Eeyore's News and view

This is the final installment of Jerry's Story, did not i tell you it was good stuff, enjoy.
Man! It Is Cold Outside! – Chapter 3
Mike made a few inquiries in Springfield and found out that Amanda had been treated and released after the intentional hit-and-run accident outside of Springfield. It made him wonder about things.He didn’t wonder much. He was starting to get more and more responses from the contacts he’d made. Among the various ongoing terrorist scares, impending pandemics, the whole gamut of natural disasters, not to mention serious tensions between China and the United States over Taiwan, the severity of the weather was becoming a more and more mentioned topic.Most of those seeking the shelter of the facility were looking at it for short term protection. But not all. One dentist, who’d made a fortune in the stock market decided to retire to the facility for the foreseeable future. He’d honor his contract to furnish dental services for free, for his time in the facility. Plus a hefty membership fee.Others weren’t ready to take up residence, but with the facility more an ongoing process now, they were ready to buy their way in, with entry to the facility at a later date.Out of the blue one day, Sara, who besides some cyber work-at-home activity for the legal firm she was associated with, was taking care of the reception desk during regular business hours, helping coordinate the deliveries of incoming supplies and equipment.Word of mouth had spread to the local communities, and people were showing up hoping for jobs at the facility. Though Mike wasn’t hiring people that weren’t going to live on site, he did find one or two retired people that were living on pensions and wanted something to do. He found a couple of ladies that were willing to take care of the communal kitchen for their room and board, keeping their retirement income for pocket money. They were exempted from the need to be armed.The one retired farmer that showed up one day wasn’t. He was an elderly gentleman, but he had lots of experience with Ozark hills farming and working with draft animals. He was a welcome addition to the family, giving the former students real hands-on experience in running a working animal farm.Though it was the middle of summer now, which was obvious in the Ozarks, Canada was having a rough time of it. There were areas where the snow had not melted by late July and a few areas it looked like it wouldn’t melt even into August.The Weather Channel and National Weather Service were now talking climate change due to global warming, with the effect being highly variable weather with extremes of both summer weather and winter weather. The federal governments of several nations were launching inquiries, especially the northern governments, including Canada and much of Europe.Mike was beginning to wonder when they would catch on that this wasn’t a simple extreme in the weather. Now that the place was up and running, he was tempted to tempt fate and go public with what he knew. But reading the preparedness forums on a daily basis there were already people crying Ice Age. They weren’t getting any more attention than anyone else. He’d just be considered a kook. He had no real proof. His sister was dead and buried almost three years. Whoever had wanted her work suppressed would have had plenty of time to do a good job of it. But there was Amanda Trotter. Apparently not all of FEMA was in on the information suppression.It took quite a while to track her down in the Agency. In fact, it was in the middle of the worst winter on record since the Little Ice Age days of the 14th century to the mid-19th century. Those at the facility were glad they were there. The green houses were producing fruits and vegetables, and the old Ozarks farmer had taken over the butchering chores of the animals, with the cooks handling the meat from there, to provide a good table at every meal.Their were three entertainment rooms, along with game rooms in the second dome, where people could relax together, if they didn’t want to stay in their own quarters and entertain themselves there.The Ozarks were getting what Iowa used to get. Iowa was like Canada, and the Artic had taken up residence in Canada.Mike saw to it that the facility road was kept clear with the road grader, D-8 dozer, and 966 front end loader, but the county was unable to keep up with the snow for a while. The facility was snowed in at that time.Though several had brought cars to the facility, which were nice and safe in the earth-sheltered garage, they didn’t even think about using them in the weather they were having. When the roads were passable any activity of the property was done in the small fleet of four-wheel-drive vehicles Mike had provided for the facility.There were patches of snow on the ground on the shaded north sides of things at the facility into April. In Jefferson City, Missouri the shaded north sides of building held snow until July. Only in late July and Early August did everything completely melt. It was worse the further north you went.Those already at the facility were glad they were there. Others were making their preparations to get there.Mike called Amanda in late August. “It’s Mike Buncie. I’ve something to tell you,” Mike said when Amanda picked up the phone on her end and identified herself.