"Gewiss! Seguro! Oui!" or as Curly of the Three Stooges would say "Why Soitenly!" You don't need blame to face a problem. You just say "Hey, that's a problem. Let's see now ... how can we fix that?" Let me throw a big word out there that I learned a long time ago ... Tautology This word has a lot to do with repetition and the dictionary will tell you that the nature of the repetition is needless or useless. How does it apply to this discussion? Well on the face of it, I would have you know that once you have encountered a problem, it is indeed useless to go and repeat the same encounter with the problem. In my own mind, I relate it to the more auto-actualization or reactive nature of rational beings like humans. We learn to drive a car and it comes naturally. After we master it, we no longer devote any mental energy to it. If there is a problem with the way we drive an automobile, we no longer think about it or devote any rational mental resources to it. We just go about it by rote. But in fact, there were problems with driving automobiles all through its history. And to get us all to change, we had to be hit in the face with a shovel, changing laws, taxes on fuels and finally, hybrids and alternative fuels. But before we are forced to change, we cling to the tautological repetition of the problem. In immediate terms, it is a less expensive solution in terms of brain power; We refuse to expend any energy on the problem, unless forced to. So, the long term problem escapes solution, if left to ourselves as individuals. Thankfully, there are enough of us that some of us see the train coming, step off the tracks and start yelling at everyone else on that tracks that the train is coming. Some folks have described this tautological nature of mankind as 'The Frog in The Frying Pan'. The frog is at first comfortable sitting in the frying pan. As the heat is turned up ever so slowly, the frog doesn't budge. It doesn't want to make the effort to analyze the problem and eventually, we have a frog that 1) leaps out of the frying pan with a burned underside and feet or 2) a fried frog. Our nature then can be very reactive and much less disciplined, especially if we feel that the change threatens us - greater expenses or some associated cost, having to learn something new, etc.. We react first and learn later ( if at all ). Many people in fact, fear change for reasons such as these. Fewer thrive on it. So, the tautological nature of humanity, based on the way the human brain operates by rote as a means of keeping rational energy expenses low, combined with fear of change ... makes people behave in cyclic or repetitive ways which most of the time is not a problem, even if the repetition is useless. But sometimes, it traps us into a cycle that is self destructive. A person who understands what I have just said then, will realize that the human mind can both, fall into the trap of potentially destructive tautological functioning, but also, that the human mind can be trained. They then set about disciplining themselves, so that when they face a problem, they avoid defensiveness and the tendency to avoid expending rational energy and acceptance of rote repetition. They train themselves instead to react by recognizing that the problem may possibly be real and further, to trigger the expediture in rational energy to analyze it. By doing so, they evolve solutions and either adapt to change by changing their ways or auto-effect change, something most folks are not often capable of. They are the first to step off the tracks in the face of an approaching train and warn the others. 'Thinking outside the box' is therefore a bit different than what you may have always accepted it to mean. Many people don't even conceptualize that the box has an inside and an outside. I prefer not to be a frog in a frying pan. But in reality, sometimes even I do not avoid it. And I have for a long time now, practiced disciplining my mind to react by expending the rational energy, hopefully, not needlessly. BTW: Crisis management is well, tautology in action, after the shovel hits someone in the face. :) Hmmm. I suppose I can be long-winded and wordy at times. People have told me that. Luckily, flapping ones lips doesn't prevent ones feet from letting them step off the railroad tracks.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. If the active harvesting of peat for horticultural purposes of the .02% of the total Canadian peat reserves causes greater environmental alarm and concern than than the 15% that has been lost to development through deforestation, urbanization, industrialization and agriculture, then something is radically wrong with the underlying logic. This will continue to be a debate that will have little resolution. Diehard environmentalists will continue to insist that horticultural peat is a non-renewable resource despite all evidence to the contrary. And while they consider this evidence faulty simply because it is produced by those involved in the peat industry - for scientific as well as commercial interests - does not negate the fact that those involved are the only ones bothered to complile and produce the statistics that represent this evidence -- all the rest is merely suppostion and innuendo repeated ad nauseum. One doesn't often hear from these same folks about their boycotting of Canadian lumber and agricultural products that have a much greater impact on the demise of peat bogs - they pick their arguments to suit their case, as do most of the vast uninformed and uneducated. It's still a matter of personal choice. If for whatever reason - based on ill-formed logic or otherwise - one chooses not to use peat, that's fine. But to lambaste those who do based on the faulty logic they advocate that the use of horticultural Canadian peat is somehow radically and irretrievably altering the environment is to ignore their own personal impact that has a far greater adverse affect.

Haven't been around in a bit, dropped in to see what's up with Tipper & Al. It's pretty sad, and hopefully they can each move on and lead productive, healthy lives. I'll admit - It's been difficult to just "shut up" when there are posters giving one another the cyber equivalent of high-fives because they feel they've somehow "put me in my place." If it wasn't you Jen, it would have been (has been) one of a handful of others who voice an opposing opinion that has more substance than milk toast peppered with smilies. Tina said what I felt on all counts. But had something I wanted to add. I find the newly recurring accusations of 'bullying' a disturbing trend here. And frankly it makes me a little angry because I've seen it firsthand and this ain't even close. What's being labeled as 'bullying' here diminishes the severity of a very real, life altering problem that is near torture for victims. And it's primarily our nation's innocent kids that are dealing with it. It's a word that has been associated with some of the worst massacres inside our nation's schools. (And no, I'm not justifying any of those horrific incidents.) Others have taken their own lives because of it. I have a niece with a physical challenge that caused her to be 'different' from her peers from Kindergarten on. Her need to use special equipment just so that she could hear teachers as well as the other kids set her apart in every single classroom. She was taunted mercilessly for something she had zero control over. That is bullying. She's tough tho, they only broke her once that I witnessed. Tender middle school years. I picked her up from school and she crumpled into a heap of tears and wanted to die, she couldn't take being different anymore. I'll never forget that day, I would have given anything to take her place to protect her. But that girl persevered. I'm so proud of her. She's not let anything or anyone crimp her wings and she's soaring. This year during a break from college she's going on her second trip overseas to do volunteer work in a 3rd world country. So that's why tossing that term/accusation around lightly on this board bugs me. It's an injustice both to the ones being accused here & to the children and young adults out there whose self-esteem is in shreds from the torment. Let's get this in perspective. What's transpiring just boils down to a difference of opinion or different styles of presenting those opinions. We've probably all taken a ping or few to our own self-esteem at some point here. But an internet discussion board shouldn't influence one's life to the point of misery. Why keep coming back? (And this is so tame compared to sites where name calling and cursing at others is common and unmonitored.) If things reach such a toxic level that someone becomes so overwrought they're going to 'fight back' or 'not take it anymore', then it's well past the time to move on to more soothing pastures.

For some, the good times are over when the kids are raised. Just saying, sometimes when a couple really don't have that much in common and have different interest other than the kids, when the kids are raised and gone, here really isn't much left. I'm sorry for the Gores, and I hope the media will leave them alone. It is their business and their business only. Dottie