Sunset on the Sierra

So, after bragging yesterday about our ever-blue Nevada skies, the clouds return. I post this photo to keep myself honest. It's pretty much a daily job.

Nevada blue

Nevada sky

Well, it's Wednesday and we are back to blue skies. And the mountains are full of fresh powder. Not to rub it in or anything.

Bush Unfazed by Reality

"And I believe firmly that I'm doing the right thing for our country by promoting an active foreign policy that makes the world more peaceful and more free."
- President George W. Bush

"Active foreign policy" as in starting wars, flaunting the Geneva Convention, plundering the environment wherever possible, so on and so forth, and "peaceful and more free" as in inspiring hatred of the United States world wide and inspiring, new legions of amateur terrorists everywhere. What an asshole!

Hopeless as it may be, I find it hard to resist ranting against this guy. He lies. Anyone with any sense knows that, even if they can't admit it. What's worse, we expect it. It's a sick little game we play with him. This must be the way it's always been for George. Charm over substance. Must have driven his parents crazy when he was a kid and I can't begin to imagine what kind of private, shame filled hell they live in now.

George has rendered the concept of leadership meaningless. And he has made the term "moral leader" a cruel joke. He can pose in his cowboy hat and boots all he likes. He's not a leader. He's just another macho idiot, incapable of admitting when he makes a mistake. He's a hit and run artist. A flim-flam man. A fail upwards born loser. Forget the guts. He's strictly in it the glory. His personal motto should be "Go for the gold at anybody else's cost". Command performance, maestro. And now he will spend more dough on his inauguration, over 40 million, than he pledged to the survivors of the tsunami 35 million (which I hear he cut later), as his chorus of smirking minions snigger, "get over it".

The world is a much more dangerous place since you invaded Iraq, Mr. Bush.
And now, because Bush decided he is above the mandates of the Geneva Convention, we have to watch his toady "officials" toss up a Kangaroo Court and sacrifice some little guys to cover his sorry ass. The articles of the Geneva Convention protect the underpinnings of civilization! Too bad you don't read, Mr. President. Since we won't follow it, why should our soldiers be given these protections. Too bad you don't think, Mr. President.

(And for the record, no matter how "successfully" your team hid the fact, I am 100% convinced you were a playboy deserter with powerful parents who covered up the scandal. What irony. A deserter is Commander and Chief of the United States Military. )

Geneva Convention - Article 3

In the case of armed conflict not of an international character occurring in the territory of one of the High Contracting Parties, each party to the conflict shall be bound to apply, as a minimum, the following provisions:

1. Persons taking no active part in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds, detention, or any other cause, shall in all circumstances be treated humanely, without any adverse distinction founded on race, color, religion or faith, sex, birth or wealth, or any other similar criteria.

To this end the following acts are and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever with respect to the above-mentioned persons:

(a) Violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture;

(b) Taking of hostages;

(c) Outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment;

(d) The passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without previous judgment pronounced by a regularly constituted court affording all the judicial guarantees which are recognized as indispensable by civilized peoples.

Snowday party

It's snowing like crazy today and there's a lot of action at the bird park.

Snow day party at the Bird Park!

Hey! You uh... gonna be done any time soon?

No!

Some party goers.

A party for the little birds too.

Add caption

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee

Tsunami "wave"

Artist conception of California's "Big One".

I'm still thinking about the earthquake in the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26. It made the entire planet vibrate and triggered devastating tsunamis through the area killing between 230,000–280,000 in 14 countries and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.  Until now, I did not realize just how powerful they can be. It got me thinking about the proverbial "Big One" that's been predicted for California for decades.

When I lived in San Francisco, I worried about it a lot. The quake in SE Asian is a shocking reminder of just how vulnerable coastal cities are. I found this photo shopped image of California's proverbial Big One. Chilling.