RIP, Irwin A. Schiff, patriot and revolutionary.  He refused to allow political conformity, the status quo, or the oppressive weight of prison, to corrupt his commitment to what he believed were the important founding ideals of this country.  From a eulogy written by his son, Peter, which should be read in its entirety:

“My father had a life-long love affair with our nation’s founding principals and proudly served his country during the Korean War…”

…….

“But my father was most known for his staunch opposition to the Federal Income Tax, for which the Federal Government labeled him a “tax protester.” But he had no objection to lawful, reasonable taxation. He was not an anarchist and believed that the state had an important, but limited role to play in market based economy.  He opposed the Federal Government’s illegal and unconstitutional enforcement and collection of the income tax. His first book on this topic (he authored six books in total) How Anyone Can Stop Paying Income Taxes, published in 1982, became a New York Times best seller. His last, The Federal Mafia; How the Government Illegally Imposes and Unlawfully Collects Income Taxes, the first of three editions published in 1992, became the only non-fiction and second-to-last book to be banned in America.”

……

“His crusade to force the government to obey the law earned him three prison sentences, the final one being a fourteen-year sentence that he began serving ten years ago, at the age of 77. That sentence turned into a life sentence, as my father failed to survive until his planned 2017 release date. However, in actuality, the life sentence amounted to a death sentence. My father died from skin cancer that went undiagnosed and untreated while he was in federal custody.”

……

“Whether or not you agree with my father’s views on the Federal Income Tax, or the manner by which it is collected, it’s hard to condone the way he was treated by our government. He held his convictions so sincerely and so passionately that he continued to espouse them until his dying breath. Like William Wallace in the final scene of Braveheart, an oppressive government may have succeeded in killing him, but they did not break his spirit. And that spirit will live on in his books, his videos, and in his children and grandchildren. Hopefully his legacy will one day help restore the lost freedoms he died trying to protect, finally allowing him to rest in peace.”

As with many Texans, who sweat through long, hot summers, fall is my favorite season.  Afternoons are still very warm here, but the breeze has cooled, the light is softer, and afternoons are a delight.  Here is a montage of photos I took from my deck on this beautiful fall afternoon.  Am I blessed? Yes, every day.

I am a peaceful man.  I have struck only two people in my life, and only in self defense (I was much younger); I hope never to do so again.  But upon reading this story, about the “mastermind” of an elephant poaching ring, I found myself wishing that she be punished by having her teeth pulled one by one, and the skin of her face peeled off.  And in the face of all who demand that we respect all facets of other cultures, I say: “God damn the Chinese custom that tolerates and facilitates such barbarism.”

May God forgive me for such thoughts; and may God ensure my anger at such inhumanity never flags.

Madeline Singas (a Democrat), Acting District Attorney of Nassau County, NY, forbids Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) working for her to own a handgun.  From the official employment application form, which is followed by a signature line:

“I understand that assistant district attorneys are not permitted to apply for a handgun permit nor own or possess a handgun while employed by the Nassau County District Attorney.”

In other words, as a condition of employment within the county DA’s office, ADAs may not so much as own a handgun at any time, at any place, for any reason.  The ban is not restricted to possession at the office, or courtroom, or any other place of official business (which could be reasonable; I do not allow guns in my office).  ADAs may not own one at all: not for personal defense away from a work setting; not for protection at home; not for sport; not for hobby collecting.  They may not so much as apply for a permit, even if they do not follow through with a handgun purchase.

Singas is up for election; perhaps this policy is red meat for the Democrat-leaning county.  She is an aggressive self-promoter.  (The official Web site of the DA office is a virtual political advertisement for her.) (1)  Perhaps this is strictly an ideological decision.  New York state has some of the most restrictive gun laws in the Union; in such a political environment, perhaps she simply believed that such an edict would pass without notice.

I do not deny Singas’ right to prohibit guns in a workplace she leads; she may legally do that.  But by what authority can she forbid an employee – as a condition of employment – from exercising, on personal time and in private environs, a right explicitly recognized by the U.S. Constitution?

Reading this story, I could not help but think of Kim Davis, she of gay-marriage-license-denial fame.  Davis – also a Democrat – has been exposed and condemned for two months, in media outlets large and small (a few weeks ago, a story about her was on the front pages of the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times, all on the same day), by renowned commentators, and in social media.  For refusing to extend a right granted by federal law, she was jailed by a federal judge.