“Go ahead,” she said.“Not on the telephone. Especially considering your accident. They never found the perps, did they?”“As a matter of fact, no. I think you are being ridiculous, but perhaps there is an element of justification to your mistrust. I’m quite able to travel. I’ll be there in a couple of days.”“Watch your back.”“I’ll have a couple of people with me to help.”It didn’t dawn on Mike for a few seconds after he hung up that she might mean Number One and Number Two. They might have got to her and turned her to their side. He told himself it was just his paranoia. Aloud he said, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.”Mike checked the P-14 and made a mental note to keep it handy the next few days. As he’d been wearing his most of the time, a few of the others in the facility had begun going armed, too. That included many of those working outdoors with the animals and for other reasons.Part of the reason Mike had chosen the spot he had, and had developed it the way he had, was because they were in a natural defensive zone. Other than the good access road, and the marginal road that was their back door, all of the surrounding area was heavily wooded. That meant quite a few people could get up to a few hundred yards of them, but nothing powered, except perhaps a dirt bike or ROKON.All the structures were earth-sheltered, with parapet walls extending six feet above the roofs. A backing wall with cantilevered roof projecting over the walkway by the parapet would protect anyone manning the parapets from the weather. Anyone approaching from the forest would be an easy target for riflemen on the parapets. It would take an overwhelming force of people to work their way through the forest and a massive charge to take the facility. No place was invulnerable.A handful of men might, using stealth, get to the buildings. But part of the contract was a no bargaining clause. Anyone caught and used for hostage had an obligation to aid any attempt to free them using force. And force would be used. There would be no negotiations.Mike put it out of his mind. He’d just see what developed when Amanda showed up.Between incoming supplies and equipment, which Mike felt he should personally check, since he’d ordered everything, and people showing up and others applying for membership, he was kept busy. He’d made sure to make his schedule flexible for the day she was scheduled to arrive. He also made sure Sara was going to be elsewhere. In fact, she was part of the team taking vehicles to Springfield for an auction. Several people had decided to sell their personal vehicles and rely on the facilities fleet.Mike breathed a slight sigh of relief when Amanda showed up with two men, neither of which was Number One or Number Two. She told them to wait in the lobby area while she went with Mike up to his office. She was using a cane to support herself.“Do you wear a gun on you all the time?” Amanda asked as soon as Mike had shown her to her seat. “Does everyone?”“Not everyone. But most. Part of the contract for living here is a commitment to defend the place.” Mike responded in a conversational tone. He could tell that Amanda was badly stressed.“You don’t look well,” he said. “Are you up to this?”Amanda sighed. “I have to be. I’ve been tasked with finding out what is going on.”“So you admit that something is going on?”This time Amanda frowned. “Yes. There is a problem. One we are trying to correct before anyone else gets hurt. You act as though you’ve known for some time.”“Well, I can tell you one thing. Three years ago I knew something was going on. Apparently so did my sister. I think she was killed for having that knowledge.”Amanda’s face fell. “I hate to say this, but we are beginning to believe that may be the case. But we don’t have any hard evidence. And we don’t know exactly why.”“Because she knew an Ice Age was coming. A little slowly at first, then more rapidly. With glaciation to 38 degrees North Latitude.”“So it is true…” Amanda’s words faded away.“Yes. She told me on that last phone call. Before she was killed. I don’t know if it was done on board, or if it was after they made port. I do know the ship made port. They say she was killed in an accident aboard the ship, but I’m thinking they found out what they wanted to know from her research and then killed her and just said it was an accident. That was what the inquest said. That it was an accident. I doubted it from the first.