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Items included in this column are things that I have heard, seen or have been reported to me. I cannot vouch for their veracity.

Ya Gotta Have Faith

Stephen Jackson was arrested last year for firing a gun in a public place. He was also one of the primary instigators in the brawl in Detroit when Indiana Pacers went into the stands.

The Golden State Warriors have made him a co-captain. This season he came to training camp with a new tattoo - clasped hands praying in front of a church. The praying hands hold a gun. You Gotta Wonder!

Global Warming and Belly Fat

If every American driver replaced 30 minutes of automobile driving a week with a half hour of walking, we would reduce our output of (greenhouse gas) carbon dioxide by 6.5 billion tons per year. If we added 30 minutes per day of walking to our already strenuous workout schedules, Americans, on average, would lose 13 pounds per year.

Don't try this at home!

A commonly used method to measure peoples' thresholds of pain is to use a bucket of ice water. You simply immerse your arm in the cold water and see how long you can keep it there. Radio talk show host Dr. Dean Edell cautions that it is "possible" to cause tissue damage if you're "dumb enough" to leave it submerged too long.

Unintended Results

Whenever we take action there are results; some unintended. Sometimes they're good and sometimes they're not. Prior to World War II, the Japanese had free reign in the Pacific. They needed oil, coal and other resources, so they invaded northeastern China (Manchuria). The result was so positive and immediate that they continued south and soon controlled much of the Asian Giant.

That went well, too. So, they moved into Southeast Asia. More success, more resources and more confidence followed. They dominated much of the Western Pacific.

Each day, the sun rose and shone on the growing empire. They saw only one thing in their way, the United States. They figured that a quick strike against American Pacific forces would cause so much damage to American naval might, that, eventually, we would be forced to capitulate. They figured that, by attacking Pearl Harbor, a far-away and obscure part of the U.S., and the Philippines, another American Pacific stronghold, we would not be able to recover in time to fight back effectively.

Japan was operating from a different geographic orientation than we were. Apparently, coming from such a small, homogeneous society, they completely underestimated our ability to recover and counterpunch as quickly as we did. The unintended result was that they forced us into a war that we had stubbornly avoided.

They had no idea of the kind of resources, natural and human, that we could muster. Physically small and humanly alike, Japan awakened a physically vast and humanly diverse culture. That heterogeneous giant united and responded with speed and resolve.

The unintended result was the growth and ascendance of the political, economic and cultural giant that left us atop the heap at the end of the war.

Today, we face a whole new set of cultural, economic and environmental challenges. We can't afford to bury our heads in the sand. We need to muster the same resources and resolve, again. We're not sure what the result will be. But, if we use our heads, it will not be the result our enemies envision.

Don't mess with Mother Nature!

When you do, you'll face unintended consequences.

In our never-ending search for more energy, we have built hydroelectric dams on rivers throughout the country. For example, a series of 20 major, and a bunch more minor, dams were built on the Columbia River and smaller rivers flowing into it. Big power dams, like the Bonneville Dam between Oregon and Washington, were built on the Columbia.

Of course, this interfered with the spawning run of salmon. To alleviate this side effect, fish ladders were built so the salmon could get past the dams. In the 1970's, the Pacific Salmon were still numerous. It was quite a sight to see them navigating the ladders on their way upstream.

In an attempt to aide the fish in their upstream treks, fish ferrying (barging) was begun. Barging is collecting fish below the dams, loading them into water-filled barges and taking them to the upstream side of the dam before putting them back in the river.

One problem with barging is that it works only until the fish get to the next dam, where it must be repeated. Despite the ladders and barging, salmon populations have decreased dramatically. By the early 1990's, it was tough to see anything but rough fish using the ladders.

Not all unintended consequences are disappointing. In upstream sections of the Columbia and its largest tributary, the Snake, another predator has taken the place of the missing salmon. Fishermen have flocked to the big rivers in pursuit of another game fish. Big, strong river walleyes now make the Snake popular to anglers.

You are invited to send interesting, unusual and/or humorous items that could possibly be used in this space. If you choose to do so, please send it to [email protected].

If you prefer, you may send it to

Chisago County Press

Attn: Dave

12631 Lake Blvd.

Lindstrom, Mn 55045

or, you may bring it in to the office.

Sports stuff would be great, but, please do not limit yourselves. Politics, religion, culture (pop or otherwise) are welcomed. Please do not feel offended if your contribution is not included.

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