Future of Natural Resources

Walter, thank you for confirming my suspicions of the downside of this.  Here, the fracking would occur on the banks of the Wisconsin River, and the danger of its contamination looms.  It is crazy.  As Freud observed, humans have two subconscious drives - eros, to live, and thanatos, to die.  It is always a race between the two; of late, it seems thanatos is gaining on eros.  Thanks for your update.  Yes, the Great Lakes are a vital resource.  Americans, and Canadians too, live in an illusion of endless natural resources.  There are, however, limits (conservative word, concept there); we are approaching them.  In our Anglo-Saxon heritage the story of Robin Hood sums up the popular culture.  It goes like this.  Robin lives in the forest preserve, the king's forest; of course, anything associated with the king is bad.  Hence, conservation, reservation of natural resources by the king, aka the state, is bad.  You get the drift.  Thanks for listening.  I am grateful to be able to share.  Paul 

Elora calling

Walter, in 2013 Jane and I need to get out butts over to Ontario so we can visit with you and D-K in person, live, face to face. It's been too long. Thank you for keeping in touch, sharing your wisdom, and your friendship. You are the best. Meanwhile, the Republic teeters along. Jane and I will vote for Obama and the rest of the Democrats. We believe in fairness; the Wall Street gangsters control even more of the Republicans than they do of the Democrats. Besides, we need our Social Security and Medicare now. People here are somber. You see few bumper stickers, yard signs, buttons, etc. They know the "wheels are coming off the wagon" and the gangsters on Wall Street and their stooges in Washington - despite the horrific economic damage here, which is still mounting. The American people overall are good people when they remain true to their historical values. I make no apology for the "old time religion," for it brought me to Canada. The Pilgrims, New Englanders believed in the sanctity of "Conscience”; it became my heritage too. Canada today is where America was in the 1950's. It is a sane, balanced place yet; people there still have a sense of optimism that is sadly missing here. The best part is Canada remains a fabulous reminder of what once was here and could be here again! Thank you for the comparison. I sorely miss the Great Dominion to our North. It preserves American "know-how" without the violence. I guess at heart I remain an old Loyalist, "old school," Conservative, in the true sense of the word, concept, cf. Edmund Burke, one of my heroes. Anyway, Elora, Ontario keeps calling me now. My old friends in Wiarton have been dying out; thankfully, Elora has emerged to start a new cycle for me. I love Old Ontario, its ways. God willing, I will establish ongoing connections with it; it is not far from Barrie!