“Then, when Number One and Number Two questioned me about that last phone call… their attitudes… demanding. Wanting to come right out and ask about an Ice Age, but talking around it. And then Jeremiah, actually trying to put the words in my mouth. They had orders to keep the coming Ice Age quiet. They were working for someone. Not themselves. Though they did seem to enjoy it immensely. Someone, I think within FEMA, has been trying to keep it quiet for as long as they could.”“I don’t suppose I should tell you this, but FEMA has come to the same conclusion. We don’t have the proof that your sister apparently had, but with the way the weather has been, and some of the modeling our meteorologists have been doing are saying the same thing. That an Ice Age is coming, and coming quickly.“The person we think was responsible for the men you’ve referred to as Number One and Number Two, Tom Harris and Billy Bonestall, has been arrested and is being questioned in Washington. He seems to have been working with a group outside of FEMA. We still don’t know who. And it seems it was only the three. We’ve not found any connection with anyone else in FEMA to account for your Jeremiah. But there is the link outside the agency.“It appears that this outside group had plans to use the Ice Age to ‘Cleanse the earth of Undesirables,’ as it was put by Oliver Blackwood. He’s the FEMA agent we’ve arrested. We’re still looking for Harris and Bonestall. We’ll add the murder of your sister to their list of crimes. I don’t know if we’ll be able to prove it, but we’ll add it. We don’t know where they are at the moment. Some agency equipment, including a helicopter, is missing from inventory. I think they are the ones that tried to kill me by causing my accident.”“I agree,” said Mike. “And I think they may try again.”“Well, I have two US Marshals with me to try and prevent that. I’d like to get you some protection, but even with what you have told me, I don’t think it’ll happen. This is being kept very hush, hush. Very low profile.”“I understand. I can’t deny that part of the reason I go armed is on the off chance I run into Number One and Number Two again. We have a few differences of opinion to settle.” Mike’s face was grim.“Don’t do something silly, Mr. Buncie. FEMA is working on the problem with the help of the Marshals Service and the FBI. We’ll find them and bring them to justice.”Mike waved it away. “What about the population? Are they going to get the word? An organized evacuation of points north needs to be started before it is too late.”“I’m afraid it is already too late for some,” Amanda said softly. “I don’t have the power to bring it to the world’s attention. That will be up to my superiors. To be honest, I think they will. Seems everyone is speculating on just such a theory, now anyway. They’ll just take the speculation away.”She adjusted herself in the chair. Amanda was obviously in some pain from her injuries resulting from the hit and run accident. “If there isn’t anything else you can tell me, I’ll be on my way.”“No. That was it. Just my suspicions and what my sister had told me.”Amanda nodded and began to get up from the chair. The thought just occurred to Mike and he decided to ask. “Is this Ice Age the natural progression from global warming, or is it man-made. By the population cleansing people?”Her reaction was so normal to the question that Mike was sure it had come up before. She didn’t deny the possibility. “We don’t know. We simply don’t know,” Amanda said.She switched the cane to her left hand, held out her right and Mike shook it.“Be careful,” they both said, almost simultaneously. With a laugh, a nice one, Mike noted, Amanda transferred the cane back to her right hand and Mike escorted her down to her Marshals.“Quite a set up, you’ve got here, according to a couple of the residents,” one of the men said. “You taking applications?” Mike gave him a business card. The other Marshal laughed, but it had a hollow ring to it.Mike slowly followed them outside. He looked up, shading his eyes with his hands. It was hard to believe that an Ice Age was coming on this beautiful sunny summer day in the Ozarks. When Sara got back and found out Amanda had been there Mike thought she seemed angry. And couldn’t figure out why.It was no longer a beautiful sunny summer day in the Ozarks, Mike thought, remembering his thought that day. It was September and there was snow on the ground and more coming. A line of vehicles was coming up the road. The President had gone on the air two days previously and announced the discovery that an Ice Age was in the process of occurring. People in the northern