Penn & Teller Shoot Down The Gun Control Myth

If you read my blog last month you’ll know that Penn & Teller do a wonderful “tell-it-like-it-is” program called Bullshit! featured on cable TV’s SHOWTIME Station.   Last month they took on PETA.   This month the dynamic duo is back at it once again with another provocative video piece this time taking on the gun control fanatics.

No matter how you feel about the issue of guns and how they should be regulated, this highly-emotionally charged issue is not going away anytime soon.   It is so refreshing to see a pair of big name entertainers sticking their necks out to voice their opinion as being pro-gun.   Granted, almost the entire 28 minutes of this show is spent shooting holes in the argument that guns should be much more highly regulated.   And of course, only Penn & Teller can accomplish it in such an entertaining fashion.

Take a look at the video by linking HERE.

Be forewarned—the video is nearly a half hour long, will play best if you have a high-speed Internet connection, and does contain some rough language.   Aside from that, it’s well worth a look.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

Step Back In Time At This Destination

Some might wonder how you can do a destination review when you’ve never visited a specific place.   It’s a good point.   But when that destination is Seven Pines Lodge located in western Wisconsin the reputation of this historic landmark definitely precedes it.   Indeed, if you’re looking for a sportsman’s get-away experiencing life much like it must have felt back in the early 1900s…than this place is your unique retreat.

Imagine spending your next vacation in a rustic lodge that reflects a lifestyle that has been far removed from our modern world.   Spend your afternoon wading through a small trout stream much like President Calvin Coolidge did nearly eight decades ago.   In fact, if you’re looking for a quaint, fly-fishing experience that is steeped in rich sporting history then the Seven Pines Lodge is in a class by itself.   Spend your days on the water in search of the elusive trout…then relax in the evenings at the lodge by kicking back near the fireplace with a fine cigar in one hand retrieved from the cigar cellar and perhaps a glass of cognac in the other.    Certainly, it’s places like the Seven Pines Lodge that help us connect with our sporting heritage by occasionally allowing us to take a few steps back in time…and to dream.

Honestly, I defy any flyfishing angler worth the cost of their fancy gear to look at this promotional video for the lodge and tell me that they don’t want to immediately book a stay.   Seriously!   If you are looking for a total experience of a lifetime and not just another fishing trip…how can the Seven Pines Lodge not capture your imagination and peak your interest?

Most times when I choose lodging accommodations I’ll admit that I generally seek out the most modern facilities I can find.   I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been fooled into thinking that a resort was going to be nice and it turned out to be a dump.   Generally, you can avoid this unpleasant occurrence if you know the accommodations are newer and as a result are more likely are “kept up.”   But that is not always the case.

The Internet is great way to get fooled by having expectations elevated only to discover upon arrival that reality comes nowhere close to matching those lofty hopes.   At the Seven Pines Lodge you don’t have to worry about that.   In fact, the few people I’ve discussed this place with who have been there have all agreed that the Seven Pines Lodge surpasses all expectations and that one can be assured of having a good time.   In few places can you spend a few days enjoying the relaxing aspects of life while at the same time feeling as though you are living amidst so much fascinating history.

No, I didn’t book my stay at this great place during the upcoming vacation season.   Unfortunately…or I suppose fortunately, depending on how you look at it…my vacations are already planned out for the upcoming months.   Yet, you can be darn sure that the Seven Pines Lodge will be topping my list of places to visit during 2007.   I might suggest that you consider adding it to your list of places to someday visit, too.

© 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.

WOW! Take A Closer Look At This!

It’s been awhile since I’ve weighed in on the Ivory-billed Woodpecker and the controversy surrounding this bird.   I found the following release on one of my news wire listings…so I thought I would pass it along.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jack Spurling, Resource Specialist (532–894–2944)

The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, once thought to be extinct, has been confirmed and documented in the Cache River and White River forests of eastern Arkansas.   Last Monday a team of research biologists led by Dr. Jerry Stinger was able to photograph what they believe is the best evidence to date that the bird actually lives.   Using a special Bird Cam apparatus that was carefully mounted on an old decaying tree, the researchers were able to conclusively document in vivid detail that the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is indeed alive and thriving in the Arkansas Delta.Ivorybilled

“This should finally squelch the many skeptics and other birding experts who have long doubted this bird’s existence,” said Rahool Studdard, President of the Arkansas Birding Club.   “Over the past several months we’ve taken a lot of heat from folks who have asked to see more proof about this bird and now you have it,” said Studdard.   “We knew from the time this bird was first reported to exist that the evidence would eventually prove this finding to be one of the most significant discoveries during the past century.”

Berl Bartholomew agrees with Studdard.   Bartholomew has spent the past 30 years of his life on a quest to prove the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has survived deep in the Arkansas Big Woods.   He contends this is no accidental discovery.   In fact, there have been some very dedicated individuals who have known for years this bird, once thought to be extinct, is alive and breeding in the Delta.

CameraCarl Richie, associate of Environmental Studies with The University of Central Arkansas was the lead technician who set up the equipment which captured the most recent evidence.   Richie admits that luck was a big factor in getting such a close-up shot of this rare bird.   “We picked out several likely trees and it was coincidental that the bird would land so perfectly in front of one of our mounted cameras,” exclaimed Richie.   “In all total we placed about 22 specially designed cameras strategically out in the woods and we figured it would only be a matter of time until the bird perched before one of the heat/movement-sensitive cameras.”

The camera actually captured three images of the Ivory-billed woodpecker, but unfortunately only one of the images proved to be sharply in-focus.   Yet, the detail captured in the photo has bird experts around the world simply amazed.   Dr. Stinger admits that when he first seen this most recent image of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker it brought tears to his eyes.   Others researchers have experienced similar emotions after viewing this spectacular image.

“It’s no accident that we released the details of this most recent discovery to coincide with April Fool’s Day,” offered Bartholomew.   “Folks have been making us out to appear like fools for years because we have not been able to point to clear, conclusive evidence of the Ivory-bill’s existence.   We wanted to release this most recent evidence just to prove who the real fools are among us.”

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 © 2006 Jim Braaten.  All Rights Reserved.   No Reproduction without Prior Permission.