenwire, is blatantly illegal. It is a tacit admission that the Supreme Court decision in Massachusetts v. EPA set the stage for an economic disaster. It is additional evidence that Mass v. EPA was wrongly decided. It confirms CEI’s warning that the Court’s ruling imperils a core constitutional principle — the separation of powers. In Mass. v. EPA, the Supreme Court, by a narrow 5-4 majority, decided that CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHG) are “air pollutants” within the meaning of CAA, and gave EPA three options: (1) issue a finding that GHG-related “air pollution” “may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health or welfare,” (2) issue a finding of no endangerment, or (3) provide a “reasonable explanation” why the agency cannot or will not exercise its discretion to make such a determination. The Court further held that if EPA makes a finding of endangerment, then it has a duty, under CAA Sec. 202, to develop and adopt GHG emission standards for new motor vehicles. EPA picked option (1), and last month, it sent OMB a draft proposed rule to establish GHG emission standards for new motor vehicles...OpenMarket

Actress removing illegal rock work on Rogue River

Actress Kim Novak and her husband have begun removing large rocks illegally placed along the banks of the Rogue River to control erosion on their ranch in southern Oregon. Environmental Protection Agency officials told the Mail Tribune newspaper that Novak and her husband, Robert Malloy, had the rocks installed three years ago along a 345-foot stretch of the river in Eagle Point without the proper federal permits. EPA aquatic ecologist Yvonne Vallette says the river is regulated under the Endangered Species Act as critical habitat for salmon, and the rock work was changing the natural function of the river. She adds that authorities were willing to grant a permit after the fact, but negotiations broke down. AP

Whose Valles Caldera is it?

But unlike Yellowstone, which is managed by the National Park Service, the preserve has a radically different management structure. It is not managed by any federal agency; instead, it is run by a federal corporation known as the Valles Caldera Trust and its board of politically appointed trusties. Congress passed the Valles Caldera Preservation Act to establish the preserve and trust, and also gave it the unusual mandate that it must be operated as a working ranch and become financially self-sustaining. Anyone who read the Preservation Act couldn’t fail to see its conflicting goals: preservation of the land, the former Baca Ranch, along with exploitation of the land in order to make a profit and sustain the trust. Tom Ribe of the Valles Caldera Action organization, a watchdog group, is one of the disappointed conservationists who formerly supported the preserve. "We worked hard in 2000 to get the Valles Caldera in public hands," he said, “but it was a deeply troubled idea from the start, and we gave up on it entirely sometime in 2007." Now, he says, “the trust model has no constituency and offers no advantage and many drawbacks over traditional land management." The wheels in Washington turn slowly, but there is hope for change. Both New Mexico Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman and Tom Udall say they want the National Park Service to study brin ging the preserve under federal management. That indicates there’s still hope we can do something right for this wonderful land...HCN

Writers of the Native American Renaissance

In Beauty I Walk: The Literary Roots of Native American Writing Edited by Jarod Ramsey and Lori Burlingame 395 pages, softcover: $27.95. University of New Mexico Press, 2008. "Appreciation" is a slippery word, especially when applied to culture. More shallow than understanding, but deeper than mere pleasure, you might describe it as knowledge lite. Perhaps that's why In Beauty I Walk: The Literary Roots of Native American Writing, which emphasizes the "appreciation" of Native texts, leaves you feeling like you've brushed against something far more tangled and complex than the soothing, earth-toned cover would suggest. The selections range from traditional creation myths, stories, songs and poetry to modern short stories and plays. Contributors, including Sarah Winnemucca, Mourning Dove and Lynn Riggs, address themes many people are familiar with as history but not necessarily as narrative -- betrayals of trust between white settlers and Indians, assimilationist boarding schools, failed interracial marriages. Editors Jarold Ramsey and Lori Burlingame provide background for and analysis of most of the writings, even while noting the controversies involved...HCN

Homeland Security’s Goal: Allow 70 percent of Bad Guys Through Ports of Entry

According to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Border Patrol, the vast majority of illegal aliens and contraband attempting to move across our border through official ports of entry will succeed. In other words, our border security fails most of the time—not out in remote desert areas, but at official ports of entry where people and vehicles can be stopped and screened. “At the ports of entry,” reports GAO, “CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) has both increased training for agents and enhanced technology. However, the DHS Annual Performance Report for fiscal years 2008-2010 sets a goal for detecting and apprehending about 30 percent of major illegal activity at ports of entry in 2009, indicating that 70 percent of criminals and contraband may pass through the ports and continue on interstates and major roads to the interior of the United States.” Homeland Security’s in-house performance review paints a devastating picture of an agency failing dismally in carrying out a vital national security function of the federal government...CNSNews

Could The Feds Seize The Internet?

