The Importance of Government Explained

The Importance of Government Explained John Lennons  Imagine is a beautiful song, but when he tallies up the  things he can imagine us living without - possessions, religion and so on - he never asks us to imagine a world without government. The closest he comes is when he asks us to imagine that there are no countries, but thats not exactly the same thing. This is probably because Lennon was a student of human nature. He knew that government might be one thing we cant do without. Governments are important structures. Lets imagine a world with no government. A World Without Laws   Im typing this on my MacBook right now. Lets imagine that a very large man - well call him Biff - has decided that he doesnt  especially like my writing. He walks in, throws the MacBook to the floor, stomps it into little pieces, and leaves. But before leaving, Biff tells me that if I write anything else he doesnt like, hell do to me what he did to my MacBook.Biff just established something very much like his own government. It has become against Biffs law for me to write things that Biff doesnt like. The penalty is severe and enforcement is fairly certain. Whos going to stop him? Certainly not me. Im smaller and less violent than he is.But Biff isnt really the biggest problem in this no-government world. The real problem is a greedy, heavily armed guy - well call him Frank - who has learned that if he steals money then hires enough muscle with his ill-gotten gains, he can demand goods and services from every business in town. He can take anything he wants and make almost anybo dy do whatever he demands. Theres no authority higher than Frank that can make him stop what hes doing, so this jerk has literally created his own government - what political theorists refer to as a despotism, a government ruled by a despot, which is essentially another word for tyrant. A World of Despotic Governments   Some governments arent much different from the despotism I just described. Kim Jong-il technically inherited his army instead of hiring it in North Korea, but the principle is the same. What Kim Jong-il wants, Kim Jong-il gets. Its the same system Frank used, but on a larger scale. If we dont want Frank or Kim Jong-il in charge, we must all get together and agree to do something to prevent them from taking over. And that agreement itself is a government. We need governments to protect us from other, worse power structures that would otherwise form in our midst and deprive us of our rights. As Thomas Jefferson said  the Declaration of Independence:   We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That ​to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their safety and happiness.

A Complete Fall Color and Autumn Leaf Viewing Guide

A Complete Fall Color and Autumn Leaf Viewing Guide One of natures grandest color displays - the autumn tree leaf color change - will develop as early as mid-September in the northern latitudes of North America. This annual autumn tree leaf change will manifest itself in living fall color through most of October, then wane toward the end of November in the southern part of the United States. You will have at least two months of quality autumn leaf viewing somewhere in North America. The best part about viewing the fall color is, it wont cost one red cent to enjoy - that is if you are lucky enough to live in or near a deciduous forest or have trees in your yard that express fall color. All others better get ready to pay for the experience. City escapees spend over one billion dollars each season taking in what many consider the splashiest show in nature. Autumn leaf viewing is a major vacation attraction - especially throughout New England, the central Northwoods and the Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States.  No forestry site would be complete without some mention of the October tree viewing pilgrimage - and how people can better enjoy viewing the autumn foliage. This quick leaf-viewing reference includes some basic tree leaf science and leaf viewing tips, along with enough information to enhance your next autumn leaf viewing trip. Use this guide as a starting point for your next leaf-viewing vacation. Starting Tips for Viewing Leaves Review the most beautiful trees naturally on display during fall leaf viewing season.Review these leaf silhouettes of common tree species.Get a recommended field guide to enhance the trip.Learn how to organize, build and display an autumn leaf collection.Use this field guide and key  to identify an autumn leaf by tree species. The Science of Leaf Change Fall leaf color change starts very subtly late in September and early October in temperate North America. Trees respond to such factors as autumn drying conditions, temperature change, altered sun position, and light. It takes approximately two weeks to begin and complete the fall color change so timing and a little luck are essential for the perfect view. Fall color change and flow take place as three primary waves in mixed hardwood forests. A simple flow and wave model was designed at the University of Georgia to illustrate what leaf experts call the fall color wave.   Autumn Leaf Color Change, The Anatomy of a Fall Leaf The major factor influencing autumn leaf color change is the lack of water. Not a lack of water to the entire tree, but a purposeful weaning of water from each leaf. Every leaf is affected by colder, drier, and breezy conditions and begins a process which results in its own demise and removal from the tree. The ultimate sacrifice of a leaf-bearing tree is the ultimate in visual pleasure for us. The broadleaf tree goes through a process of sealing off the leaves from the stem (called abscission). This halts the flow of all internal water to the leaf and causes a color change. It also seals the spot of leaf attachment and prevents precious moisture from escaping during winter dormancy. Fall Leaf Color Change Follows a Predictable Process of Chemical Leaf Change This lack of water to each leaf causes a very important chemical reaction to stop.  Photosynthesis, or the food-producing combination of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, is eliminated. Chlorophyll must be renewed (by photosynthesis) or be taken in by the tree along with photosynthetic sugar. Thus chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. Chlorophyll is the green you see in the leaf. Once the overwhelming chlorophyll color is removed, true leaf colors will dominate over the receding green pigment. True leaf pigments vary with the species of tree and thus the different characteristic leaf colors. And because true leaf colors are water-soluble, that makes the color disappear very quickly after drying out. Carotene (the pigment found in carrots and corn) causes maples, birches, and poplars to turn yellow. The brilliant reds and oranges in this fall landscape are due to  anthocyanins. Tannins give the oak a distinctively brown color and are the final persistent color most leaves turn before becoming part of the forest floor.   The  Virginia Tech Dendrology  department has two fascinating time-lapse films, one on a leaf turning color and one on a forest turning into autumn gold.   Viewing the Autumn Leaves University of Georgia silvics professor, Dr. Kim Coder, suggests there are ways you can predict how  beautiful a fall leaf color display will be. These simple predictors use known information and apply some common sense to forecast a season with surprising accuracy. By reviewing Dr. Coders key predictors, you will increase your chances of seeing the best leaves at just the right time.   TheFall Color Hotline Probably one of the best resources available online for leaf viewing information is the National Forest Fall Foliage Hotline, though you shouldnt expect to find up to date information until late September of the current leaf season. This federal phone hotline offers you information on viewing leaves in and around the U.S. National Forests and Parks. It is brought to you by the USDA Forest Service and is updated every year to reflect changing conditions and new sites.