Five Reasons Why I Would Not Live in Nebraska

There are many good things to say about the place, don't get me wrong. However, there are at least five pressing things keeping me away.

(Honourable Mention: the Unicameral; any state which does not have two houses in their legislature is not for me, and since Nebraska is the ONLY state with a unicam, well, there it is.)

5.) Humidity: I hate humidity. I can tolerate it, in small doses for short periods of time, but even then it's a tough ride. I'll take the occasional nose bleed and split finger over swollen joints anytime.

4.) Public Lands: Nevada has a LOT of public land and a load of things to see on those public lands if you have the slightest idea what you are trying to find. Things like ghost towns, the "petrified forest" north of Gerlach, the Reese River, &c. &c. Nebraska: not so much. This will relate to #2 somewhat closely.

3.) Runza: If you've never tried one...don't. I guess it's an acquired taste, as there are far more people who admit to loving the stuff than should be allowed to breed, but for this Nevadan it's something akin to the Midwest's version of haggis. Rather than boiling it in a wee sheep's stomach, though, it served in some kind of soggy pita bread. I hate to think of the number of random "use every part of the buffalo" things that they contain, but more is almost never better, and if mustard can't make it taste good then it's just not fit for human consumption.

2.) Mountains: I love mountains. Big mountains, small mountains, mountains what climb on rocks; fat mountains, skinny mountains, even mountains with chicken pox! Nebraska has no mountains. They have Chimney Rock...woo. In Nebraska you lose cell service if you drop into a depression deeper than you are tall; in my case that's particularly sad. No mountains, no me. Not only are there no mountains but you'd have to drive half a day just to see one! To hell with that.

1.) Tornadoes: I think this is self explanatory...to the point that I nearly left it off the list. I can handle earthquakes: if the house falls down I can always dig out. Conversely, if the tornado doesn't destroy all my family heirlooms then the accompanying rain will certainly finish the job unless I keep them in a below-ground safe encased in concrete. I would like living in a place where I'd be reading about wildfires rather than fearing them, but it's just not worth it.

So there it is; that should be just enough to get my mother all riled up.

McCain vs. Obama and the Gallup Announcers

If you feel like keeping track of these things as they go by, Gallup has Obama leading McCain by six. These things do change day-by-day, and poll-by-poll, inasmuch as polls are trustworthy anyway, but Gallup is normally pretty good about these things.

http://www.gallup.com/

I remember back in 2004 I would check out various network websites to see the electorate's opinions regarding the debates. It would seem that the conservative base raced to the Communist News Network to vote for Bush, while the Libs headed straight for Fox News to plug for Kerry. Just food for thought.

Harry Reid Is Still a Villainous Scourge

Sorry to my loyal reader for my absence. I offer this as a token of my saudade for the delay.

At it again, they are. Those people, down there, the ones in that damnable metroplex in Southern Nevada. Unwilling to make concessions to anybody, incapable of even the slightest sacrifice, reserved from any empathy with those who stand in their way, they have succeeded in their plans to rape much of White Pine County of its water (to the tune of 19 billion gallons per year). They are now beginning to look to the future; not for any sort of real solutions, but to extend their raping, this time across state lines.

The plan: by 2015 (the 100th anniversary of the Lusitania sinking...coincidence? I think so), be able to pump up to 16 billion gallons from Snake Valley, which straddles the Nevada (White Pine)/Utah border.

The project is backed by casino executives, developers, union representatives and others who point to water conservation efforts in (_@$ \#&@$) and who warn of an economic downturn — beyond the one the state already is experiencing — unless the city gets more water.

Water conservation efforts? I'd like to see examples. I would love to be proven wrong in the face of such overwhelming evidence to the contrary...

See exhibits A...; B (It's a hot, desert climate...let's build SWIMMING POOLS!)...; and C (as the quote on Google states: "Every guest to Bellagio must witness our spectacular dancing waters that come to life on our 8-acre lake.")...just to give three. Eight acres, for the love of God!?

"In a ruling last week, Taylor granted SNWA just over 6 billion gallons a year of the 11 billion gallons of groundwater it sought from Delamar, Dry Lake and Cave Valleys in Lincoln County, despite warnings from opponents that the pumping could have a catastrophic impact.

"SNWA representatives had contended the water authority met all requirements for the pumping from the three valleys and said critics’ disaster scenarios were unfounded. The valleys, located between about 75 miles and 125 miles from (_@$ \#&@$), are expected to be the first tapped for the agency’s massive pipeline project."

How do you define unfounded? Because the groundwater is coming from places that most people down there are unaware even exist (or, if they do, they don't care since they are "the hicks")?

So that Senator Reid can stick another 400,000 people down there without the infrastructure or, more importantly, the resources to sustain them?

So that the Belagio can have eight acres upon which to dazzle the masses while marching their armies of the damned (or army of darkness?) across my beloved state to pillage our precious resources?

That's how I define unfounded...hell, that's how I define unwarranted.

This at a time where our own TMWA is considering leasing their utilities to private investors. Normally I would not be entirely opposed to such action, but there are two important factors as to why this is a bad idea: 1.) this is still Nevada, and I don't need investors from California or Texas or wherever else is raw and evil controlling our aquatic resources...Nevada's water, by God, sir, will be run by Nevadans; and 2.) what's to keep the Southies from sending up their own "investors?"

Not to rant like a raving lunatic...perhaps I should have allowed myself to cool off a bit before writing. But I, certainly, have to vent once in a while.