A Senate bill lets the president "declare a cybersecurity emergency" relating to "nongovernmental" computer networks and do what's needed to respond to the threat. Didn't they just collect our e-mail addresses? Senate Bill 773 would grant the administration emergency powers (where have we heard that before?) in the event of a cyberemergency that the president would have the power to define and declare. Have we already forgotten the administration wanting Americans to spy on their neighbors and report "fishy" communications opposing health care to flag@whitehouse.gov? Didn't oodles of our e-mail addresses wind up in the White House from which then came unsolicited e-mails supporting ObamaCare? A working draft of the legislation, which is in its second incarnation, obtained by an Internet privacy group, would grant the secretary of commerce access to all privately owned information networks deemed critical to the nation's infrastructure "without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule or policy restricting such access."...IBD

Song Of The Day #124

What's The Matter With The Mill by Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys is our tune today. Tommy Duncan and Bob Wills both do some singing on this number.

The song was recorded on Sept. 29, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois

In addition to Wills & Duncan, there were 12 musicians in the recording session and some of the greats were there: Herman Arnspiger - guitar, Jesse Ashlock - fiddle, Leon McAuliffe - steel and Al Stricklin - piano.

Will's music is widely available as you can see here.

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Trading Jobs For Bugs In Coal Country

Interestingly, other research suggests that the total number of insects in affected streams is not substantially reduced. Hardier insect populations thrive in the absence of mayflies. Yet the EPA alleges that smaller mayfly populations are an "impairment" of "water quality." In the past, decisions as to whether discharges from a proposed surface coal mine affect "water quality" were delegated to state regulators pursuant to the state primacy process developed by Congress. Since Obama took office, however, the EPA has seized control of the permitting process so it can reinterpret the definition of "water quality" to better accommodate the mayfly. Citing its concern for "macroinvertebrates" (i.e., bugs), the EPA in March and April objected to Clean Water Act permits in West Virginia, Virginia and Kentucky. In July, at the behest of environmental groups like Earthjustice, EPA revoked West Virginia's waiver to issue water quality permits without review. It's only a matter of time before the EPA challenges the authority of other Appalachian states to regulate their own industries. The permitting process for surface mining in Appalachia has ground to a halt. There's a backlog of hundreds of permits and the National Mining Association says the process has become a "regulatory black hole."...IBD

UK to get 'motorways for animals'

Some of England's most endangered species could be brought back from the brink of extinction as the result of a year-long government wildlife review to be launched tomorrow, which will focus on "rewilding" – returning land to its natural state – and extending habitats. The review, to be announced this week by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Hilary Benn, is aimed at expanding "ecological corridors". These will allow animals to migrate across the country when climate change threatens their existing homes, and will slow the dramatic loss of species caused by decades of intensive farming and urban development...Independent

U.S. flooded with endangered species requests

When WildEarth Guardians filed two petitions in the space of a month to list 681 species under the Endangered Species Act, it came as a shock to biologists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Organizations normally seek protection for just one animal or plant at a time. The Center for Native Ecosystems, another group active in petitioning under the Endangered Species Act, has filed requests involving 27 species over the last 10 years. So the filing of nearly 700 offerings at once struck federal officials as excessive. The Endangered Species Act requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to make and publish specific findings for petitioned species within 90 days, to the extent practicable. "This was not envisioned by the [act] and it's not helpful to us at all because it takes an enormous amount of resources to look at this," said Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Ann Carlson. "Very few of those [in the petition] need our help, and it's taking away from the species that do need our help." "It's a big deal, a very big deal for us," said Ms. Carlson, who was in charge of conducting administrative reviews on 206 of the species filed in July 2007 with the agency's Mountain-Prairie regional office in Denver. Petitions on behalf of 475 other species had been filed a month earlier with the Southwest regional office in New Mexico. The agency in August approved 29 of the 206 species for further comment and review, which ultimately could result in threatened or endangered listings. The 475-species petition is still under review...WashingtonTimes

What Makes California Wildfires So Devastating?

