Battles Against Fires Continue in Colorado

At least nine fires are burning throughout Colorado at this time. Most have been burning for at least a week, with some having gone on for over a month.

The Chimney Rock Fire had been threatening homes on the north side of Cabezon Canyon, since it's start Monday, but latest reports have the fire completely suppressed.

Residents of the town of Elbert have been allowed back home, as the CR 102 fire, which started Sunday, reaches ninety percent containment.

Lightning started several fires near Boulder and Flatirons, firefighters hit them hard and quick due to the locations and only two are left. So far no evacuations have been ordered there, and hopes are to have the remaining two finished off tonight.

At over 87,000 acres the High Park Fire continues to burn since being started by lightning on the ninth. One person and 248 houses have been lost to the fire. Close to 1,900 personnel have it around fifty-five percent contained. Many evacuation orders are still in place to the northwest of Fort Collins.

Parts of Last Chance and Woodrow are no longer evacuated due to the Last Chance Fire's becoming one hundred percent contained. A car accident sent sparks into dry grass on Monday, and the fire quickly spread, burning 45,000 acres and four homes in less than twenty-four hours. Local residents were crucial in stopping the fire, using tractors to plow fire lines to halt the blaze.

Northwest of Pagosa Springs, the Little Sand Fire has reached over 22,000 acres. It started on May 13 and is only twenty-nine percent contained. Around two hundred personnel are fighting the fire, struggling against difficult terrain, and doing their best to keep it from spreading towards the town.

No evacuations have yet been issued for the three hundred acre Treasure Fire. The fire started Saturday, near Leadville, and is under investigation. It is considered to have been human made. Firefighters have it near ten percent contained.

Some of the 11,000 evacuations for the Waldo Canyon Fire were lifted on Tuesday, but the fire is getting closer to some homes in Manitou Springs and parts of Colorado Springs. Garden of The Gods and the surrounding area is still closed due to the threat. Six hundred personnel have reached five percent containment on the fire, which has burned over 5,100 acres and at least one home. The fire's cause is under investigation.

Four hundred personnel have reached fifteen percent containment on the Weber Fire near Mancos. Over one hundred homes have been evacuated, and several highways in the area have been closed to the public. Officials are investigating the cause of the fire, but it too is thought to have been set by humans.

Turkey Promises Retaliation if Syria Nears Border

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared that, "any military approach to the Turkish border from the Syrian side will be perceived as a threat and will be dealt with accordingly."

His speech came after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish jet on Friday.

The two countries have arguing stories as to whose side of the border the plane was on when it was fired upon.

Over the past year there have been several incidents of Syrian troops crossing into or firing into Turkey, as they chased or fired upon escaping refugees.

NATO  has pledged it's full support to it's member state Turkey.

Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen continued on to promise that the alliance would keep a close eye on all happenings near the border area, but also said that, "It is my clear expectation that the situation won’t continue to escalate. What we have seen is a completely unacceptable act, and I would expect Syria to take all necessary steps to avoid such events in the future."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad let loose a defiant speech re-accusing the United States, Israel, Al Qaeda, and others of working together to take his country from him.

Big Ben's Tower to be Renamed After The Queen

Britain's Parliament has decreed that Victoria Tower shall be renamed to Elizabeth II Tower.

The decision came as way to honor Queen Elizabeth II during her Diamond Jubilee.

Elizabeth has served as Queen for sixty years.

Victoria Tower had originally been named King's Tower, but was renamed after Queen Victoria when she reached her own Diamond Jubilee.

The tower is part of the Parliament building, but is most famous for what is in the tower, Big Ben.

Many people thought that the renaming was happening to Ben, but Big Ben is actually the bell which is housed inside the tower.

A ceremony is being planned now, for the renaming, which Parliament and the Queen shall all attend.

USSC AZ SB1070 Decision: Impact on Border States

In Arizona v US concerning Arizona's SB1070 has spurned a lot of speculation. Both sides of the law have claimed a form of victory in the decision and opinions handed down by the Supreme Court.

The decision, majority, and dissenting opinions aggregate to seventy-six pages. All of them are partially dissenting, partially assenting.

Four provisions of the State Law came into contention. Three of the provisions were struck down on the sole concept of preemption. Federal Laws already on the books preempt state laws in regards to immigration. The US Constitution provides a clear clause in Article 1 Section 8 that states the Congress has the sole authority in determining naturalization and immigration laws.

This decision enforces the US Constitution's supremacy over state laws in accordance to Article 6 Clause 2 when used in application to the explicitly stated enumerated powers. Those who support the US Constitution as the supreme law of the land should support this decision, even though they approve of the state level law.

The court decision does little for or against the border states. The federal laws are on the books and should be enforced. States are allowed to enforce federal laws, but not allowed to change them. That makes sense. The question left hanging is can states sue the federal government for not enforcing their own laws.

The provisions struck down include the stipulation that Arizona made being in the country/state illegally a state-level crime. The violation already serves as a federal crime, no state level crime is necessary. The provision was merely to raise attention to the fact the federal courts and enforcement officials were refusing to do their jobs. Striking down this provision, in effect, does nothing.

Making it a crime to hold a job while in the country illegally is already against a federal law. State and federal laws targeting employers already exist as well. Striking down this provision also does nothing.

The one provision struck down that actually serves as a blow to the border states is the decision that state and local level law enforcement officials must grant 4th and 5th Amendment rights to non-citizens who are in the US illegally. No searches, seizures, or arrests without warrant are allowed to border states since they allegedly preempt federal laws.

