Comments by EnKiKur
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Posted on November 20 at 3:06 a.m.
You are indeed a man after my own heart OGD. I do pine so for a steam powered catamaran or pontoon, or Lafitte skiff powered by a bio-diesel burner. That would be too sweet for words and just might catapult me into full realization and end my time on earth. Can this impossible dream ever be fulfilled?
Think of it. A 28 ft cypress hulled Lafitte chuff-chuffing up and down the Natchez-Vidalia Riverfront, powered by home-brewed bio-diesel!
Imagine, an 80% efficient engine, burning waste products, silently gliding up and down the river.
Capt. Sam would be delighted with this. Thanks for the link to the charming website, beautiful boats and engines!
Posted on November 19 at 7:47 a.m.
Oh yes, I've considered jet skis but our next acquistion will be a pontoon boat for those romantic moonlight cruises. Jet skis have a tendency to hurt people, and I would rather encourage people to make more people instead of killing off the ones here now.
Capt. Samuel Langhorn Rabbit, a member of the Board of Directors of Brer Rabbit, Creative Director (author of "The Gilded Cage", "Life in MIssissippi", "Rabbits Abroad", and other popular classics) currently on the Ivy League lecture circuit, then off to the Bahamas to enjoy carriage rides and swimming outings with a young lady, is anxious to get back into the passenger boat business.
Once he returns we will look into the St. John, Okhisa, and Concordia romantic cruise business.
Posted on November 19 at 6:10 a.m.
I understand completely OGD, yet there is the economic impact to consider here. Shall the people of Adams County continue to eat cake so a drying up creek can run free, when it has water in it?
I don't know if you've noticed, but over the last 40 years there has been a considerable lowering of the water table in Adams and Jefferson counties, resulting in silting of the streams and drying up of the springs that once fed them. Owens Creek is a prime example of this, it rarely has water in it these days, only after a rain. It used to be a delightful waterfall, now it has only a trickle.
The Creek Project need not be destructive to the creek, nor would it necessarily impart a sameness of character to the creek. It may well improve the creek, especially if the developers undertake to do native seedbank management such as that practiced by Michael Shaw in California. The creek could become beautiful and stable, the water more oxygenated resulting in an improved fish habitat. Many entrepreneurial possibilities will arise for those a just a bit creative; more bread for the people and less cake.
It might also be possible for the developers to include a walking trail beside the creek, like they did down in Houma and over in San Antonio. I see this as an overall good thing though I was at first opposed to it. I went and looked at other waterway projects and they made things better, not worse.
Mississippi contains many thousands of square miles of land, and many thousand linear miles of creeks, streams, and rivers that are unspoiled. I don't see it as harmful to develop this one stretch of creek, though it does impact you personally in a negative way.
Since you reject my other offers, in compensation I will support your walkway across the river idea, though I would prefer a foot ferry operated by Brer Rabbit. Perhaps we can have both- maybe a walk across the bridge would make you pine for a boat ride back.
Posted on November 19 at 3:33 a.m.
grungebob, I disagree, we are not in balance.
Look at this example regarding the First Baptist Church debacle. Had 2000 Natchez residents put up $100, or 200 put up $10,000, or 20 put up $100,000 that lady's project could have been fully funded, with Natchez residents owning it in concert with her.
Her idea was a very good one, a perfect example of New Urbanist design, would have brought more people back into downtown, and offered space for a variety of entrepreneurs.
However, we are not used to thinking in those terms anymore, whereas it was common prior to 1900- in those days many ventures were funded by local investors.
Had this been done, those investors could have traded their shares, selling when profitable, acquiring more if wanted, and it would have been an exciting project to have downtown. Instead, the people expected this one lady to fork out $2 million and assume all the risk on a project with enormous benefits for downtown Natchez.
Now, there is still the condominium project on the bluff. I would prefer that to be a smaller number of condominiums and some small shops, an outdoor bazzar; perhaps if some of the people would put up some money to help with the risk the present owners of the Pecan Factory site would change their plans and do something more attractive than a massive condominium complex. A New Urbanist project on that site would spur development of that whole end of North Canal and be a fantastic place to stroll and shop and eat.
I'm willing to invest in such a project, who else is?
Posted on November 19 at 3:08 a.m.
The state university system has about $3 billion held in cash and investments invested outside the state of Mississippi.
Any restructuring done should involve an answer to the question of why it is that Mississippians are taxed excessively for the university system and then that money goes to benefit people other than Mississippians.
Posted on November 19 at 2:36 a.m.
I believe Keith Benoist was involved in the genesis of this creek idea, and having talked to Keith on a few occaisions I know him to be a lover of nature and suspect he and others involved with the project have given deep thought to the environmental concerns.
OGD, a rising creek lifts all boats. True, Brer Rabbit Excursions (traceriders.com) does, as first and foremost outfitter for St Catherine Creek expeditons, offering shuttle services for up to 14 kayakers and their boats and gear, as well as shuttle and other services to cyclists, motorcycle and scooter riders, and other recreational vehicle users, have an economic interest in the creek project.
However, our interest goes far beyond our own interest, as Brer Rabbit intends to show capitalism in the light it was seen in by the visionary founders of our country, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Andrew Jackson, and others. We are going to share any good we aquire with others.