California’s struggle with wildfires has been attributed to global warming but it’s time to take a realistic approach and review the poorly designed environmental rules and regulations that contribute to the annual infernos that rage across my state. Protecting human habitats is a secondary concern for many environmentalists who zealously push to protect any animal on the “endangered species” list without an eye for the broader implications of their policies. One animal in particular is the kangaroo rat. Because of it’s endangered status farmers, ranchers, and property owners are forbidden from clearing shrubbery where the rodent lives. This shrubbery and undergrowth on California’s hills and back country is allowed to slowly build until it becomes a tinder box waiting for ignition. For example, San Diego has protected over 170,000 acres of habitat for more than 1,000 plant species and 380 animal species. The urge to protect endangered species is admirable, but the resulting fires burn with such intensity that it actually makes it harder for the animals and the habitat to recover. California, and the federal government, need to loosen environmental regulations and make way for common sense. “The core problem is that species protection prohibits many ordinary fire precautions,” wrote Hugh Hewitt, a California radio talk show host. “You cannot clear coastal sage scrub, no matter how dense, if a gnatcatcher nests within it – unless the federal government provides a written permission slip which is extraordinarily difficult to obtain.”...DCWriteUp

Secretary Salazar could take a wildlife management lesson from NM Governor Bill Richardson

Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, has made some popular decisions on restricting oil leases, but has made some very controversial decisions on wildlife management. Governor Bill Richardson (NM-D) is making a valiant effort to protect both, but he has to file a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management, to get it done. According to Court House News, August 28, 2009, Governor Richardson, says the Bush-era BLM violated environmental law by approving oil and gas development on rare and sensitive grasslands in Southern New Mexico. The state of New Mexico claims that a January 2005 decision on Otero Mesa violates several federal laws, as well as state environmental and water regulations. After natural gas was discovered on Otero Mesa in 1998, the BLM released development options in 2000 that advanced "significant protections" for the rare grasslands area. Then in, 2003, under the Bush administration, the proposal emerged with a substantially different plan that greatly reduced the previous environmental protection. Furthermore, Richardson’s office said they were forced to sue the feds after the BLM rejected the state’s recommendation in April, 2009, for stricter environmental protection for Otero Mesa. The complaint states that after the 2003 decision that buckled to the oil industry, the state responded with a report the following year, outlining violation of local policies. The state’s report showed that the BLM decision violated New Mexico environmental protection policies, water quality regulations, regulations governing cultural and archeological resources, and planning for alternative energy development...Examiner

Kill Order Made On Wolves Killing Livestock

A kill order has been put out on the first wolves caught killing livestock in Oregon since they began moving to the state. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said Tuesday that extensive efforts were made to convince the wolves to leave livestock alone, but haven't worked. She says federal hunters have been given a permit to kill the pair, and the rancher has permission to shoot them to protect his stock. The two wolves were wolves caught on camera last April standing over the carcasses of dead sheep...KPTV

World's 1st Cloned Wolf Dies of Unknown Cause

A scientist in South Korea says one of the world's first cloned wolves has died for unknown reasons. Seoul National University professor Shin Nam-sik says the wolf, named Snuwolf, was found dead at its zoo on Aug. 26. Shin, who was involved in the project that produced the two first cloned wolves in 2005, said Tuesday that autopsy results will be released in about a week. Shin said the other cloned wolf remains healthy...FoxNews

