National Forests, Wildfire

Help California National Forests Recover

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

What happens after a forest fire like the HUGE Rim Fire burning near Yosemite?

Vance Russell, the National Forest Foundation’s Director of Programs for California has sent out an email to everyone who, I guess, supports the National Forest Foundation, and I thought now might be a good time to share it with you:

As I write this morning there are 22 fires burning in California that have scorched nearly 343,000 acres of National Forest lands – a size that could encompass the city of Los Angeles. While I was in South Lake Tahoe last weekend, the visibility barely allowed views of the lake, let alone the famous mountains surrounding it. While I felt sorry for travelers who had come there with high hopes only to be disappointed, smoke-impeded views are among the least important concerns for those who treasure California’s public lands.

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General Aviation

Kansas governor proclaims September Aviation Appreciation Month

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Kansas Aviation Expo is celebrating its inaugural event this year at the National Center for Aviation Training in Wichita, Kansas – “Where the state capital meets the Air Capital!”

The KAE is an event like no other, with various facets of the aviation industry meeting to discuss the current climate and challenges of the industry, and then developing strategies to leverage resources and join forces to work towards a brighter future.

This event is made possible by the collaborative efforts of several industry stakeholders, and under the leadership of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation and the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education.

From the press release about Aviation Appreciation Month:

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News

Welcome to California Wine Month!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

September ushers in California Wine Month with special wine-focused events, tastings and festivals at vineyards and wineries across the Golden State.  Get out and celebrate one of California’s signature industries this month, and get to know our vintners and growers, and learn more about the wine culture and lifestyle.

Check out the Visit California website HERE to learn more.

Visit Discover California Wines HERE to find out more about California Wine Month

Here’s the Press Release:

CALIFORNIA WINE MONTH: 

A GREAT REASON TO VISIT WINE COUNTRY THIS SEPTEMBER

 

Wine Lovers are Popping Corks at Festivals, Special Tastings, Wine Immersion Experiences and Tours During Month-Long Celebration Across the State

Screenwriting

MILIUS gets intimate at the Telluride Film Festival’s Backlot

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The Telluride Film Festival, presented by the National Film Preserve, has announced the official program selections for the festival’s 40th anniversary. Among the films being presented is MILIUS, Directed by Zak Knutson and Joey Figueroa.

MILIUS is a documentary about the career of one of the most legendary, influential, and controversial directors in Hollywood: John Milius. If there was ever a man who could write it to the page and blow it up onto the silver screen, it was Milius. One of the first Hollywood professionals to be a film school graduate, he was a contemporary of the likes of Spielberg and Lucas. He co-wrote the first two Dirty Harry films. He has written by credits for Apocalypse Now, Big Wednesday, Conan the Barbarian. Story by credits for Magnum Force, 1941, Extreme Prejudice, Geronimo. And he wrote the screenplays for Red Dawn, Farewell to the King, Jeremiah Johnson, Clear and Present Danger, and more. He directed Dillinger, the Wind and the Lion, Conan the Barbarian, Red Dawn, and more. He has produced six titles – including the upcoming Genghis Khan.

He has created a persona so recognizable, so larger than life, that it influenced John Goodman’s character Walter Sobchak from the Big Lebowski.

This documentary has been well received at every screening, with rave reviews from SXSW reviewers including Film Threat and Dirk Sonniksen of Smells like Screen Spirit.

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National Forests, National Parks, News

Environmentalism, Budget Cuts to blame for Rim Fire

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

As the Rim fire continues to burn closer and into Yosemite, nobody seems to want to point out why this fire is burning so well, or so fast.

The answer is environmentalism, and budget cuts that have prohibited proper forest conservation.

Environmentalism is the idiotic belief that man knows what’s best for the forest, and can bend mother nature to his will.  In this particular arm-wrestling match, nature will always win.  It was here before man, it will be here after man.  The current wave of environmentalism culminated in huge budget cuts, which has allowed undergrowth to grow unchecked.   Controlled burns were cut out of budgets, as was undergrowth removal.

Supposedly, this stupidity was to allow the forest to ‘return to the wild.’  Yet, in the wild, fires started by nature – by lightning strikes, for instance – occur regularly.  Man, compounding the errors of environmentalism, promptly stopped any wildfires. Not a bad plan, but one that runs contrary to the whole ‘return to the wild’ idea.  Environmentalists seem to think that they can have it both ways; control mother nature, and let mother nature run wild.

It doesn’t work that way.

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