latitudes would be evacuated as places to house them were found. There was already fighting on the Mexican boarder where the Mexican army was trying to stop the minor invasion of Northerners headed for warmer climes.Ever since the announcement, a stream of people that knew about the facility had been calling, and then showing up. People were offering huge sums of money for entrance. Mike was taking it, when it was a person he would have brought in anyway. He knew many of them would leave the next summer, when things looked better and the government’s warning was ignored. The payment was non-refundable.There were guards out, very obviously carrying weapons. So far, only those invited were showing up. There was a chance that some of the locals, now that they knew of the place, might come up and try to get in.When April rolled around, a full quarter of those that had come in upon the government’s announcement left, sheepishly. Some demanded their money back. None got it. The contract had been very specific. A tiny handful announced that they were only going home to tie up a few loose ends and would be back before winter set in again. Mike found that more than acceptable.He was very pleased with the way the facility had run at 50% capacity for those few weeks. All the bugs had been worked out of the systems, few that there had been. He expected to still be able to get supplies for a while, though much was being devoted to the evacuations.The national plan wasn’t going that well. Like some of the residents of the facility, many in the northern latitudes, around the world, refused to believe the information and warnings. Mike had everyone required to bear arms practicing on a regular basis. The following winter, Mike was thinking, would not be as easy as the first. He knew his sister very well. How her mind worked. The two years of slow build up had occurred, four years ago. Mike figured this would be the year it really got bad.He topped fuel tanks, and packed all the supplies he could into the regular above ground storage rooms. The basements of all the structures had been filled first. Mike had nearly a million dollars left. He converted nine-tenths of it to gold, silver, and diamonds. The rest would pay for the rest of the supplies that might be obtained.The world turned, as it was want to do, and fall fell. Winter was right on its heels. And it was, indeed, a bad one. People began to return to the facility. That’s what it was referred to as, now. The Facility. Mike was selective as to who he let in. The county had begun stationing an SUV with two deputies at the entrance of The Facility for a while when Mike was regularly calling in people demanding entrance he didn’t want in. Some of them were local. They seemed to take it harder than those that had traveled some distance to get there. The government had not mentioned the 38th parallel. Mike didn’t know why.Mike was being conservative on the personnel he was allowing in. He was going to cut the occupancy off at 85%. There would need to be room for the population to grow. After.And as the world is wont to do, it continued to turn. A short spring, and a summer, even at 38 degrees. The snow on the north side of the capital building in Jefferson City, Missouri from the previous winter was still there when it started to snow again there in July. Mike let a select few more people in during July and August. The roads were impassible to most vehicles by then. Definitely only four-wheel-drive vehicles were moving on the highways. Mike gave the message to quit plowing the road in to the facility.He retired to his office for the afternoon. All the security monitors were on. He was dozing when a call wakened him. “Sir, I have clandestine movement near the out road.” The ‘out’ road was the commonly used name for the poorly maintained logging road that was also known as the back door to the place.Mike moved over to the monitors mounted along the wall of his office and studied them for a few moment. Yes. There it was. Movement. And it wasn’t the direct movement of someone wanting to be seen. One of Mike’s concerns had been security without massive fences. It had been obvious that shortly into the Ice Age, where they were located, there wasn’t going to be much in the way of risk. They were on the edge of survivalbility.He’d had experts tell him how experienced people would attack the place if one came. It had been as he’d thought. Other than an army and an air force, only mass attack out of the woods, or a small group using modern stealth techniques could approach the facility, as long as a careful watch was maintained. Someone seemed to know what they were doing. You had to know it was happening to see it. The computer software that scanned video for motion was the best on the market. It had alerted the guard