Mustang Training Competition Offers $300K in Prize Money

The Extreme Mustang Makeover will offer an estimated $300,000 in prize money as it enters its third year of competition. "We've been very fortunate in this economy to be able to sell out all of our events with the average adoption of the mustangs holding at about $1,000 per head," said Mustang Heritage Foundation Executive Director Patti Colbert. "Our goal each year has been to place 1,000 mustangs in good homes through the Extreme Mustang Makeover and our Trainers Incentive Program and the American public has responded. We will close out 2009 with 1,000 of our nation's wild horses gentled and starting new relationships with their adopters." Trainer applications are available for events taking place in Oregon, California, and Colorado, with more events planned for Tennessee and Nebraska. First up in the "regular season" will be the $10,000 estimated Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover March 19-21 held in conjunction with the Northwest Horse Fair and Expo in Albany, Ore. Trainer applications are due November 1 and are available though the event Web site. Forty geldings will be gentled for this competition with up to 40 trainers accepted to participate in the event. Trainers can apply for more than one horse to train. The 2010 season will begin with a return engagement to the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo January 22-23 as Mustang Magic brings 15 of the 2009 season's top trainers in an invitational competition featuring horses they picked by draw in September during the Extreme Mustang Makeover Western Stampede in Fort Worth. Trainers competing in this event were among the top three contenders during 2009 events...TheHorse

Rise and fall of the sheep and wool era in South Texas

Like the cowboy and vaquero, the shepherd was at home in South Texas. Flocks of sheep grazed the range from Corpus Christi to Laredo, making this one of the top wool-producing places in the country. Carretas loaded with wool, from as far away as Mexico, rolled into Corpus Christi, one of the world’s great wool markets. The sheep era began about 1850 when W. W. Chapman, an Army officer, was transferred to Corpus Christi to head the Army’s new 8th Military District depot. Chapman realized that the area’s rich grasslands made ideal sheep country. He set up a sheep camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek and brought in purebred Merinos from Pennsylvania. The Merino, unmatched for the quality of its wool, was too delicate for this climate. While Mexican sheep could take the heat, they had a coarse wool. Chapman figured that fine-wooled Merinos bred with tough Mexican sheep would produce a hardy breed with a fine fleece. Merino cross-breeds became the golden fleece of South Texas. James Bryden, a sheepman from Scotland, was among immigrants attracted here by Henry Kinney’s land promotion efforts. Chapman hired Bryden to handle his sheep. In payment for watching the flock, Bryden was given part of the natural increase and a share in the wool profits. Bryden grazed the sheep along Santa Gertrudis Creek. The following year, in 1853, Richard King bought 15,000 acres to begin his ranch near the Chapman sheep camp. King purchased 10 Merino bucks and 42 Mexican ewes; within a decade, he had some 40,000 sheep. His main sheep camp was called Borregas...CallerTimes

Oil & Milk

We will stick with oil as long as oil is cheaper than milk. Oil $74.16 a barrel, milk $168 a barrel.

From OzoneSky and based on this Bloomberg article.

Song Of The Day #123

Ranch Radio says let's have a double doss of Al Dexter and His Troopers this morning.

We'll start with his #1 hit from 1943 Pistol Packin' Mama. Republic Pictures made a movie with the same title and based on the song, and the tune became the marching chorus for the 1943 New York Yankess. We'll follow that with I Learned About Love.

Dexter was another one of those early country singers who seemed to have heck with women. Poor ol' Al, they were either packin' a gun or hangin' around cocktail bars.

Go here to check out his music.


Tuesday, September 01, 2009

EPA should set nutrient limits to block dead zones, agency's inspector general says

The Environmental Protection Agency should move immediately to adopt enforceable limits on the release of nutrient pollutants -- such as fertilizer and sewage -- into rivers and streams to halt the creation of dangerously low oxygen areas in water bodies, and the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico should be one of its first targets, the agency's Office of Inspector General said in a report made public today. "We believe selecting nationally significant waters and acting to set standards for nutrients in them is a minimal first step if EPA is to meet the requirements of the (Clean Water Act)," the report said. "Critical national waters such as the Gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi River require standards that, once set, will affect multiple upstream states," the report said. "These states have not yet set nutrient standards for themselves; consequently it is EPA's responsibility to act." Nutrient pollution is regulated under the federal Clean Water Act, which requires federal and state governments to assure that rivers, streams, estuaries and coastal waters are "fishable and swimmable."...nola.com

