Pn: you assume I am willing to take a very large financial risk ffrom wich I could never recover if it went south :) Your idea has crossed my mind though; maybe, if my banker and I could agree on a piece of land he wouldn't mind owning if I couldn't sell it we'd be able to deal. I already live in the middle of commercial ag but in a very small town, there is an elevator 2 blocks away and a spray service 2 blocks away also. Right now there are combines, grain carts and semi trailers hauling grain parked in town and going to and through it. My neighbor is a custom harvester. The mad dash is on to get all the corn, soybeans and milo harvested as well as the winter wheat planted. Yep, anhydrous is used here on corn, it is knifed in under ground. Being a gas at atmospheric pressure, it wouldn't do any good to try and pour it anywhere, knives work very well if the soil has the right amount of moisture in it. Nacyjane: there isn't really any empty land around here unless you count the creek bottoms, everything is in crop production in this county and every county around it and more. Happyday: good point, I suspect there are no zoning restrictions on subdividing within the county. On a less serious note, I don't think there are any laws in the county at all, 1 sheriff and 3 deputies to cover 24/7/365. what do you think? You can not pay your property taxes for in excess of 5 years and not have to worry about the county auctioning off your property.

Yes Marshall, I agree that the numbers are skewed because of birthrates and people alive. But, it needs to be pointed out that: a) Here and now, religious conflict is still a problem, but not on the order that WW1 and WW2 were. Those of us who support middle east involvement want to keep it that way by stopping radicals. Which, as of right now, is a small minority of Muslims. I do think we all can coexist, once terrorists are removed, and human rights are agreed upon throughout the Muslim world. b) End time theology and it's impact on this president is very, very overstated. The fact is, Afghanistan is a fledgling democracy. There is some hope new Palestinian leadership will work for peace, Khadafi is cooperating. And Iraq is going to have a historic election. I believe that he is trying to work for peace. Someone trying to bring on Armegeddon should be pretty depressed right now. c) If he were trying to bring on Armeggedon, 1 nuke into China or Russia would do it. Why mess around? It could be made to look like we were provoked... d) The problems that are really formenting, are split between countries influenced by Muslim radicals ( Iran, Syria) and secular communism (North Korea, Russian reentrenchement, the growing sphere of China's hedgemony, and the growing influence of South American socailism). Hopefully, competition in the world marketplace and diplomacy, will help quell these problems. e) I never expect a totally peaceful world. Quite simply, humans are too selfish and judgemental to get past rivalries for goods, services, land, love, and espousing ultimate "truth". Even among democracies, the economic wars rage - "in this corner the US, and in this corner, the EU..." The best we can hope for is limited conflicts, and the elimination of hot spots so that the "big bang" doesn't happen. Heck, we argue here with intensity. YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME OR I'LL.... Anyway, end time theology and those who want to bring it on should be easy to keep in check. But if we are still stupid enough to follow a David Koresh/Hitler into oblivion... And in this instance, talking broadly about movements (end time theology, communism, democracy, etc.) in the context of whether there is going to be an environment to sustain or not, hopefully isn't over the line. Just in case, however, this is my last post on this subject... be kind Spike, just warn me, don't hurt me, pleeease...

A forest will choke out a thicket, I often recomend that fruit and nut trees be planted on purpose, so that we lock up carbon and produce food for ourselves, and chocke out the brush plants that are unpleasent to walk through. When you go on a hike along a tail it seems that you are always either bordered by clearing/lawn or by a thicket, but once you break through that thicket you can useually travle quite quickly and easily and have plenty of space to move about. The main reasonfor removing trees and brush historicly wasn't to make things more pleasent, it was to open up land for agricultural use. with a field we can grow staple cerial grains, or legumes, or use it as pasture for animals, while some trees may provide seasonal food for some critters it takes alot of work to survive off of them year round (and trust me when I say thing, willow does not taste that good) . Our modenr day lawns were not contrived from thin air, you need to look at were they came from to understand how they fit in. Lawns are popular mainly in the south (sure, lots of people like them, but in the south they are sick for them) the south had a large portion of its caucasian inhabitants come from scotland (the southern drawl is very closely related to the scots accent) in schotland they have huge green field that are kept down to a few inches all summer long, this is because there is alot of rain and people raise sheep. Now, in the south there isn't as much water in the summer, and there aren't as many sheep, but people still liked the look of home so a lawn with mowers and irrigation is what they came up with.

Dragon, there are several statements in your post that I take issue with. First Ding Xinoping has simply toned down the anti capitalist rhetoric and suggested a few token human rights changes.Unions are not permitted, news is rigidly censored, anyone complaining about working conditions gets a quick trip to a reeducation work camp. Chairman Mao is still regarded as a God like figure in China, his philosophy is widley taught, required in all universities. If you go over a list of the governing body you will find that Maoist hold a large percetage of the high decision making positions and their agenda for Communist world domination has not changed, only toned down a bit. Next Chinese made electronic devices are not purchased because other nations are too lazy to produce them, they are purchased because of Chinese ultra cheap labor and a devalued currency system that allows production for a fraction of the cost else where. Copy right and patent laws are ignored, there is no pollution control, safety and working conditions rival 19th century sweat shops. To, put it simply no way can free independent labor in any western country compete with an endless supply of labor working under forced conditions for slave wages and an unrealistic devalued currency system. China has an endless supply of manpower and it is being used to build up the nations treasury. Huge amounts of foreign bonds and holding are being amassed. Human sweat, horibble working conditions, low wages and a devalued currency are being used to produce super cheap products, to dump on the world market and bring in cash for communist expansion.Tell 1800 workers from a South Carolina furniture plant who lost jobs when their company moved plant to China, that they were lazy and did not want to work. The company owner admitted plant was moved to China because even though their workers were effecient, loyal, the plant could not compete with cheap Chinese products being imported by competitors. Despite concessions by the union, maximum efficency from the work force, tax abatement from the local and state governments the company had to move to China or go broke. 1800 workers, many with years of loyal service were out of a job. Not because they were lazy, or put out an inferior product, or demand exhorbitant wages, but because they could not compete with products made jn plants where skilled craftsman are paid $60 per month.. The other statement I take issue with is one about illegal alien workers in the US. A great myth is being circulated about these people only taking jobs not wanted by any one else. Nothing is further from the truth. While some do work in low paying cleaning and agricltural jobs, many others are hired in skilled good paying crafts such as painting, roofing , carpentry and plumbing. They are hired in these jobs for one reason, greed. They can be paid less, paid in cash off the books, not carried on workman's compensation insurance policies. no retirement money need be contributed. OSHA and EPA safety regulations can be ignored, plus they are worked overtime and paid at the regular rate,or not at all. These workers can't complain to any one because they are illegal and fear deportation. I don't claim to have all the answers, however, we better wake up and do something, All is not sweetness and light where China s concerned, the Chinese have simply toned down their anti capitalist rhetoric, achieving Mao,s goal of communizing the world is still on the agenda. Just easier to do it economically than by force. I also agree no country is perfect, but some are much higher on the scale than others.