earthsuit101.com Blog

No, not split like, walk away from…split like, divide its territory up.

Think back to our countries bloodiest war. No, it was not WWII, it was our own Civil War. Over 600,000 men gave their lives for a cause (depending on what side) in a little under five years. The people in control of events were all men of similar heritage. No huge cultural, religious or racial difference could be seen between them. Therefore, the War Between the States can be reduced to a conflict of ideological principle, of Union (Federal control) vs. Secession (State control). After tremendous bloodshed, disease and hardships, the Union prevailed, but everyone suffered all the while.

Now fast forward to current events in the Middle East. Depending on how you look at the events that have unfolded since we invaded Iraq, one person could make an argument that it has been a successful endeavor while another could declare it a travesty. For now, it will suffice to say that some things have gone well and some things have gone badly. But, as is the case in all war, the civilian population has suffered more than they should.

Unlike The War Between the States, Iraq has nothing that resembles our pre-conflict harmony or civility. Not only do they have fractioned motives fueled by class and power separation, but there are stark racial, cultural and religious divisions. Looking back on our failures regarding keeping the peace, it is these divisions which have been the stumbling blocks. While the populous has clearly shown their desire for democracy and unification, the leaders of significant groups continue to perpetuate terror. And judging from what we have seen these groups hold no regard for law, civil order, or human life. They routinely commit inhuman atrocities and have demonstrated that they will continue to do so.

Fortunately, these groups can mostly be divided into three primary people groups: Sunni-Islam, Shiite-Islam and Ethnic Kurds. Even Iraq’s geography and historical patterns of segregation are somewhat conducive to potentially sensible boarders. There is no reason to think fractioning the country of Iraq into three parts will be easy or end the violence, but it just might protect the citizens. Most Iraqi civilians identify themselves more as members of these groups than with the hateful factions of strident religious and ideological zealots. Another dividend would be slowing the tragic lose of foreign soldiers as they attempt to maintain an untenable situation.

Perhaps it’s time to let the rest of the world work on solving the problems with Iraq. The displacement of people is never easy, but maybe the UN can figure something out. (They have no ethical problems supporting Resolutions 242 and 338 which stipulates that Israel must withdraw completely from their occupied territories, nor did they blink an eye about the segregation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, or of the border creation of Croatia and Slovenia. That must wait for another post.) Not that the U.N. does a good job of peace keeping, but perhaps it is time for us to pass the ball, sit back and let the rest of the world chisel the new boarders. It could be healing in some un-American way.

As a country, we have accomplished much in Iraq. But we have suffered tremendous internal and external scorn. Now we should be willing to let historians sort it out while we take the next step and prepare to leave where we are not appreciated and go where we are wanted. Splitting Iraq would allow us to maintain our troops in what is now US mostly friendly Northern Iraq, and probably even a US diplomatic presence in the other regions just due to paranoia. This is a good thing for everybody, especially the US. Our soldiers would not be dieing in Baghdad. We would however, be invited to live on peaceful bases by the newly formed government in the Kurdish territory. That is something that we could never hope for with a “unified” Iraq.

The new territories of the Sunnis and the Shias will keep everybody busy. Besides the fact that they will spend their earthly eternity fighting each other, they will also find time to fight themselves (We do!). Between religious infighting, political posturing, oppressing their own people, striking secular and religious alliances, being attacked by neighbors and observing holy days, they will just barely be able to produce enough oil to keep their governments significant.

While this is not ideal, at least the civilians could get on with life (as they understand it) and actual boarders could help them avoid much of the bloodshed. Collectively, they will continue to be intolerant of women’s rights, western culture and religions freedoms. It should not surprise us that they will continue to despise Jews and seek Israel’s destruction. But most of all, the fanatics will ply their medieval hatred against themselves and each other in pursuit of their destiny. No, it’s not a perfect solution, but perhaps it’s an idea whose time has come and that’s why it is time to split.

Let’s talk water quality where it really counts. Sure a clean glass of water is great, but a clean hot tub / spa is a worthy and satisfying accomplishment. Not to brag, but I’ve found the secret to clear water, without dangerous chemicals and constant maintenance.

I know this sounds like an ad for an TV, infomercial special. But I can promise you I am making absolutely nothing out of this “endorsement”. However, I am going to link to the website I usually buy from so you can enjoy the same water quality I do. Who knows maybe The Cre8ive Group will want to sponsor my blog, or send me free products or give me free shipping…oh yeah, they already do that… gee wiz I’d be delighted with a T-shirt, but alas I am not expecting anything. (Did I really say “gee wiz?”)

First of all I’ll share a bit of history. I grew up with a pool. I’ve been a lifeguard, swim instructor and coach in public pools. Again, not to brag, but my experience allows me to maintain pH, chlorine levels and clarity with my eyes closed.

When we finally got a hot tub from Beachcomber Hot Tub and Spa I listened carefully to the instructions on utilizing their safe and environmentally friendly chemical protocols. It sounded good, with free testing and analysis and such. I walked out of the store with my “Starter Kit” and then some of the special chemicals they recommended for our unique well-water situation. Since they offer a full line of water treatment products, the excitement of my childhood chemistry set returned and I looked forward to maintaining optimal water quality in my new back yard laboratory.