Environmentalists Slow to Adjust in Climate Debate

The oil lobby was sponsoring rallies with free lunches, free concerts and speeches warning that a climate-change bill could ravage the U.S. economy. Professional "campaigners" hired by the coal industry were giving away T-shirts praising coal-fired power. But when environmentalists showed up in this college town -- closer than ever to congressional passage of a climate-change bill, in the middle of the green movement's biggest political test in a generation -- they provided . . . a sedate panel discussion. And they gave away stickers. It seems that environmentalists are struggling in a fight they have spent years setting up. They are making slow progress adapting a movement built for other goals -- building alarm over climate change, encouraging people to "green" their lives -- into a political hammer, pushing a complex proposal the last mile through a skeptical Senate. Even now, these groups differ on whether to scare the public with predictions of heat waves or woo it with promises of green jobs. And they are facing an opposition with tycoon money and a gift for political stagecraft...WPost

Naturally Occurring Methane Vents May Spell Climate Trouble

Only a squawk from a sandhill crane broke the Arctic silence -- and a low gurgle of bubbles, a watery whisper of trouble repeated in countless spots around the polar world. "On a calm day, you can see 20 or more ‘seeps’ out across this lake," said Canadian researcher Rob Bowen, sidling his small rubber boat up beside one of them. A tossed match would have set it ablaze. "It's essentially pure methane." Pure methane, gas bubbling up from underwater vents, escaping into northern skies, adds to the global-warming gases accumulating in the atmosphere. And pure methane escaping in the massive amounts known to be locked in the Arctic permafrost and seabed would spell a climate catastrophe. Is such an unlocking under way?. In 2007, air monitors detected a rise in methane concentrations in the atmosphere, apparently from far northern sources. Russian researchers in Siberia expressed alarm, warning of a potential surge in the powerful greenhouse gas, additional warming of several degrees, and unpredictable consequences for Earth's climate...AP

New Culprit Seen in Ozone Depletion

Government scientists who study the depletion of Earth’s protective ozone layer are pointing to a previously unheralded culprit: nitrous oxide. Most of the nitrous oxide in the atmosphere emerges naturally, through the action of bacteria in the soil, the researchers say. But the gas is also produced by human activity, through the use of nitrogen-based fertilizers, the application of livestock manure to fields, the burning of biofuels and in other ways. Though nitrous oxide is not regulated under the Montreal Protocol, the 1987 agreement to limit emissions of ozone-depleting chemicals, the researchers say it is emerging as the leading artificial cause of ozone loss. The researchers, from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, report their findings in Friday’s issue of the journal Science. The Environmental Protection Agency is already contemplating action on nitrous oxide because it is a heat-trapping gas linked to global warming. In April, the agency declared it and five other gases, including carbon dioxide, to be pollutants that endanger public health, making them subject to regulation under the Clean Air Act. In a statement, the agency said Thursday that work on a reporting system for emissions of nitrous oxide and the five gases was under way...NYTimes

Feds to consider protections for Sonoran desert tortoise

The federal government has agreed to consider whether the Sonoran desert tortoise, a Southwest icon whose population has declined by half in the past 20 years, warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. Two environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the tortoise, found in southwest Arizona and northern Mexico, as a distinct population. The agency said Friday it would review the status of the tortoise and any threats to its habitat. "We expect that the service's detailed scientific review will show that listing is required to conserve these icons of the desert Southwest," said Michael Connor of the Western Watersheds Project, which along with WildEarth Guardians filed the petition. The tortoise is among 13 species and plants that environmentalists sought protection for with a series of petitions filed last fall as part of their "Western Ark" project. Lawsuits followed in many of the cases for the species, whose ranges span more than a dozen states and stretch into Mexico and Canada. The latest was filed in Texas this week over six freshwater mussels found in the U.S. southeast...AP

