Two For a Tuesday Night

To Make Men Free 1943

Norman Rockwell

Two Posts share the stage today. The first is by way of Thomas Rick's The Best Defense Blog. In this post Ricks posted a note from guest bloggers, Maj. Michael Burgoyne and former Army lieutenant Shelly Burgoyne. Ten Ways to Support the War Effort. Click on the post for the suggestions on how to contribute to each suggestion below.

1. Join the military.

2. Ask Congress to pass a "War or Patriot Tax" à la Thomas Friedman.

3. Ask Congress to pass a real and meaningful national service act.

4. If you have a special skill, see number 1 or join the Civilian Response Corps.

5. Support a non-governmental aid agency working to better the lives of others in potentially dangerous regions.

6. Don't do drugs.

7. Donate your time or money.

8. Send letters and packages to deployed service members and units.

9. Learn more about the military. Take a military science class if you're in college.

10. Support veterans and parents of service members running for office.

Next, is this from Michael Yon who posted this while taking a break from reporting the war in Afghanistan to file this thought provoking piece that touches on energy, conservation and a way to gleen fertlizer all from the same source. All I will say is GOBAR!

GOBAR!

Among the more interesting coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan are the legendary Nepalese Gurkhas. Trained and fielded by the British, as they have been since colonial days, Gurkhas are a fascinating admixture: today many are British soldiers used to traveling the world. Many of them grew up barefoot and poor in remote and primitive mountain villages in the high Himalayas: places that closely resemble parts of Afghanistan, geographically and culturally. They understand impoverished life in a harsh environment personally, though Nepal has enjoyed some material progress in the last few decades. That combination of background and experience makes Gurkhas helpful at generating useful approaches to Afghan development. They know what is possible, and they’ve seen experiments succeed or fail.

A Gurkha veteran named Lalit whom I met, deep in the jungles of Borneo, at a British Army man-tracking school, came with good ideas. Lalit began a conversation by announcing that many of Afghanistan's energy, land restoration and fuel needs could be solved if the Afghans would immediately adopt "Gobar Gas" production. This mysterious substance could improve the lives of Afghans as it had that of the Nepalese, he said, as, with great enthusiasm, he began to explain.

I returned to Afghanistan, this time to areas of Ghor, Helmand and Kandahar Provinces. No Afghan along the way had heard of Gobar Gas. I flew to Nepal to talk with Gobar Gas experts and users.

Read it and see if merits more study>
GOBAR GAS