I have not found a source listing the exact number of ADAs in Nassau County, but 22 are active on LinkedIn.  So at least 22 people are right now being denied a Constitutional right by Madeline Singas.  This is exactly 22 people more than were unable to secure a marriage license because of Kim Davis. (2)

If gay people cannot be denied the right to marry (a right I support) by a county official, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling only a few months old, can another county official deny employees a right that was ratified into the Constitution 226 years ago?  I look forward to massive media coverage, the condemnation of pundits, a flood of outraged Facebook posts, and the fury of the Left, all equal to that directed at Kim Davis.

Footnotes:

1. The home page features a montage of photos and stories; each photo features Singas front and center; each story begins “Acting DA Singas…”
2. Kentucky law allows residents 18 years or older to obtain a marriage license in any of the state’s 120 counties, not just the county of residence. Anyone denied a marriage license in Kim Davis’ Rowan County Clerk’s office could have acquired one in 119 other counties in the state, including the seven which border Rowan county: “The bride and groom may go to any county in Kentucky to get a marriage license as long as both are 18 years of age or older. Marriage licenses may be used in any Kentucky county and cannot be used anywhere but in Kentucky.”

Granted, I’m biased toward nuclear power, as that is the industry my business serves, but the new U.S. reactors coming online later this year and in the next few years, will provide clean electricity at a price and capacity factor (think reliability) that no other source of electricity can match.  Solar and wind power can’t manage even half the CF that nuclear provides every year.

As one of my favorite blog commentators likes to say: If you don’t support nuclear power, you’re not serious about reducing carbon emissions from electrical generation.

It took me 58 years & 8 months – and after hundreds of miles hiking in mountains – but last week I made my first summit of a mountain higher than 14,000 feet in elevation: Huron Peak, in Colorado’s Sawatch Range.  I’ve climbed mountains higher than 13k’ (mostly recently, Mt Dana in Yosemite last September) but hadn’t gone higher than that.

Miles: ~8.  Elevation gain: ~3900′

After a business trip to the Pantex site in Amarillo, TX, I drove about eight hours to the trailhead, northeast of Buena Vista, CO – a region I know and love.  Powerful storms rolled in as I turned on to the dirt road, 13 miles from the trailhead.  Lightning, rain and hail continued through the evening.  The last two miles are along a wickedly rough 4X4 ‘road’, made more difficult by the rain and darkness.  I didn’t even pitch my tent, sleeping in the truck instead.

Photos can be seen here: http://s44.photobucket.com/user/baypiper/library/Huron%20Peak?sort=3&page=1

I woke in darkness about 5 a.m., ate breakfast in the cold (the truck gate had frozen shut), packed the daypack, and made my way about .5 miles to the trailhead by dawn.  The weather had cleared and the sun came out as I began the climb through a sub-alpine forest. This section was an unbroken climb, mostly along switchbacks, with occasional views of mountains beyond.

After about three miles the trail transitioned above treeline, and after a short, steep climb entered a lovely alpine meadow studded with a single small lake.  The hike across the meadow was the only relatively flat stretch.

The trail exits the meadow and begins a sharp climb up a verdant wall to a saddle that connects Huron and its neighbor, Browns Peak.  After crossing the saddle, I came to the beginning of a long rocky ridge that climbs to the base of Huron.  The trail fades along the ridge, but navigation is easy: follow the ridge line as far as it goes.

The ridge eventually ends at the base of Huron’s rocky cone.  From here to the peak is a very steep scramble up loose talus.  The going is slow, and I had to backtrack or move horizontally two or three times when I came to an impassable mass of loose rocks.  (The descent down this talus was more precarious.)

I reached the summit before 1100 (target was noon, to be off before afternoon thunderstorms). The peak is wide and long enough to walk around and to find a place out of the wind to sit for lunch.  Views of mountains – including Elbert, Colorado’s highest peak – extend in every direction.  A brother and sister – 22 years apart! – joined me 20 minutes later.  They were wonderful company in that high, lonely place.