EPA seeks reduced emissions at Four Corners plant

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, working to improve regional air visibility, has requested reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions at the Four Corners Power Plant, a coal-fired facility that emits the nation's highest levels of the pollutant. Regulators on Friday initiated a 30-day public comment period on the proposed plan to require the Arizona Pubic Service Co. facility to install the most efficient available technology to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxide and particulate matter, pollutants believed to cause haze throughout the Four Corners region. The action is being taken through the EPA Regional Haze Program, designated by Congress in 1999 to improve visibility in all national parks, national monuments and wilderness areas. The EPA has cited 16 protected locations within a 300 kilometer radius where air visibility is reportedly hindered by the Four Corners Power Plant, including the Grand Canyon, Arches National Park and Mesa Verde National Park. The proposed projects are estimated to cost between $435 million and $917 million to install, depending on which technologies the EPA requires at the Four Corners Power Plant, according to APS. Although the proposed emission cuts to improve regional air visibility was not a surprise requirement for the facility that provides electricity across Arizona, Utah and California, the continued expense for this and other proposed air quality regulation programs could test whether coal-generated power will continue to be an affordable energy source...FarmingtonDailyTimes

Cloud seeding

When Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager Pat Mulroy suggested the agency fund a shuttering Desert Research Institute cloud seeding program, it turned more than a few heads. The project is vital to a stable water supply in Northern Nevada, but what does it have to do with Southern Nevada? The authority has been involved in the institute’s cloud-seeding program for years — but not in Nevada. It has paid the research institute $121,000 over the past three years to conduct cloud-seeding research and spur precipitation in the mountains between Denver and Grand Junction, Colo. The bill went to the authority’s Enterprise Fund, which gets most of its money from wholesale delivery charges to municipal water agencies. Because 90 percent of Las Vegas’ drinking water comes from the Colorado River, and because snowmelt from the upper basin has dropped amid the drought, paying for cloud seeding there made sense. In that case, the authority was effectively trying to create its own water. Desert Research Institute has 23 cloud-seeding stations in Nevada and six in the Sierra Nevada range along the California-Nevada border. They create about 65,000 acre-feet of precipitation each year in Nevada, mostly in the form of snow, according to institute data...LasVegasSun

Mexico City - A looming water disaster

As it has in much of Texas, drought has clobbered great swaths of Mexico this year, killing crops and livestock and threatening to dehydrate major cities. Among the harder hit is Mexico City and its sprawling suburbs, thirsty home to some 22 million people. Taps already are running dry for weeks at a time in large sections of the metroplex, especially in poorer neighborhoods. Officials warn that without extraordinary deluges in the coming weeks, extreme scarcity will stalk the area once the dry season begins in late October. The sierra-encircled basin that holds the Mexican capital was a vast lake bed when the Spaniards took it from the Aztecs nearly 500 years ago. Planners have been draining it ever since to make way for humans, treating the area's water more as a nuisance than a necessity. That worked pretty well for a very long time. It doesn't any more. In one indication of the stress, “fossil water” that's 2,000 years old is being pumped up from an aquifer beneath one parched section of Mexico City this summer. “The problem in the Valley of Mexico is the over-exploitation of the aquifers,” said Jose Luis Luege, director of the National Water Commission. “That is problem number one.” Cutzamala and other systems that supply the Mexico City basin now hold but a fraction of their normal volumes. To assure a supply of water during the coming dry season, local officials this month ordered a 30 percent cutback in the supply from those reservoirs to the city...HoustonChronicle

Grizzly kills 13 sheep on grazing allotment

Wildlife managers say a grizzly bear killed 13 sheep last month on a grazing allotment in Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Mark Bruscino, bear management program supervisor for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said the bear killed eight ewes and five lambs Aug. 15. Bruscino estimates grizzlies have killed 35 cattle and 45 sheep statewide so far this year. “[Livestock losses] are not unusual where grizzly bears and domestic sheep overlap,” Bruscino said. “That applies to some degree with black bears.” Wildlife Services, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, responded to the scene and said the sheep were killed by a grizzly bear based on the tracks, Bruscino said. Officials have not attempted to relocate or kill the grizzly, in part because of the remote location where the incident occurred...JacksonHoleDaily