Because of your personal loss of hiking trail, Brer Rabbit extends to you a personal lifetime heavy discount on any use you make of our services, as well as a 3.5% discount to all Adams County residential and commercial property tax payers.
Further, if the voters will approve a $10 million bond issue for the recreation complex, Brer Rabbit will extend that discount in the form of a 10% rebate to all supportive property tax payers, and 5% to all Adams County residents in general. You may pay more taxes, but Brer Rabbit is going to see to it that you have more fun so it won't matter so much.
So, OGD, just for you, an offer. Brer Rabbit has 8 new Vespas you can choose from if you would like to; Brer Rabbit will sell you the one of your choice at invoice plus transport, a great savings over MSRP. Email general.andrew.rabbit@gmail.com for a listing of Vespas available at these rates, for sale or lease.
Posted on November 19 at 2:21 a.m.
stateofnatchez you are right in your environmental points regarding the creek.
Many progressive communities around the world have undertaken environmental development projects, sometimes shooting themselves in the foot; it would only be to the benefit of Natchez to fully engage these concerns and partner with some university like Old Miss or Alcorn to involve both college level and primary level students in projects related to environmental monitoring of the creek. This would be an addtional selling point to the eco conscious tourists from Europe and Asia who could, instead of just using the creek, be told of the various efforts to control the environmental impact of the project.
It needn't get bogged down in endless red tape. Man has been building dams for centuries; beavers build them as well and nature, with its infinite intelligence, adapts. Change is the very essence of manifest existence, the whole universe is created to be in an ever changing state as the various qualities of matter interact with one another. We live in a dynamic, fluid world and conscientous stewardship of our resources in guiding change is a right and duty granted by nature and our own conscience.
Posted on November 4 at 8:03 a.m.
This is a very cool story. Leave it to Presbyterian innovation to have a husband and wife co-pastor. God did say "go forth and be fruitful" and that's hard to do when pastoring alone. Presbyterians are generally loved everywhere, but this makes them even more lovable.
I almost became a Presbyterian, my grandparents were, but their pastor tried to play the "greedy monkey trick" on me in church one Sunday by offering me some peppermints in a jar with a narrow neck. The idea was that I, six year old dummy, would grasp so many that I would not be able to pull my hand out. But I only got one, because I was taught right, but everyone still laughed and it embarrassed me because I was painfully shy in those days.
Twice I was baptized by a competing brand, and the second baptizing washed all the institutionalized religion out of me. I still fondly think of that little Presbyterian Church out at Greenwood, that has been stolen by some ruthless parties and can no longer be found at Canonsburg, and wish I could go back to those days and bask in the love of my grandparents, bumping down the gravel roads in that old 57 Chevy Apache truck on the way to church those beautiful spring mornings.
Having been de-institutionalized I became a Deist, like Thomas Jefferson, who Jefferson County is named for, and have speculated that the home is a temple, and that husband and wife represent the male and female aspects of the Creator, and that from their love issues the expansion of creation through their children.
Given my Deist philosophy, how much more fitting could it be than that husband and wife together serve in the Creator's house? And with child as well. It's a perfect recreation of what the Creator has ordained.
If anyone knows what happened to that church, please contact the FBI. I have filed a missing church report with them but so far no leads.
Posted on November 4 at 7:20 a.m.
You don't have to sell me sandbagger, I'm already sold. All I'm saying is that socially responsible businesses will share the increased profit with the taxpayers who funded their increased profit. Or, they can be greedy, and hold the public under their thumb, and smile at them from their Navigators and Cadillacs.
Minimum wage is not in Brer Rabbit's vocabulary. Everybody is worth at least $10 an hour with the value of today's dollar.
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Posted on November 22 at 3:28 a.m.
I am in total agreement with the spirit you express Daniel, but I would like to point out to you that many of the people who are here illegally pay income taxes and social security, refuse handouts, and rely on themselves- these people believe in the American dream that hard work and perserverance will allow one to prosper and do good for the community as well as for the self.
Conversely, many people who are here legally, who were born in this country, look only for the next government subsidy for their directionless lives. I point out to you that only tax filers may collect earned income tax credit, which, as all should know, is actually unearned income tax credit, a negative tax rate created to, in the words of the World Bank, "foster a supply of poor individuals to provide a pool of cheap labor".
Just this past week I have offered jobs to four young natural born Americans, two of whom work at a big box retailer part time for less than I am willing to pay, but who get government money in addition to their big box pay, and two who are currently on unemployment. After setting up appointments for interviews neither of these four showed up or even bothered to call to tell me not to waste my time waiting on them.
Hating on "illegal immigrants" is a popular Judas goat, but it is based, like all hate, on misinformation and sometimes willful ignorance. There are no illegal people, at least not according to the founding principles of America, only legally impassable borders. The problem isn't the people, it's the politics.
Gordon Brown said last spring that he envisions a one-world Global Europe. That's a fine dream for England and the other European socialist countries to have, while they sit under the umbrella of 80% American funded NATO protection, operating defense companies producing goods paid for by American taxpayers, but I say NO! Not a one-world Global Europe, but a one-world Global America, with liberty and justice for all.
On Our federal government is broken