Loop: White River Campground to Sunrise; to Burroughs Mountain peak; to Glacier Basin and above; to campground

Miles: 12.5 (11.5 by trail according to topographical map; ~1 mile off trail)

Elevation gain: ~3300’ ascent, same for descent (4100’ at camp; 7402’ Burroughs Mt peak)

July 11, 2015

Photos viewable at (recommend selecting ‘slideshow’ option):

http://s44.photobucket.com/user/baypiper/library/Rainier%20NP%20Sunrise%20Burroughs%20Mt%20Glacier%20Basin?sort=2&page=1

Soon after returning to camp after the first day’s hike (see below), to Summerland/Panhandle Gap/Indian Bar, the weather changed.  That day had been mild and mostly clear.  Through the evening the temperatures cooled by about ten degrees and a light rain began to fall at dusk.  I was glad for it; I was hoping for a cool, damp relief from the Texas summer.

Fog and mist were prominent by morning; they would remain all day, for every section of trail.  I would have no views of mountain peaks, including Rainier itself; sight distance was rarely greater than 100 yards.  The only exception was a brief glimpse of Goat Island Mountain, across the White River, near the end of the hike, and this was only partial.  This disappointed me only for the ascent to Burroughs Mountain; for the remainder, I found that the fog caused me to pay attention to smaller, nearer objects, which I tend to slight.  I became entranced by the small, hardy flowers along the way, and the ethereal silhouettes of trees and rocks.

The trailhead began at the northwest corner of the White River Campground.  I began at 6:20 in the morning.  The trail immediately ascended sharply and continued to ascend at greater and lesser degrees for the four miles to Sunrise, one of the most famous stops in the park.  This section passes through unbroken forest.  All was quiet and still, and I saw no other person until Sunrise, where I met a few backpackers who had stopped for the night at the Sunrise camp.

The trail continued to climb above Sunrise camp to the trailhead up to Burroughs Mountain (actually two modest peaks).  This would be my favorite trail of the day.  The trailhead is already above treeline; a marker notes the alpine, Arctic-like environment along the trail, advising hikers to avoid damaging the fragile plants.

The first mile climbs steeply, along the rocky mountainside.  About one mile in I passed the first snowfield of the hike; it appeared slowly and ghost-like out of the fog.  For three miles the trail (very faint in places), winds to Burroughs peak, through a brilliant diversity of small alpine plants and flowers clinging among the loose rock surface.  The rugged, treeless slopes, fading into the gauzy fog, reminded me strongly of places I’ve seen in Scotland.

From the top of Burroughs Mountain the trail quickly began descending, continuing to do so to the base of the trail to Glacier Basin.  Once back below timberline, the underbrush was thick and lush; through several sections of trail my pants and shoes were soaked from walking through wet fields of low plants (thanks to an evening rain, my shoes didn’t dry out until the next morning and my feet were chilled until I crawled into the sleeping bag that night).  Most of the elevation from the long climb was given through a long series of short, steep switchbacks.  Mid-way through these I came upon a pair of young black-tail deer; I encountered them for 15 minutes: as they moved straight down the mountain I would catch up to them mid-way through the switchbacks.

The .6 mile trail to Glacier Basin was steep and unremarkable.  Glacier Basin is a high point overlooking the InterGlacier Fork of the White River, which rushes through a broad, rugged valley of moraine left by Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the lower 48 states.  I continued above the basin for more than half a mile, hoping to reach Mount Ruth, but the fog and rain made navigation difficult  (I saw no trail, so was bushwhacking) and without much merit.

I walked leisurely (a wonderful change of pace!) for the last four miles, a pleasant descent on a wide, clear trail from Glacier Basin to the campground.  With a few hours of daylight left, and this being my last full day in the park, I enjoyed what was the most lush section of any trail I saw during my visit, passing as it does through one of the few temperate rain forests of the world.  The trail crossed at least two dozen streams, many falling through rock and undergrowth carpeted by moss and fern.

For a second consecutive day, I had hiked through some of the most remarkable and rapid transitions in climate and environment – forest to alpine to rain forest – that I have ever experienced.  Over coffee and a hot dinner, I thought fondly back over the day.

Bring it home!  The TX legislature approved plans to repatriate gold bullion (actually owned by the state university endowment, I believe) from the HSBC bank in NYC to a repository in Texas.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-19/there-s-a-pile-of-gold-in-manhattan-texas-wants-it-back-

Why the heck not?  This isn’t a major issue, but the gold could be more advantageous here than in an out-of-state bank.

Only a handful of legislatures – all Democrat, of course – voted against the measure.  One of them gave a reason that made about as much sense – and was more honest – than most reasons Democrats oppose anything.

“Kirk Watson was one of four Democrats in the Senate to go the other way. Why? “Cause it’s weird,” he said.”