Idaho wildlife manager talks about elk herds and wolf packs

Fewer North Idaho families will have elk steaks in their freezers this fall. Two severe winters, plus a growing wolf population, have dramatically reduced elk calf survival rates. To allow the herds to recover, wildlife managers shortened hunting seasons by seven to 14 days. The cutbacks affect archery, rifle and muzzleloader seasons. Jim Hayden, Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s regional wildlife manager, discussed the situation last week. Q.How many fewer elk calves are you seeing? A.This year, we counted 12 calves for every 100 cows. We’ve been at a ratio of 40 to 45 calves for every 100 cows. That’s high production and we’ve had that for the last seven to eight years. We want a ratio of at least 30. Q.How much mortality was caused by wolves, as opposed to the deep snows? A.Just from winter alone, we know we had some substantial losses. We had more snow than we did in 1996, when there were functionally no wolves, and we still lost perhaps a quarter of the elk that winter. …Where there were no wolves, the calf ratio dropped to the 20s this spring. Where we had wolves, we saw the ratio drop to nine calves per 100 cow elk...SpokesmanReview

With No Order From Judge, Wolf Season Is Set to Begin

The first legal wolf hunt in decades in the continental United States appeared likely to begin in Idaho on Tuesday after a federal judge did not immediately rule Monday on an effort by environmentalists to stop the hunt and return the animal to the endangered species list. At the end of a three-hour hearing on Monday morning, Judge Donald W. Molloy of Federal District Court in Montana said he would make a decision “as quickly as I can” but also said he first needed to review documents filed in the case. Some leaders of the 13 groups that filed suit had hoped Judge Molloy would issue an injunction against the hunt from the bench on Monday. Now, given the uncertainty of the judge’s time frame, said Doug Honnold, the lead lawyer for the 13 groups, “the hunters are going to start tomorrow, and it’s up to the judge to stop it.” He said it could be several days before Judge Molloy ruled. Federal and state wildlife officials say multiple studies have established that the wolf population is healthy and growing and that the management programs put in place by Idaho and Montana will keep the animal from becoming endangered again...NYTimes

Economy has horse owners abandoning animals - Arizona

In a bad economy, some horse owners who can't pay the bills are abandoning their animals to get rid of the responsibility of caring for them. Public officials and horse-rescue groups talk about animals left behind in places such as national forests, near horse-riding trails or just tied to a gate at someone's house. Some are keeping their horses but are having trouble with the high cost of maintaining and caring for them. It has been a problem since the economy turned sour, and the people who deal with it say it's not getting better. "It's a sad, sad situation," said Holly Marino, founder of Horse Rescue of North Scottsdale. Some people just take horses wherever they can and leave them. Some owners call the rescue agencies, which try to take in the animals. Rescue groups also can get horses that are seized by law enforcement in animal-abuse cases and from the state Department of Agriculture, which is in charge of handling stray or abandoned livestock. Horses taken by the department that are not claimed as strays go to auction...Way down at the end of the article they finally get around to the change in the law...Another factor in the horse surplus: The slaughter of horses has been banned in the United States since 2007. Rescue groups worry, though, that some horses sold at auction wind up in slaughterhouses in other countries...ArizonaRepublic

Keep your self-righteous fingers off my processed food

Just in time for the worst economic downturn since the Depression, here comes a new crop of social critics to inform us that we're actually spending too little for the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the furniture we sit on and the gasoline that runs our automobiles. Never mind that U.S. job losses these days range from 200,000 to 500,000 a month, that foreclosures are up 32% over this time last year and that people are re-learning how to clip newspaper coupons so as to save at the supermarket. Dire economic circumstances don't seem to faze these spending enthusiasts, who scold us for shopping at supermarkets instead of at farmer's markets, where a loaf of "artisanal" (and also "sustainable") rye bread sells for $8, ice cream for $6 a cup and organic tomatoes go for $4 a pound. The most zealous of the spend-more crowd, however, are the food intellectuals who salivated, as it were, at a steep rise in the cost of groceries earlier this year, including such basics as milk and eggs. Some people might worry about the effect on recession-hit families of a 17% increase in the price of milk, but not Alice Waters, the food-activist owner of Berkeley's Chez Panisse restaurant, who shudders at the thought of sampling so much as a strawberry that hasn't been nourished by organic compost and picked that morning at a nearby farm -- and thinks everyone else in America should shudder too. "Make a sacrifice on the cellphone or the third pair of Nike shoes," Waters airily informed the New York Times in April. Echoing Waters was her fellow Berkeley food guru, Michael Pollan, professor of science journalism (a hot field for social critics, obviously) at UC Berkeley. Pollan (no relation to Robert Pollin) is the author of the best-selling "Omnivore's Dilemma" and coiner of the mantra "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants" that is on the lips of every foodie from Bainbridge Island to Martha's Vineyard. Pollan too rejoiced at the idea of skyrocketing prices for groceries, hoping they might "level the playing field for sustainable food that doesn't rely on fossil fuels."...LATimes