before the men had moved more than a few feet out of the forest.Mike knew the path they would take. It was the only reasonable one and had been left as an enticement. He touched the P-14 on his belt and lifted the telephone. “Scramble Squad. Meet me at the front doors.”He slipped into his jacket and met the six person team of former police and military. Including one ex-US Marshal. “Follow me. Cover me, but stay behind. I want to see who these guys are.”It took only a few moments to deploy. Mike stood waiting in the shadows as the men continued to work their way toward the dome. More quickly now that they were out of range of the cameras. One of the men would have commented on the lax security had they not been on silent mode.When they were a few feet away, Mike worked a remote control device, lighting up the area. The men behind him made their presence known. The two men slowly dropped their rifles and raised their hands. It was still hard to see their faces with their coat hoods up.“Drop the hoods,” Mike said, his P-14 held in a classic Weaver stance. When their faces could be seen, Mike softly said, “Well if it isn’t Number One and Number Two.”“What?” asked Number one, venom in his tone. Number Two looked wary.“Harris and Bonestall,” Mike said, the weapon steady, pointed between the two men.“I told you she would tell him,” Harris hissed at Bonestall.A touch more loudly now, Mike asked the simple question, “Which one of you killed my sister?”Harris, Number One, just stared at him with hate filled eyes. Mike was watching Bonestall, Number Two. Mike saw Bonestall’s eyes flick toward Harris a fraction of an instant before Harris spoke.Mike shifted his stance slightly and squeezed the trigger of the P-14. A neat .45 caliber hole appeared in Harris’ forehead. Harris fell silently. The men behind Mike tensed.Looking at Bonestall, Mike flatly said shifting his aim, “That means you gave the order.” He squeezed the P-14’s trigger again. Bonestall fell dead beside his partner. “Clean it up,” Mike said to his people. They were looking at him with shock on their faces. This was one hard man.Mike safed the P-14 and re-holstered it. He turned and walked back to the main entrance doors, leaving the people behind to take care of business. There was a procedure for handling deaths. He’d seen to it.He was a little surprised to see a vehicle in the parking area when he got to the doors. It was a black Suburban. A touch tense, he entered the lobby. When he saw Amanda he relaxed. She hurried over to him as fast as she could. “Mike! They’re coming after you. Harris and Bonestall. I came out to warn you.” Sara was watching silently.“Not any more,” Mike said. They’re both dead.”“Guns,” she said softly. Mike nodded. “Maybe they are needed, sometimes.” It was a huge admission for her.Obviously tired, Amanda moved to one of the lobby chairs and sat down. Sara moved out of the way but continued to watch. “We caught the others. They have a place much like this one. Harris and Bonestall got away. Harris was yelling that you were a dead man. I was so frightened for you. You’ve been such a big help. The evacuations aren’t going well and the weather is getting worse. I don’t know what to do.”They looked out the door. All they could see was snow.Mike glanced at Sara, standing there silently, and looked down at Amanda. He had his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Life was going to be very interesting for him.
Man! It Is Cold Outside! – Epilog
Life went on in the areas that weren’t under the newly forming glaciers. Wars were fought for the possession of warm, safe, areas. Mexico, by force of arms, was made a part of the United States. Canada ceased to exist as a nation. For over five hundred years Mike’s descendants from both lines, ruled The Facility as a Benevolent Monarchy. In 2525 the snow melted away completely before it snowed again on the site of the former Jefferson City, Missouri capitol building. Life began to head north again.
End ********Copyright 2005
Jerry D Young

The following is from a quote from the following article
“The administration and Congressional anti-gunners have declared war on gun rights,” Gottlieb said. “The press seems deliberately blind to the statements from Pelosi and Holder, who blame our gun rights for their incompetence in dealing with crime. More than 90 million gun owners haven’t hurt anybody, and they are tired of being treated like criminals.”
I would say more like "deliberately in agreement and support to the satements from Pelosi and Holder"then blind, but that is just my 2 cents (6 dollars when adjusted for inflation, this year)
Pelosi: 'We Want Registration'; Holder: 2A Won't 'Stand in the Way'; SAF: 'Gloves Are Off'
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Pelosi-We-Want-Registration-bw-14883186.