However, the most contentious of the four provisions remained upheld. If somebody is stopped under suspicion of breaking another law, include during a routine traffic stop, local law enforcement officers can inquire citizenship and/or legal residency status. Any person detained must have such status verified before being released. If found in the country illegally, they can be referred to the US Federal authorities for prosecution. If the federal officials defer to prosecute, the state officials can prosecute and jail those personnel as appropriate, making the judgement fit the crime.

To an extent, the decision sends a message to border states. It tells them "you cannot defend yourselves". However, it also sends the message "you can enforce the federal laws, as long as you do so in accordance with those federal laws and include the proper federal authorities".

The best response border states can employ at this point is to ease up on Castle Doctrine laws. If somebody in a border state believes their property is being invaded, they should be allowed to defend their property, shooting on sight. Of course, I also advocate ranchers on the borders being allowed to own and employ M2 .50Cal machine guns to protect their sovereign property.

Mental Aikido: USSC Decision -- Impact on Border States

Nine Fires Burning in Colorado

Much of Colorado is covered in smoke as nine fires are now burning in the state.

The High Park Fire near Fort Collins, is still the largest at nearly 82,000 acres, but resources are being diverted from it to fight the others.

Colorado is facing a series of temps near or above triple digits, low humidity, and varying winds.

With already near five thousand firefighters fighting the various blazes, more are being sent from across the US.

The town of Manitou Springs was completely evacuated, due to the Waldo Canyon Fire.

In Estes Park twenty homes and another structure have been burned by the Woodland Heights Fire.

Parts of Elbert were evacuated due to a fire threatening the town, but hopes are that it will be fully contained by Monday.

Firefighters have fully contained the Springer Fire and all evacuees have been allowed to return home.

Near Alma, the Treasure Fire is not expected to grow much further as it is being pushed up a ridge that will put it above the tree line, where fires struggle to spread at all.

To the south of Durango, the Stateline Fire has destroyed a few structures.

Mancos is facing off the Weber Fire which has threatened homes, but so far hasn't been able to take any.

Concerns are that it will cut the highway which connects Cortez and Durango.

In the east, near Pagosa Springs the Little Sand Fire has been burning for over a month.

During the last few days it has started spreading at over 1,000 acres a day.

High Park Fire Expands as Containment is Lost

Containment dropped from sixty down to forty-five percent as the High Park Fire grew to over 75,000 acres.

High winds and temps in the hundreds helped fuel the blaze.

In some places fire trucks had to be pulled back or they would've been lost to the expanding flames.

Firefighters see no relief in sight, as the same weather conditions are expected to repeat over the next few days.

Over 1,900 firefighters backed by more than 130 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft have been battling the blaze.

So far the fire has killed one, burned nearly two hundred homes, and cost an estimated twenty-five million dollars, making it the costliest and most destructive in Colorado history.

The fight continues against the Springer Fire, though hopes are to have full containment by the end of Saturday.

It forced hundreds of evacuations as it burned over 1,100 acres. Around four hundred fifty fire personnel are involved in fighting that fire.

Another fire started Saturday, near Estes Park, when a cabin caught on fire, which quickly spread in the area.

Sixteen structures were quickly claimed by the new blaze, as it grew to around fifty acres.


Resorts and campgrounds in the area have been put on evacuation alert, but for now it seems to aiming straight at the town instead of them.


It's proximity to the town has made it a focus, and two helicopters and one tanker were switched from the High Park Fire to it.

Efforts are being made to eliminate this blaze by the end of Sunday.

High Park Fire Causes More Evacuations

With record heat striking Colorado, the High Park Fire has grown to nearly 70,000 acres.

Despite the heat, winds, and low humidity, firefighters reached up to sixty percent containment.

However, 733 more evacuation notices were sent out to areas that hadn't received them previously.

The fire has claimed one life and a total of 191 home.

Incident commander Bill Hahnenberg updated his statement that it could be months til the fire was completely contained to saying that they're aiming for July 15.

Over 1,900 firefighters backed by over 130 engines, seventeen helicopters, and eleven aircraft are battling the blaze.

So far the fire has cost an estimated twenty million dollars, making it the costliest in Colorado history.

Rabid Skunk Outbreak Continues

Since the beginning of June officials in Colorado have found a whole slew of sick or dead skunks with rabies.

So far twenty-two have been found in Larimer and Weld Counties.

Authorities have also found a couple rabid foxes this month.

Both the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment have warned residents to be on the alert for dead animals, or for living ones acting strangely.


Rabies is a very contagious disease that affects the nervous system in it's victims.


It can also cause those sick with it to become violent.

Banning Children's Side Walk Chalk Art

A homeowner's association in Stapleton, Colorado has banned children from drawing on sidewalks.

According to Innovations and Courtyard Traditions the ban covers, "anything that offends, disturbs, or interferes with the peaceful enjoyment is not allowed on shared spaces".

And apparently a three year old's sidewalk chalk flowers are included in that.

The company says that they have received complaints from neighbors regarding the chalk, whilst the family says they haven't heard a thing.

Family members said they will continue to allow the little girl to continue drawing in a form of protest, until the ban is lifted.

Remembering: The US Constitution

Almost as soon as they were ratified the Articles of Confederation showed their weakness.

On May 25, 1787 a Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia.

It took less than three months for the delegates to come up with a new constitution that allowed for a strong federal government, but established many checks and balances to restrain it.

The Constitution required that nine of the thirteen states ratify it, for it to become legal.

On June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so, and the new government was approved.

March 4, 1789 saw the beginning of the new government under the Constitution, with only eleven of the states having approved it.

North Carolina would do so in November 1789, whilst Rhode Island held out til May of 1790 and only did so under pressure from the other states.

The United States Constitution is the longest living constitution in the world.