WTO OKs $295 million in Brazilian sanctions on US - Cotton Subsidies

American goods will face around $295 million in annual sanctions as a result of the United States' failure to eliminate illegal subsidies to U.S. cotton growers, the World Trade Organization ruled Monday. Monday's ruling was the fifth major decision since the Brazilian government brought the case to the WTO in 2002, alleging that the U.S. was able to retain its place as the world's second-largest cotton producer by paying out some $3 billion to American farmers each year. China is the largest exporter of cotton, while Brazil is fifth. The WTO's condemnation of the U.S. in September 2004 was seen as a victory for Brazil and for West African countries that claimed to have been harmed by the subsidies. Three decisions since have confirmed that U.S. support programs unfairly help U.S. producers undersell foreign competitors and depress world market prices, dealing a double blow to cotton growers in Brazil and elsewhere. In response to the legal defeats, the U.S. Congress has scrapped some export credits and in 2006 repealed the "Step-2" cotton-marketing program that made payments to exporters and domestic mill users as compensation for buying higher-priced American cotton. But last year it approved a new farm bill worth nearly $300 billion that left a number of other contentious cotton programs intact...AP

NAIS 'won't happen' if not made mandatory

Special coverage from the National Conference on Animal Identification (ID INFO) in Kansas City, Mo., Aug. 25-27 For a meat procurement specialist like Kevin Bost, animal identification is an animal health issue but even more a food safety issue, and "a good idea" for the livestock and meat sectors. It also needs to be "a government-sponsored mandatory program," or it won't happen, he said in opening the final day of the conference. Bost, a meat procurement and risk management strategies consultant in Chicago, Ill., said there are two ways to effect change, either by economic incentives or government mandate. The first us normally the best means to effect change but won't work for NAIS, he said, explaining that there won't be enough economic incentive for cow/calf producers because consumers won't pay enough premium for the beef that they buy in retail stores for it to be channeled back to the packer/processor, feedlot and cow/calf producer to cover the producer's costs of participation. The consumer won't do that because "mainstream" customers shopping supermarkets are not concerned where their beef and other food come from due to "a fairly good appreciation of farmers" and confidence in farmer and government agency pronouncements that their food is safe...Feedstuffs

Jolley: ID/INFO vs. NAIS Who Blinked?

The ID/INFO Expo occurred on the cusp. The two-and-a-half day event, a long-standing convention of people and organizations promoting animal identification, let’s pronounce that “En – A – Eye – Ess,” brought several hundred people to Kansas City this week. They met at an odd time in the politics of animal ID. Tom Vilsack and friends at the USDA seem to be mounting an all out push for the program at the same time that the House and Senate are slashing his funding with the kind of enthusiasm not seen since Tobe Hooper directed Chainsaw Massacre way back in 1974. Yet Dr. David Acheson, ex-Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection at the US Food and Drug Administration and now the managing director of food and import safety at Leavitt Partners in Utah, told the crowd, “The Obama Administration wants to make capital out of protecting the food supply.” His comments, probably emboldened by Barack’s recently empanelled food safety commission and Michelle’s back yard organic garden, suggested Obama will try to significantly boost food-safety enforcement efforts and force improved food traceability as a tool to achieve his goal. Acheson saw NAIS as a vital part of the plan...cattlenetwork

Song Of The Day #122

It's ET time. Here's Ernest Tubb singing his 1948 hit Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello.

Tubb's music is widely available. This particular cut can be found on the 4 disc box set The Early Years 1936-1945 from JSP Records and on several other collections of his work.