KILLING SCIENTISTS … Our moral compass as a nation seems to be swinging wildly in circles. We have the spectacle of politicians loudly proclaiming themselves pro-life, while at the same time applauding the black op assassination of the fifth Iranian nuclear scientist in recent years. The story of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, 32, made the media rounds this past week. Blown up by assassins on an Iranian street ... Roshan was a civilian, a husband and father, a scientist. His crime – working on the creation of a nuclear bomb for a country that does not have one yet. And therefore a nation vulnerable to its enemies, who do … Countries that have a nuclear capability get treated differently in the world, than those who don’t. Everyone knows that. The world isn’t democratic. It’s not one nation one vote. It’s a United Nations where the nuclear powers rule through a Security Council where one big-power veto stops any international act in its tracks … But if one of those nations who doesn’t have nukes started assassinating nuclear scientists in countries that do, imagine the outrage. Such acts would be condemned as terrorism, pure and simple … It used to be Christians upheld Christian values, and Muslims Muslim values, and Jews Jewish values. But in the race to control the world’s dwindling oil and resources, any means – regardless of whatever religious scruples one has left – justifies the end. And that end is keeping us safe, the One Percent rich and the balance of power teetering on the brink of the unthinkable.

SWIRL … Kris Holstrom’s great re-branding of her long-time visionary Tomten Farms nonprofit translates as the Southwest Institute for Resilience. Although it’s been around at least since this past summer, SWIRL had a great coming out party of sorts at the Steaming Bean last weekend – a scrumptious Bee’s Knees benefit banquet with speeches and entertainment. I was delighted to meet my Norwood neighbors who run Laid Back Beef, and catch up with old CSA friends Tony and Barclay Daranyi of Indian Ridge Bakery and Farm … For more info SWIRL, contact Daniel Aragon at 970/519-1265 or southwestresilience@gmail.com.

CONFESSIONS OF AN ENERGY PIG … Over the years, I realized I had a problem. My Cloud Acre bungalow had multiple heating issues, in spite of the insulation I’d put into the roof when I bought the place in the Eighties … There was a wood stove in the living room, which could heat most of the house, except for the distant kitchen pantry. But wood stoves are a lot of work to keep fired and fueled. And with the advent of kids, I’d migrated my office and studio out to a separated garage, and started heating it with electricity alone … And then there was the detached well house that couldn’t freeze – not only for pumps and pipes, but because of my wine cellar and winter hoard of home-grown heirloom potatoes. Plus, Mary’s electric hot tub sat juicing in the yard … For Sept. of 2008 (25008 ANAC) we’d racked up 1,719 Kilowatt hours (kWh), using SMPA to heat three buildings, with just an occasional fire in the main house when convenient … January of 25009 our winter usage peaked at 3,004 kWh … Mary made a life change decision and found her own place that summer (when our bill ran $35 to $50, and I started living on my own, with weekend and summer visits from my youngest son) … By January of 25010, I’d worked to reduce the energy use at Cloud Acre to 1,822 kWh (a little less than half from the previous year). Nevertheless, February 25010 peaked at 2,278 kWh. I was seeing declining totals, but my coldest month peak usage was still way high … By October 25010 it was down from 1,719 kWh for the month from the year before to a mere 230 kWh. By October 25011 it had climbed slightly to 324 kWh – but was still a fraction of usage two years earlier … Good News: From back in August of 25009 when my monthly average usage had been 1,343 kWh and my yearly total was 16,118 kWh, my last bill of 25011 showed a monthly average of 954 kWh and a yearly total of 11,452 kWh. Through various energy-saving measures and increased use of my wood stove, I’ve been able to save almost 5,000 kWh a year … Okay, maybe I’m not such an energy pig after all, given the drafty, barely insulated, ramshackle home I live in. But I’d like to see my SMPA bill keep dropping, if I can keep conserving energy.

RESOLVE TO BE READY … Preparedness is reasonably assessing future risk, and taking reasonable present precautions. Never hurts to have a little food in the pantry for emergencies … Jenn Dinsmore of the Sheriff’s Office is working to get people ready as we move into difficult times, whatever calendar you subscribe to. The chances of a major disaster seem to be increasing as tensions with Iran heat up and the earth’s tightly-knit biosystems start to unravel. We’re heading into the political season, and government on multiple levels could see big changes as well … If you have questions about emergency preparedness in these changing times, call Jenn at 970/728-9546 or visit www.sanmiguelcounty.org/preparedness or ready.gov

THE TALKING GOURD

Electromagnetic

Hypersensitivity

Jean burst an aorta

trying to warn us

of its effects on our organs

But as Steen himself said

“If I didn’t have it,

I’d be on the other side”

He’d think like some do

sensitives were faking it, or

indulging their imaginations

McRedeye sez

“Did you hear the latest

scientific news?”

Researchers have manipulated

the tiniest electromagnetic

frequencies

on the body of a minnow

to create, god-like

eyes anywhere

fins

flipper

or forehead