MREs for Refugees

Dr. Bill tonight suggested that the U.S. should use a method of distributing food to refugees that Wattenburg pioneered during Desert Storm—dropping small items of food wrapped in plastic from 10,000 feet (instead of huge loads by parachute). [The original article appeared on the front page of the SF Chronicle on April 2, 1993.] I ran to the store to do a little research, and found these items that could be air dropped in such a manner, labeld clearly with the words “USA” and the American flag:

• Lipton Rice & Sauce
• Uncle Ben’s Rice
• Knorr Skillet Potatoes
• Idahoan Potatoes
• marshmallows
• chocolate chips
• bagged nuts
• potato chips
• tuna
• bagged dried fruit (rasins, prunes, apricots, cranberries)
• bread (including small packages of Boboli)
• beef jerky

Call your Senators and Congressmen to ask that this be done once our military transports are available. I’m not an expert on Afghanistan, so please let me know if there are other food items we should drop.

—by Peter Sheerin at 9:35 PM {PermaLink}

Democrats try to kill anti-missile defence

On September 7^th all of the Democrats on the US Senate Armed Services committee toed the party line and voted to curtail development of a national missile defense system. Why don’t we send a message to these fools who want to prevent us from defending ourselves from terrorists who will kill many more people should they lob a nuke or two at us. I’d like to propose that each of you send each of these Senators a regular size envelope with a simple message in it, indicating that you’ll vote them out of office, and donate money to their next opponent. Send me your suggestions on what the message should be. Just a short note in big, black letters? A lump of coal? And why don’t you send all those members who voted for a missile defense some flowers, with a nice thank-you note.

—by Peter Sheerin at 9:37 PM {PermaLink}

Download the U.S. Flag

Many want to fly an American flag, only to find all the stores are sold out. Fear not, for you can download Old Glory and then print it out, or have it printed in a larger size at a local copy shop.

—by Peter Sheerin at 9:12 PM {PermaLink}

Bill makes builders prove water supply

A California bill proposes forcing builders to prove extra water is available before getting permission. So goes an article in the SF Chronicle. Isn’t this extortion? Isn’t it unfair, especially since the state makes it so difficult to add new water supplies in the first place? And isn’t it pretty dumb to stifle growth and constructionat a time when that’s exactly what the state and the country need so desperately to ward off the slowdown?

—by Peter Sheerin at 4:33 PM {PermaLink}