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on April 7 acknowledged that gun registration is on her agenda, days after Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters in Mexico that the Second Amendment would not “stand in the way” of administration plans to crack down on alleged gun trafficking to Mexico.“These are alarming remarks from Speaker Pelosi and Attorney General Holder,” said Second Amendment Foundation founder Alan Gottlieb. “It appears that the Obama administration and Capitol Hill anti-gunners have dropped all pretences about their plans for gun owners’ rights, and it looks like the gloves are coming off.”Pelosi’s revelation came during an interview on ABC’s Good Morning, America. While insisting that Congress “never denied” the gun rights of American Citizens, Pelosi told Roberts, “We want them registered. We don’t want them crossing state lines…” Gottlieb noted that citizens’ rights do not stop at state lines.“But that doesn’t really matter,” he observed. “History has shown that around the world, registration has always led to confiscation.”In Mexico, according to the Wall Street Journal, Holder was asked if the administration might encounter constitutional issues as it tries to crack down on alleged gun trafficking. His response: “I don’t think our Second Amendment will stand in the way of efforts we have begun and will expand upon.”“These comments belie administration promises and Democrat rhetoric that party leaders respect the rights of law-abiding Americans to own the firearm of their choice,” Gottlieb said. “They imposed registration of semi-autos in Pelosi’s California and it led to a ban, but it certainly didn’t disarm criminals, like the convicted felon who killed four Oakland police officers last month. We know from Holder that the Obama administration wants to renew the nationwide ban on such firearms, but that won’t prevent crime, either.“The administration and Congressional anti-gunners have declared war on gun rights,” Gottlieb said. “The press seems deliberately blind to the statements from Pelosi and Holder, who blame our gun rights for their incompetence in dealing with crime. More than 90 million gun owners haven’t hurt anybody, and they are tired of being treated like criminals.”The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
http://frc4u.org/phpbb/index.php?topic=815.msg1445#msg1445

Inventor turns cardboard boxes into eco-friendly oven
When Jon Bohmer sat down with his two little girls for a simple project they could work on together, he didn't realize they'd hit upon a solution to one of the world's biggest problems for just $5: A solar-powered oven.
Inventor Jon Bohmer with the oven he has made out of a cardboard box.
The ingeniously simple design uses two cardboard boxes, one inside the other, and an acrylic cover that lets in the sun's rays and traps them.
Black paint on the inner box, and silver foil on the outer one, help concentrate the heat. The trapped rays make the inside hot enough to cook casseroles, bake bread and boil water.
What the box also does is eliminate the need in developing countries for rural residents to cut down trees for firewood. About 3 billion people around the world do so, adding to deforestation and, in turn, global warming.
By allowing users to boil water, the simple device could also potentially save the millions of children who die from drinking unclean water.
Bohmer's invention on Thursday won the FT Climate Change Challenge, which sought to find and publicize the most innovative and practical solution to climate change.
"A lot of scientists are working on ways to send people to Mars. I was looking for something a little more grassroots, a little simpler," Bohmer said Thursday.
Bohmer's contest win notwithstanding, solar cooking with a cardboard oven isn't new. Two American women, Barbara Kerr and Sherry Cole, were the solar box cooker's first serious promoters in the 1970s. They and others joined forces to create the non-profit Solar Cookers International -- originally called Solar Box Cookers International -- in 1987.
Further, the organization's executive director, Patrick Widner, said that the plans for a solar box cooker were found in a book published by the Peace Corps in the 1960s.
"We are pleased that Mr. Bohmer has taken up the cause and interest of the 95 member organizations and 160 individuals of the Solar Cookers Worldwide Network," Widner said. "It would be a pleasure to work with Mr. Bohmer in Kenya where we have been promoting the use of solar cookers for ten years."
Bohmer, a Norwegian-born entrepreneur based in Kenya, said he also had been looking at solutions "way too complex, for way too long."
"This took me about a weekend, and it worked on the first try," Bohmer said. "It's mind-boggling how simple it is."
The contest was organized by the Forum for the Future -- a sustainable development charity -- and the Financial Times newspaper. Among the judges were British business magnate Richard Branson and environmentalist Rajendra Pachauri. The public also voted on the finalists.
Bohmer's invention beat about 300 other entries, including a machine that turns wood and other organic material into charcoal, wheel covers that make trucks more fuel efficient by reducing drag, and a feed supplement for livestock that reduces the methane they emit by 15 percent.
Bohmer named his invention the Kyoto Box, after the international environmental treaty to reduce global warming.
The box can be produced in existing cardboard factories. It has gone into production in a factory in Nairobi, Kenya, that can churn out about 2.5 million boxes a month.
Bohmer has also designed a more durable version, made from recycled plastic, which can be produced just as cheaply.
He envisions such cardboard ovens being distributed throughout rural Africa.
"In the West, we cook with electricity, so it's easy to ignore this problem," he said. "But half the world's population is still living in a stone age. The only way for them to cook is to make a fire.
"I don't want to see another 80-year-old woman carrying 20 kilos of firewood on her back. Maybe we don't have to."
http://us.cnn.com/2009/TECH/04/09/solar.oven.global.warming/index.html