Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 352, Ed. 1 Friday, January 6, 2012 Page: 4 of 12
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Viewpoints
Page 4 ■ Friday, January 6, 2012
Sweetwater Reporter
DEDICATED TO PROUDLY DELIVERING LOCAL NEWS SINCE 1881
1—x Sweetwater 1
Reporter
P.O. Box 750/112 W. Third
Sweetwater, Texas 79556
325/236-6677
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TA
MEMBER
2010
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
Ron Midkiff
Publisher
Gloria Rudel
ad director
Oanica Dickson
business mgr./
circulation mgr.
Tatiana Rodriguez
managing editor
Pablo Rodriguez
composing
Rleu Reyes
production mgr.
EDITORIAL POLIGY
The editorial section of the newspaper is a forum for
expression of a variety of viewpoints. All articles except
those labeled "Editorials" reflect the opinions of the writ-
ers and not those of the Sweetwater Reporter
GUEST COLUMN
Angora goats are well-suited to
Texas' parched landscape
n
V
Todd
Staples
History books will record 2011 as a year of historic
drought in Texas that contributed to massive wildfires and
left millions of acres destroyed. This devastating one-two
punch has taken a massive toll on Texas
livestock, as herds have been sold pre-
maturely or are left struggling to find
food. When the drought finally ends
and the land has recovered, livestock
producers may want to consider adding
Angora goats to their livestock mix.
Angora goats have been part of the
Texas landscape for well over a century,
and at one time, helped rank Texas as
the largest producer of mohair in the
world. This multi-purpose animal not
only produces luxurious fiber, but also
is a source of low-fat, highly nutri tious
meat. Perhaps more important, these
goats are ideally suited for managing
brush and other noxious, invasive weeds and brush. When
numbers were high, Angora goats helped keep the cedar
population in check on many ranches throughout the Hill
Country and Edwards Plateau.
In many parts of the country, these eco-friendly, cost-
effective goats are used to clear rights-of-way and control
vegetation in and around urban areas. Goats can also be
used to clear environmentally sensitive areas where chemi-
cals use is not preferred.
After catastrophic wildfires like the ones we've had in
Texas, Angora goats might be worth considering as ranch-
ers rebuild their herds and restore their land. There is no
complete replacement for raising high quality Texas cattle,
but Texas cattlemen are known for their determination in
finding ways to diversify their herds.
For more information about raising Angora goats, visit
the Mohair Council of America at www.mohaimsa.com.
HOME COUNTRY
King of Fertilizer
The phone rang just before Dewey pulled off his
clothes for his end-of-workday shower.
"Hi Dewey."
He smiled. "Hi Emily."
"Hope I'm not interfering with any-
thing by calling you."
"Just got home from work and about
to dive into a shower, so you called at a
good time. How are you?"
He thought that would be a good way
to start a conversation with this para-
gon of single bureaucratic woman.
"I'm fine. Thanks, Dewey. May I ask
you some more questions? Got them
Qiirm right here. Tell me first, though, do you
illllll always shower after work?"
"Every day."
"Any special reason? I mean, is it
related to the cow manure thing?"
"Directly, actually. Cow manure ... well, it permeates
my very existence. It fills my waking hours. It... oh, it's
hard to explain."
The king of fertilizer grinned as Emily Stickles wrote
notes on the other end of the phone. If she wanted
to think of him as having a fertilizer fetish, he didn't
mind. As long as she called.
"I've been reading up, Dewey. I think that... together
... we can break this hold cow manure has on your
life."
"Oh, Emily, you really think so? What should I do
about it, you think?"
"To get started, you should picture yourself free of
cow manure. Just tell your mind that cow manure has
no place in your thoughts and your life. Let's see if that
will cancel out some of the ... unpleasantness,"
"You think cow manure is unpleasant, Emily?"
"You like it?"
"Let's say I like what it can do for others. It's a little
like a smile or sunshine/' said our fertilizer king, "it
works wonders when you spread it around a little."
Emily Stickles, the county employee in charge of
fixing things for people who don't realize they need
fixing, was silent.
"Dewey, we really need to talk."
"Dinner at the Chinese place tomorrow, maybe?"
