In trees vs. solar fight, solar winsI'm typically all for Earth Day; I encourage everyone to live clean, be environmentally conscious, and conserve energy whenever possible. But the Devil's advocate in me wants to bring up this recent article in ironic celebration of the holiday:
"The showdown began in 2001, when neighbor Mark Vargas installed a 10-kilowatt solar system on his roof and on a 10-foot-high trellis.Vargas said he first asked Treanor and Bissett to chop down eight redwoods that the couple had planted from 1997 to 1999 along the fence separating their yards. The trees range in height from about 20 to 40 feet tall. Later, he asked them to trim the trees to about 15 feet high.
Treanor and Bissett liked the trees for privacy. They suggested Vargas move his solar panels, which make up an array that is about three times the size of a typical residential system. He said doing so would reduce the amount of electricity they could generate for his five-bedroom home and electric car.
After several years of failed mediation, Vargas filed a complaint with the Santa Clara County district attorney arguing that the trees violated California's "Solar Shade Control Act," a rarely used law signed in 1978 by former Gov. Jerry Brown." -- San Jose Mercury News
Haha, I think this is so awesome! This Vargas guy is so green that he wants to cut down beautiful, healthy redwood trees to make room for his solar panels. Now THAT is commitment to the cause. That's literally missing the forest for the trees. LOL. You can't make up this kind of irony; he wants the trees mowed down because the shadows they cast prevent his panels from operating at maximum efficiency, but he's completely overlooking the fact that those same trees offer habitat for wildlife; stores away harmful pollutants, keeping them out of your lungs; and beautifies our landscapes. That kind of jarring short-sightedness would be akin to me wanting to build a safe sanctuary for the endangered panda to live without fear of poachers...but then building it right on top of the Everglades. We should all strive for alternative forms of energy, but it's this kind self-righteous tunnel vision that detracts from both the urgency and legitimacy of adopting a cleaner, greener lifestyle.
Thousands of ailing Florida smokers to to split $600 million tobacco fund
Thousands of sick smokers in Florida could be eligible for money from a $600 million fund in a landmark Miami-Dade County case against the country's five largest tobacco companies.
"It's a unique and historic opportunity for people who have been victimized by the tobacco industry," said attorney Robert Kelley, whose law firm is representing about 500 clients who could qualify for the fund. "Nowhere in the nation is this available but Florida." -- Sun-Sentinel
LOL, being the only state that gives free money to those who have gotten sick after willingly smoking cigarettes isn't because we're progressive -- it's because we're the only ones dumb enough to do it. These kind of lawsuit stories against the big, bad tobacco companies are so stupid that they're not even worth writing about or commenting on anymore; the fact that I'm spotlighting this article at all is a big waste of time. I'm only halfway through and I don't even want to write about this anymore. It's that pointless.
And yes, the sleazy corporate parasites that work for Marlboro are deceptive, exploitive, and manipulative. But none of that should be powerful enough to override free will and common sense. These lawsuits (and so many like them) reinforce the woe-is-me Victim's Syndrome -- I knowingly and happily did something that would undoubtedly affect me in an adverse way, and now I want to cash in on my own poor judgment. That $600 million could be used to bolster the paychecks of underpaid teachers, civil servants, and government employees. Or, better yet, I can top that...the $600 million can be used to buy all of us free puppy dogs, ice cream sundaes, and wave runners. That would be an infinitely better use of the money.
And while we're at it, let's raise the cigarette tax. Then we can afford 2 wave runners per household.
Blue Jays release slumping DH Frank Thomas
I wonder who's gonna sign this 1st ballot Hall-of-Famer, because his career definitely isn't over yet. For anyone willing to put up with his bad attitude, Thomas definitely has a lot of value left as a designated hitter. He can still smack the ball stupid. And I especially don't want to see him retire yet because watching this 6'5" 250 lb. monster loom large over the plate is such a surreal sight. I always get a kick out of it; it's like a Yetti wandered onto the field and somehow wound up in the batting order. A reunion with the Chicago White Sox would be a lot of fun, but I'm betting the Yankees (blech) pick him up.
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