North Korea has successfully tested a nuclear bomb.

I doubt if I need to explain what a terrible thing this is, but since N. Korea’s President, Kim Jong Il is truly insane and once threatened to baptize the imperialist Americans and their allies in a nuclear “sea of fire”, I’m a little bit alarmed that he now has the means to actually do it!

Prior to now, N. Korea has only made a laughing stalk of itself by conducting long-range missile tests in defiance of international protests, which have resulted mostly in pathetic, or in some cases spectacular, failures to the point that no one really takes N. Korea’s threatenings seriously any more.

But recently N. Korea fired a missile over Japan and into the Pacific ocean—defying United Nations Security Council Resolution 1718, and causing total outrage. N. Korea insists that it was a peaceful communications satellite launch. Underwater Ocean Satellites (UOS’s) are based on advanced N. Korean technology closely guarded, and unknown to the rest of the world.

The fact that N. Korea thinks it is perfectly reasonable to test-fire ballistic missiles over other countries is alarming by itself. But we now have to wonder if the next test will be tipped with a functional nuclear warhead! (Not good!)

Q.) Why should we be worried here in the US?

A.) N. Korea is very poor, and has been practicing Dictatorial Socialism (similar to the Obamic Socialism currently being tried here in the US) for much longer than we have, so they’ve been able to completely run their country into the toilet—resulting in massive dependence on foreign humanitarian aid, and becoming a superb model for us to follow here in the States with President Obama.

In fact, N. Korea is so poor (and stupid) that when China sends them trains loaded with humanitarian aid, food, and supplies; N. Korea keeps the trains, and refuses to let them return to China! In N. Korea, trains are badly worn-out and in short supply. So they steal the aid trains, much to China’s frustration.

N. Korea has a huge army (4th largest in the world), but it is starving and poorly equipped, so it’s not as formidable a force as it could be, except in number.

My worry is that N. Korea’s desperate financial situation, their disdain for America, political isolation, paranoia, and the fact that they now posses expensive nuclear weapons—very desirable to terrorists—could lead them to sell nuclear weapons to people who would use them to kill millions of Americans in an instant—a literal fraction of a second.

It’s a bad situation! But thank goodness our President and the United Nations are able to issue harsh words of disapproval and anemic security resolutions to be ignored with impunity. We’re sure to be safe now—and Iran, seeing how serious we are, will probably cease it’s own frenzied production of weapons grade Uranium-235.

I know I’ll be sleeping well tonight….

Today, I did something different. I stepped out into my yard this afternoon, and witnessed nature in all its glory. A gorgeous spring day of brilliant color and sound—all laid out before me like an endless carpet woven of the very threads that make up life, earth, and light. I was taken aback. It was beautiful!

Then looking down at my feet, I was astonished to find that they were almost completely obscured by the very tall grass—and at that moment, inside my head, the voice of my thoughts said, “It’s mower time.” M.C. Hammer style.

And that’s where the challenge and I met for a battle.

My mower has seen better days, and after giving it a cursory inspection I remembered that last time I attempted to start the rusty old thing I found the ignition system in need of repair. Being late in the fall, I just put it away and figured I’d deal with it come spring. Well, thanks a lot Paul of the past, you ever-lovin slacker!

So, my nephew, Jay; and son, Ethan; and I, all went outside for some outdoor fun, and I began dis-assembly of the top half of the mower. After checking the ignition coil with my trusty digital multimeter I determined it to be electrically intact, and re-routed the “kill” wire, leaving it disconnected from the broken, cable-actuated, kill switch, but still externally available for future use, and Jay and I proceeded to partially reassemble, and check for spark. And spark there was! Good compression, timing, and spark—three of the four things needed for a functioning engine; the fourth being fuel.

To make a long story short, I refueled the Briggs and Stratton gasoline engine with some diesel fuel that I had forgotten was in the gas can, and complicated the repair process significantly.

But never fear, the Bozark is an expert on small engines, and we eventually got everything fixed up and working fine, and I, under the expert supervision of Jay and Ethan mowed the great, green, grassy lawn, making a ridiculous number of stops to empty the grass bag.

And I loved it! It was hard, but it felt so good! And now, when I step out on the porch, I am simply struck the beauty of spring—the warmth, the sun, the clear blue sky, and my newly cut lawn. I could be content to stand on the porch all day admiring it.

And it occurs to me that work is a blessing. What else brings such satisfaction as a job well done, and the knowing that you have added to the beauty of God’s creation, and the lives of your fellow men.

I hope that each of you are able to go forth, and with talent and vigor, make your mark on the world, and then bask in the reward.

It’s a great thing!

According to the experts (i.e. recipients of large government research grants), practically everything that’s wrong in the world is a result of global warming. The long list of reported problems range from feral cat population increases, to rape. That’s right, rape. (I know!)

So it occurs to me that most of us have probably witnessed some of the negative impacts of climate change in our own lives. (I have personally experienced an increasingly frequent desire to “attack” certain individuals as a result of climate change, but have thus far been able to suppress the impulse, much to my dissatisfaction.)

And because climate change has such far reaching and unpredictable consequences, and seems to negatively impact nearly every facet of our lives, it is probably reasonable to assume that non of us, individually, are responsible for anything bad that happens in our lives.

Late for work? “Sorry I’m late, boss — this global warming thing is really slowing me down. I think we should talk about it in our next company meeting; it’s really affecting our productivity.”

Gaining weight? Climate change has been shown to increase calorie retention. Who would have thought that turning on lights could cause obesity, and yet the experts say. . .

Bill collectors calling? Climate change is expensive. “Get off my back, I don’t have the money, climate change is affecting me. Call me back when you buy a Prius and fix the environment, you ecologically impaired mean person!”

If the bank turns you down for a loan, explain that you’ll be forced to burn coal, plastic, and tires to heat your home.

You see, there is a silver lining to every cloud. If you play it right, climate change, while destroying the world, can bring you endless relief from guilt!