Then he just sat there, glowing in fertile, pre-shower
radiance, and grinned.
Brought to you by Sliin's award-winning book "A
Cowboy's Guide to Growing Up Right."Learn more at
http://www.nmsantos.com/Slim/Slim.html.
Raddles
GUEST COLUMN
Nuts to ran
When the Germans told
Gen. Anthony McAuliffe
to surrender his forces in
Belgium during World War
II, the commander of the
101st Airborne Division
famously replied, "Nuts!"
The German offi-
cers didn't quite get
his drift, which was
"Go to hell."
Iran has just
threatened to block
the flow of oil from
the Persian Gulf if
the United States
follows through
on a plan to slap
penalties against
companies doing
business with its
centra] bank. That
would slow sales
of Iranian oil to a drip.
Europeans are talking of
joining such a boycott.
The sanctions are viewed
as a non-military way to
stop Iran from going for-
ward on its nuclear weap-
ons program, which it is
clearly doing, according
to a recent International
Atomic Energy Agency
report. Without the oil rev-
enues, Iran's fragile econ-
omy would crumble, along
with its leadership.
President Obama's
answer to the Iranian
threat was even shorter
Froma
Harrop
than Gen. McAuliffe's four-
letter repartee. He said
nothing, though that's fine
as long as he sticks with
the program. (Cowboy
bombast is probably what
Iran's leaders most crave.)
In any case, the 5th
Fleet command in
Bahrain has issued
a somewhat word-
ier response: "The
U.S. Navy is a flex-
ible, multi-capable
force ... always
ready to counter
malevolent actions
to ensure freedom
of navigation."
Analysts say the
likelihood of Iran's
actually closing the
Strait of Hormuz
is low. That would cut off
what little oil revenue it
receives. (Some see Iran's
saber rattling as a trick to
raise the price of oil.)
If Iran does follow
through, one may worry
about Obama's resolve.
For some reason, blame
for prices at the pump gets
laid at the president's feet.
As you may have heard,
there will be an election
this November.
While the U.S. has made
strides on replacing oil,
renewable energy sources
produce just over 14 per-
cent of our electricity. Much
of that conies from hydro-
electric projects built long
ago (Hoover Dam, Grancl
Coulee Dam, Tennessee
Valley Authority dams).
Oil interests in this coun-
try habitually argue: Why
bother? Oil is so much
cheaper than wind, solar
and other kinds of alterna-
tive energy. Case closed.
They rarely look two steps
ahead to imagine a situa-
tion where Iran would close
the strait. One-fifth of the
world's oil supply passes
through this narrow open-
ing, where the Persian Gulf
empties into the Arabian
Sea. And somehow, they
never add to their per-bar-
rel calculations the blood
and treasure expended in
our defense of oil supplies.
Iran is playing on
Americans' fear of higher
energy prices, something
that has long kept this
country slave to the whims
of petro-dictators. Rising
oil prices turn the masses
into Jell-O. And rather than
come back with a strong
defense — a Manhattan
Project for alternative ener-
gy, whose products do best
at times of high oil prices
— the U.S. leadership pays
tribute to some of the worst
regimes.
The true "nuts" response
to Iranian-type oil threats
now comes from Germany.
In June, Chancellor Angela
Merkel set Germany on
course to generate 80
percent of its power from
renewable sources — wind,
solar, geothermal and bio-
energy — by 2050.
Merkel insists that the
program is job-creating. By
contrast, many American
politicians tar any energy
program not in the pocket
of the fossil fuel indus-
try as "job-killing." While
Germany raised the share
of electricity made from
renewables to 20 per-
cent now from 6 percent
in 2000, it enjoyed higher
wages, lower unemploy-
ment and stronger exports.
Case closed, you might say.
Imagine what America
could say to the petro-
terrorists and assorted
oil sheiks if our advance
toward renewable energy
matched Germany's. It
could say "nuts" — and
some other choice words.
To find out more about
Froma Harrop, and read
features by other Creators
Syndicate writers and car-
toonists, visit the Creators
Syndicate web page at
www.creators.com.
