In an effort to stem the recent tide of forest fires, W is initiating a “Healthy Forests Initiative” that will allow for selective thinning of forests. Environmentalists and logging conglomerates alike have said that the judicious thinning of forests could have prevented some of the wildfires that struck over the summer. The first image that came to mind for me, however, was that of the Simpsons episode “Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington.” In this episode, Lisa espies lobbyists trying to get a logging permit for Springfield Forest using the argument that animals are more happy with a clean forest, showing a before picture of a scary, dark forest versus an after picture with happy animals playing leapfrog and drinking tea on the remaining stumps. OK, so I watch too much Simpsons; I still think it’s funny.