While my daughter is genarally a pain in the (fill in the blank here), I must admit, she does have her moments of awsomeness!

 Q: How much wood could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

A: "First, as the average weight of a healthy, young woodchuck is about 10 pounds, let’s assume that said woodchuck is able to cut down and lift pieces of wood approximating this weight. This concept follows the theory that, generally, an animal can lift and car...ry its own body weight.

Also, our average woodchuck can consume as much as about 2000 calories per day derived from lettuce, corn, spinach, peas, squash, cucumbers, alfalfa, clover, oats, and other vegetables, grains, and fruits, most scavenged from farm crops. This means that the woodchuck would be able to chuck a pretty hefty amount of wood, naturally using up his or her daily caloric intake before having to rest.

However, assuming that each cut piece of wood would demand about four calories of woodchuck energy, and knowing that animals generally have a short attention span, the woodchuck might retire for the day after an initial workout. He or she could resume chucking later on, but would still need to retain calories for normal activities until the next day, including some calories to burn in order to keep warm at night. Also, if the wood is too dense, such as with an oak or maple tree, the woodchuck may become frustrated and move on to another, “softer” tree. Either way, let’s assume that he or she would burn about 300 calories.

So, plugging these figures into a formula, we could figure that a woodchuck could chuck 75 10-pound pieces of wood in a day if it could, indeed, chuck wood. However, this amount would be unattainable because by the time a woodchuck chucked this much wood, he or she may have attracted the attention of a red fox and been eaten. Other possible predators are the bobcat, cougar, coyote, mountain lion, wolf, and human hunter. Woodchucks are excellent swimmers and climbers, though, and our sample woodchuck may have escaped, if the chucking didn’t leave it too tired to run, climb, or swim.

It all depends on how quietly the woodchuck chucks, how much energy it expends, and the proximity of the nearest red fox."


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Another city in California remains in the “a rule of law” for immigration category

The residents from Escondido, California packed the City Council chambers to show their support for Arizona’s SB 1070 immigration law. The southern Californian residents wanted to challenge Councilmember Olga Diaz's attempt to chastise Arizona.

“Those who support Arizona outnumbered the opposition 10 to 1. It seemed that some of those in opposition had been ‘imported’ from outside Escondido to protest,” said Tisha Bennett of Escondido and founder of CERS. “Residents here agree with Arizona that the federal government has failed the American people.”


I, personally, don't have any problem with immigration - as long as it's done correctly. I am personally offended by those who sneak accross our borders, and then demand rights and entitlements as citizens. It's not unlike someone climbing in through my bathroom window at night and then sitting down at my table, complaining about what was served for breakfast! Would you welcome that kind of visitor?
 
My momma (the immigrant) taught me to come to someone's home only when invited, and to stay only as long as you're welcome. She also taught me that respecting my host and their home goes a long way toward extending your welcome and even being invited back.
 
 I know that this country was built by immigrants. My own mother immigrated here from Honduras back in the early 60's, and my father's grandparents (on both sides) immigrated from Canada, after coming over from Ireland and Germany in the 1880s.
 
I even spent time on the other side of the issue. I lived abroad (in Ireland) for four years. I knew it was time to come back to the stated when the company I worked for folded and moved back to England. As they were sponsor to my work permit, I couldn't stay unless I could find another employer to sponsor me. I knew my visa was running out, so I packed up my family, and all our belongings, and made the trip back BEFORE it expired.

Allan just got back last week from a training mission...

All I can say is - better him than me!

http://www.i-mef.usmc.mil/DIV/1MAR/2BN/gal_bridgeport10.asp#0

Way to go Allan!

Posted : Thursday May 27, 2010 12:06:35 EDT 

Active-duty petty officer second class (HM2)

Winger Allan D

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer, Navy Times

The petty officer advancement list is out, and more than 18,000 sailors have something to crow about: They will be move up to become petty officers first, second or third class.

Even as sailors celebrate, there is sobering news: The Navy has active-duty quotas to advance fewer than 15,000 to E-4, E-5 and E-6.

Navy-wide, there is a 16.42 percent chance to advance, with 88,715 sailors passing their tests and 14,570 quotas available to move up. That is down from 19.86 percent last fall and a 24.08 percent chance just a year ago.

Part of the problem is more competition, with 1,758 more sailors passing their tests than the 86,957 who passed in September, and 2,740 more than a year ago, when 85,975 became eligible to advance by passing advancement exams.

But the real killer is fewer quotas, down 2,808 from the 17,378 available slots to move up last fall. That’s also 6,087 fewer than last year’s spring cycle, when 20,657 got a new chevron.

At the E-5 level, opportunity is also down for the third cycle in a row. The overall opportunity to make second class dipped to 15.52 percent, down from the 18.97 percent last fall and 22.6 percent just a year ago.

It’s the lowest chance at making E-5 since fall 1997, when opportunity was 15.06 percent, but still a bit above the 12.57 percent in the fall of 1996, when the Navy was drawing down.

Here, too, competition is rising. Since the spring 2009 cycle, the numbers of test-passers has increased by 1,011 while quotas dropped by 2,109, causing the slide in opportunity.

Although the quotas dropped from last fall by 130, to 3,233, it’s still higher than the 2,787 quotas available last spring. But the drop in quotas was offset by fewer eligible sailors — 1,31l fewer test passers than last fall.