ACTUALLY
poUTiCAil
COMMITTEE
GUEST COLUMN
L.A. arsonist, Burkhart, arrested
HOLLYWOOD--God
bless America, and how's
everybody?
Ron Paul was cheered by
his college-age supporters
Tuesday after he finished
third in Iowa. He's vowed
to legalize prosti-
tution, marijuana,
and cocaine. Two
months into a Ron
Paul presidency
America's top cof-
fee-table magazine
would be Charlie
Sheen Living.
Texas Governor
Rick Perry told
disappointed Iowa
backers Tuesday
he'd fly home to
Texas and pray
about whether to
stay in the race.
The next day he tweeted
he was in the race to win.
Every four years God picks
out one candidate to advise
for his own amusement .
Mitt Romney's real
first name is unknown to
Americans according to a
CBS news poll Tuesday. Six
percent responded by say-
ing Mittens and six percent
responded correctly by say-
ing Willard. The remain-
ing eighty-eight percent
responded by saying no
comprende.
Dennis Rodman con-
firmed Monday he will coach
a topless women's basket-
ball team for a high-priced
strip club in New York. The
strip clubs are forming a
league on the East Coast.
The games will be televised
in Los Angeles on the Plastic
Surgery Shopping Channel.
German citizen Harry
Burkhart was arrested for
setting all the car fires in
driveways in L.A. between
Christmas and New Year's
L.A.
Argus
Hamilton
Day. He set fifty-two arson
fires across town. As long
as the German is not break-
ing windows, Iran is still
the number-one threat to
Israel.
Galaxy's David
Beckham opted to
stay in L.A. and not
play for a French
team where he was
traded. It was a
no-brainer. David
Beckham supports
four kids in pri-
vate school in L.A.,
which is a better
deal than moving to
Paris and support-
ing Italy, Portugal
and Greece.
President Obama
defied Congress and
named four recess
appointments without any
confirmation hearings
Tuesday. This is war. The
good news is, the military-
industrial complex can for-
get about Iran and get rich
selling weapons to Congress
and the president.
President Obama drew
cheers from a gym full
of Cleveland Democrats
Wednesday in Ohio. He
really missed the campaign
trail the last four years. He
thought he'd enjoy worship
services every Sunday but
then he realized that every-
one is facing away from
him.
Ron Paul called Newt
Gingrich a chicken hawk
for being warlike after
using student deferments to
get out of Vietnam. Other
chicken hawks include Bill
Clinton and Dick Cheney.
It proves that the accusa-
tion will ruin your political
career after your two terms
are up.
Mitt Romney won in
Iowa Tuesday even though
seventy-five percent of
Republicans oppose him.
The opposition to Mitt
Romney within the GOP is
hardening. According to the
label, if the condition lasts
longer than four months
they have to consult a phy-
sician.
Rick Santorum flew to
New Hampshire Wednesday
after his stunning showing
in Iowa. He was so low in
the polls until last week that
nobody bothered to attack
him. However, any day now
his lifelong connection to
Penn State will be placed
under the glare of the show-
er head.
President Obama's web
speech to Iowa Democrats
Monday was marred by
video and audio glitches.
In addition there were no
cheers, no clapping and no
chants for him. After the
speech he fired the video
engineer and the audio
engineer and the warm-up
comedian.
L.A. arsonist Harry
Burkhart was reported
Tuesday to have been upset
that his mother was about
to be deported. They ran a
massage parlor and adver-
tised sex for one hundred
and sixty dollars. People
in L.A. don't mind that
immigrants drive without a
license, or flood our schools
and hospitals, but we'll be
damned if we're going to sit
back while they undercut
our prices.
Argus Hamilton is the
host comedian at The
Comedy Store in Hollywood
and entertains groups and
organizations around the
country. E-mail him at
Argus @ Argus Hamilton,
com.
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Sweetwater Reporter will
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V
__ Sweetwater
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Sweetwater Reporter (Sweetwater, Tex.), Vol. 113, No. 352, Ed. 1 Friday, January 6, 2012, newspaper, January 6, 2012; Sweetwater, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth229655/m1/4/: accessed May 2, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sweetwater/Nolan County City-County Library.