Number 5. 100 Percent Fed Up dot com. State officials criticized for plan to destroy 400 acres of forest to build solar farm.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in Michigan has come under public criticism for their plan to bulldoze 420 acres of old-growth forest. In its place will go solar panels, ordered from China, in an effort to convert the state to 100% clean energy by 2040.
The decision is driven by falling revenues from hunting and fishing licenses. Replace the trees with solar panels to make up a shortfall in hunting licenses. I guess that makes sense, if I think about it long enough.
DNR spokesman Ferd Tervildigger clarified the plan at a press conference with a simple illustration: “Look,” he said. “If I make $100 from selling hunting licenses, but last year I only made $90, that means I am $10 short. To make up the loss, I will bulldoze the forest and construct a solar panel farm there instead.”
When challenged by a reporter that the solar panels will have nothing to do with the loss of hunting license revenue, Mr. Tervildigger replied, “That’s just your opinion!” and left the podium.
DNR’s official website states the agency’s mission: We are committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations.
I would be interested in seeing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that Michigan has prepared for this endeavor. According to the American Bar Association:
…an EIS is a report mandated by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), to assess the potential impact of actions “significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.”
The EIS probably says that converting to clean energy is more important to saving Michigan’s environment than a few measly trees.
The Department of Natural Resources’ expressed objective is to save the forest for your grandkids. Apparently, the only way to save it is by destroying it.
Number 4. Breitbart. Minnesota man severely burned when heated insoles from China explode in boot.
A Trimont, Minnesota, man purchased a set of rechargeable heated insoles from Amazon, charged them up and installed them in his boots. While working outside, he noted they were not really working as advertised, which I presume means they were not warming his feet, until they started REALLY warming his feet.
“Then it started getting super hot,” he told reporters, “and there was white smoke billowing out of my boot.”
He kicked the boots off and found the insoles were literally burned up, the sock had been destroyed, and he had 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his feet.
He was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, then transferred to a burn unit where skin grafts are expected.
A survey of Amazon’s site shows the iHeat Chinese-manufactured product is no longer available. I wonder if he got his money back?
Number 3. Breitbart. LGBTQ flocking to gun ranges ahead of Trump inauguration.
Well, this is interesting. There seems to be some fear by gay Americans that they will be arrested and placed in concentration camps under the incoming Trump administration.
I do not recall that being a campaign promise, but maybe I missed it.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, three gay-friendly gun organizations have seen dramatic increases in membership since the November election. The Liberal Gun Club, the Socialist Rifle Association and the Pink Pistols have all experienced surges in membership numbers.
One self-described gay New Jersey man commented, “…it’s all about self-defense and fear … We’re not looking to arm up and storm the Capitol. We just don’t want to be put in concentration camps.”
It’s not really clear how that would work out when there is a knock at the door and a warrant for your arrest, but I can’t say I disagree with the sentiment.
Number 2. The Gateway Pundit. Texas rapper 2 Low accidentally fires his gun mid-interview.
Podcaster Mike D got a surprise on a recent “1 on 1 Wit Mike D” episode. When Mike was interviewing a rapper named 2 Low, the 2 Low fellow reached into his pocket while seated, and a gun suddenly went off.
In the shocked silence, Mike asked, “Who got shot?”
2 Low quickly assured Mike that he was all right, and Mike said, “Everybody good?”
In the video, you can get a glimpse of a portion of the gun as 2 Low partially pulls it from his pocket. It appears to be a compact semi-auto, which probably means it is striker-fired. Firing a round inadvertently probably means the safety was not engaged.
A semi-auto pistol requires some room for the slide to move back so that the spent cartridge case can be ejected and a new round chambered.
Being contained inside 2 Low’s jeans pocket, as it was, likely means the slide movement was hampered, there was a failure to eject, an accompanying failure to load, and thus the gun was effectively jammed and unable to fire again until cleared.
Maybe.
I suppose this is the place to make an argument for gun training, methods of safe carry and a discussion of quality holster gear, but I’m not convinced it would get any traction.
We probably have Jim Croce to thank for this. Bad Bad Leroy Brown carried “a .32 gun his pocket for fun,” (along with the “razor in his shoe”) and 2 Low was just emulating his hero.
Number 1. Breitbart. Over 170 stranded ski lift passengers rescued in Colorado.
The pre-Christmas ski trip to Winter Park, west of Denver, had a little added excitement this year.
Apparently a structural crack appeared in one of the gondola lift stanchions and the system automatically came to a halt. Right at noon, 174 passengers were left suspended in their gondolas for the next 5 hours as ski patrol worked to evacuate them.
Skiers and snowboarders were lowered to the ground one by one until all were safely on the side of the mountain. At 5:00 PM, wearing boots meant for skiing rather than walking.
Actually, the ski patrol probably loved it. Nobody was hurt, everybody there was dressed for the weather and everyone skiing was in relatively good physical condition. When else would the patrol ever get to do something like this?
At least, it will be the ski trip of a lifetime. The $10 voucher offered to each stranded passenger was just icing on the cake.
And thanks for joining The Alligator News Roundup for Friday, January 10, 2025. Maybe we should have a drive to encourage people to buy Michigan hunting licenses. That would bolster their sales and make it so they wouldn’t have to bulldoze the trees and install solar panels.
I’m still not sure I get the logic to that. But it’s Michigan, after all.
Take a week and go skiing while there is still snow! Take along a book to read and some munchies in case of being stranded on the gondola.
Have a good weekend!
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