Two months ago I wrote an article called “How NOT to get a million blog hits a day,”discussing some ways people use controversial topics as a way to generate exposure to their website.  Well, I’m glad to report that I discovered on topic which did generate a lot of exposure for my own site during the past three months, and that is the Dodge Nitro commercial “Beautiful World.”  In four months, my site has been visited 1667 times.  The Dodge Nitro commercial post has received 712 visits, accounting for 43% of the site activity.  See?  A simple commercial is all it takes, and not pictures of Saddam hanging or Spears walking around without underwear on.

Now I love the commercial for both the song and the special effects, but I never guessed that so many of you out there also felt the same.  To all of you who visited the site, I want to say thank you, and I hope I can find another commercial for your enjoyment.

I’m sorry, but there is no other reason that Battlestar Galatica would be moved off of Friday night’s prime time slot and placed so late in the evening on Sunday night, especially with the first episode beginning right after (or in this case during) the NFL Conference Championships.  There is no excuse for this.  Wait, maybe there is a new hit show scheduled to be aired instead.  Let’s see their Friday night line up:

7:00pm:  “Heroes” – Now, ok, this is a good show, but this is a rerun from Monday night.  I like the fact that it is on Sci-Fi though where it belongs.

8:00pm:  “Dresden Files” – This seems like it will be a good show, however this is a rerun from Sunday night.  Why is this show slated for Sunday night as well?  Must be something really good in the 9 and 10pm time slots.

9:00pm:  “Jake 2.0” – This was a cute show a few years ago, but it’s dated and not worthy of a prime time slot.  Why isn’t this scheduled earlier in the evening or on another day?

10:00pm: “Jake 2.0” – Again???  Really, I’m a big fan of Keegan Connor Tracy (and who wouldn’t be), and I enjoy seeing her grace my big screen TV, but this is prime time folks! 

So, the cable channel which dominated Friday nights is now going soft.  No Stargate SG-1 until April, Battlestar Galatica moved to Sunday, and Doctor Who isn’t slated till when . . . June?  Why don’t they at least put Enterprise or Eureka on Friday?  I seriously believe the programmers at Sci-Fi have lost it and in need of being replaced.

PUT BATTLESTAR GALATICA BACK ON FRIDAYS!!!

Just scrolling through some of the hottest blogs/posts of the past few weeks, I have seen a trend which concerns me.  Like with most sensational media these days (CNN, Washington Post, Fox News, New York Times, etc), controversial and negative news dominates our lives.  Everywhere you go you see things like still and video images of Saddam’s hanging or Britney Spears walking around without underwear for no real reason other than it catches peoples hidden desire for things which are traditionally taboo.  There is nothing wrong with knowing about such events; however, to have this constantly being pushed in your face at the sake of other newsworthy items shows lack of integrity instilled in our modern media.  Integrity has been replaced with ratings.  Content has been replaced with sales.  To see so many top blogs/posts which mirror the modern actions of the mainstream media is a bit disappointing.

Here at MODU’s Musings, I will do my best not to post topics of this nature simply to drive up my viewership.  While my analysis of Apocalypto or the Antikythera Mechanism might not be as interesting as watching the cell phone video of Saddam dropping to his death, it is family friendly and positive, as well as being self-satisfying.  Again, there is nothing wrong with posting the above mentioned items, since the sharing of data is the best way for us to become smarter individuals, and knowledge will set you free.  If you are looking for these kind of topics on my site though, you will be highly disappointed.

Read “How TO get a million blog hits a day”  >>

Last month, Nobel laureate and environmentalist Wangari Maathai called for a global initiative to plant one billion trees to help fight off global warming and climate changes.  Ms. Maathai, the first female African to win the Nobel Peace Prize, says “Anyone can dig a hole; anyone can put a tree in that hole and water it.  And everyone can make sure that the tree they plant survives.”  While I support Ms. Maathai’s idea, I believe there are a few flaws in her logic. 

I, by no means, am a global environmentalist or an arborist or any other kind of –ist that deals with global climates.  I do know that there are many people in the world who do not have access to excess water to sustain a tree, let alone live in an environment where trees can survive naturally.  As the map below shows, there are many dry zones (gray color on map) across the globe where water just doesn’t naturally fall and collect.  Even if we were just to plant trees along the very edges of these zones, it would take a lot of water in zones where water is already scarce in order to keep these trees alive.  And with water being more valuable than money in some of these areas, it is unlikely that the individual will sacrifice the water they need to survive to keep a tree alive.

With that said, I do support her call for everyone to plant a tree (as long as they are able to do so practically).  For everyone living in humid zones (green color on map), there should be relatively little water investment in keeping a tree alive.  For those in the US, Europe, Canada, and China, we should be able to afford to buy a regionally native tree on our own and plant it.  Corporate and private contributions can provide trees for those in Africa and other parts of the world where people are financially strapped, allowing the locals to put in the time and sweat investment in planting and carrying for the trees.  These new trees can go a long way towards sustaining the local environmental conditions by trapping and retaining rain water by reducing the evaporation loss caused by overheating the unprotected ground.   

For those living in the moderate zones (yellow color on map), there will be a little more effort involved.  This region should get enough average rainfall during the year to keep an adult tree alive, but a lot of attention needs to be paid during the trees early years, especially if there is below-average rainfall.  Typically, most trees over five years old are sufficiently rooted in the ground with access to enough ground water to care for it self.  Younger trees might not tap that water, so periodic watering will be needed to ensure its survival.  In theory, the more trees planted in the yellow zone can actually affect the local environment causing the green zone to spread into the yellow zone.  Unfortunately the orange and red colored zones will require a lot of effort and resources that most individuals would not be able to (or desire to) sustain tree plantings adequately, requiring the need for environmental and commercial organizations to become involved. 

So if you have the time, the resources, and the location that you can plant a tree to save the planet (or at least improve the appearance of your surroundings), then I hope you take Ms. Maathai up on her challenge and give back to the planet.  Remember to use a regionally native tree as well as one that will grow tall to provide enough shade on the ground.  Native trees have a greater chance of surviving unattended in your region than one brought in from somewhere else in the world.  Best of luck with your landscaping challenge, and I hope your green thumbs are ready for the task.