We carefully researched our tub purchase. Beachcomber Hot Tubs were not the cheapest, but they were the best quality and value. Companies might like to hear that their products are excellent from happy customers and I believe theirs is tops, but they will not even send me a T-shirt after they hear what I have to say next.

Beachcomber’s whole chemical process sucks. It’s complicated, expensive and labor intensive. While it does work, a Herculean effort is required of the spa owner to deliver modest results.

For three months I was shackled to their protocol. Often, I went out of my way with sample in hand for testing. At times I felt like a bus driver suspected of drug abuse, diligently providing court ordered urine samples for others approval. By the time I could take no more, I had been sold a quiver of additional chemicals and told to change the water and start over three times.

The inevitable, “Enough!” finally arrived and I walked out of the store without any new products and left my free analysis on the desk. Knowing that in a worse case scenario I could go back to my pool-boy skills, I was happy to move on. A friend had suggested SpaMagic. He had raved about it even before we purchased our spa. I thought he was crazy. He told me, “You just throw a jar of this seaweed stuff in and it’s good for six months.” I’ve spent an inordinate amount of my time explaining to my kids, “If something seems too good to be true, it is probably not true.”

With nothing to loose and with the hope that it might be better than what I had been using I Googled the product and read everything I could on it. As a science major, I know the power of enzymes and so decided to give SpaMagic a try. Now, I’ll cut to the chase because everything has a learning curve and I won’t bore you with mine. After some careful and considerate evaluation I’ve come up with the recipe that works for me. I’ve broken it up into three groupings: First Time; Weekly Maintenance and Every Three Months.

First Time
· Drain the chemical soup out of your spa (avoid plants).
· Clean the spa with a little soap and rinse thoroughly.
· Fill and heat spa.
· Add Spa Cleanser. It is the first time use stuff and is needed and the directions should be followed carefully.
· Drain and rinse and fill again and heat
· Then add SpaMagic.

Weekly Maintenance
· Pull the cover and rinse it off.
· Remove filter and flush it out.
· Add any needed water.
· Turn on pump with bubbles and add SeaKlear Chlorine-Free Shock and follow directions.
· Depending on use flush out filter at least one more time mid week. (Note: Water must circulate for the filter to work. I hear some hot tubs are not as good about circulating water automatically as mine is.)

Every Three Months
· Drain water.
· Fill and heat spa.
· Add SpaMagic.
· Enjoy!

I’ve never had such an easy time maintaining any body of water. The biologically harmful chemicals used in the chlorine-free shock are gone before anyone has time to get back into the tub and the SpaMagic formula is as benign as one could hope for. The lanolin in the product keeps our skin soft and unlike most hot tub experiences, we usually feel that a shower after is optional. It takes no more than ten minutes a week to complete my duties and the results are stunning. For a while I tested, but the consistency of results has caused me to toss the test kit. Bottom line analysis is equally impressive. Our current product cost averages to less than $16 per month and when you factor in the time savings its, like… FREE!

Ever wake up from a perfectly restful sleep to find that while your body was in a deep slumber your brain was working overtime? That was what happened to me last night. I knew my brain had been working because without any further thought I typed out the following.

I’m pretty certain this is not going to change the meaning of life as we know it, and I’ve not made sure that these terms, titles and definitions are particularly novel. But heck, that’s one of the great things about the internet…other people will let you know when you’re wrong. Therefore, if my brain stole your coined term, I only have this to say in defense. “My body had nothing to do with it. It was asleep at the time.”

Genius: Nope that’s not one of mine but it needs to be included here for obvious reasons. A genius is a person who grasp a concept or idea that is not yet attainable via inductive methods. They have reached a point of understanding that is more advanced than anybody else. In my opinion they are very rare. They seldom lead and usually it is only the Pacers (see below) who can see their strength for what it is.

Pacers: A Pacer is someone who is on the cutting edged of a category or discipline. They have the combination of knowledge and leadership as well as a big picture understanding. They are thoughtful about the past, philosophical about the present and confident about the future. They are the ones the Racers (see below) try to stay up to.

Racers: These are the people who strive to maintain a competence in a particular field of study or understanding. While they must follow the Pacers lead the racers are really the driving force in the progress of any particular discipline. They create a synergy which spurs on the Pacers as they are the individuals who are committed to and have the will, energy and vision to push on.

Packies: They are the faceless multitudes of any movement. They are frequently passionate about their interests, but for the most part they maintain a “weekend warrior” mentality. The inherent descriptiveness of the title Packies, suggests these are the people who are in the middle of the pack, but since the pack can be so big, it is this classification who provide the sheer numbers and energy to get things done.

Backies: Obviously there are those who are in back of the pack. Enthusiasm is low. Commitment is sporadic and vision is clouded. Occasionally, they simply have not yet matured yet, but mostly they will never get it.

Lackies: These are the rest… they are mostly taking up space. Fortunately, God loves them too.