They're Way Ahead of Me

February 21, 2021

 

In “If You Can’t Beat It, Adapt” (January 23, 2020), I asked who was planning to conserve farmland, if rising sea levels forced people who lived on the coasts to move to the interior of the country, where the farmland was. It never hurts to plan ahead, I said.

Meet Vertical Farming. The modern take on vertical farming is that it’s basically tall greenhouses. As near as I can figure, the concept was introduced in 1999, and the greenhouses have been around for years; but the idea has been slow to take off—until the pandemic.

There are drawbacks of course—what if the power goes out, will vertical farming run the rural farmers out of business, who’s going to do all that pollinating… But at least somebody’s thinking about it.

  

It Just Keeps Giving

 

February 20, 2021

 

Many people heaved a sigh of relief when 2020 passed into history.

But for some people, especially those in the southern U.S. right now, the past week has seemed like a continuation of 2020.

Maybe in April, when we’re well past the one-year point of when 2020 started to fall apart, it will finally have released its grip.

We can only hope.

Leave Us Alone, Just Give Us Your Money

February 20, 2021

 

Like Idaho back in 2012 (see “Good Thing It’s Not In Phil Hart’s District”, July 9, 2012), Texas wants no part of the federal government—until disaster strikes and it needs some money.

How are those secession plans coming, folks?

 

 

 

He's Just a Practical Guy

February 19, 2021

 

When power outages during a cold snap left Texas in a deep freeze, Sen. Ted Cruz wasted no time in dealing with the situation: He booked a flight for himself and his family to Cancun.

And really, it’s not like his staying home would have helped anything. Can you see him working on power lines or water lines to help out in a crisis? Sure, he could have stayed and suffered and maybe gained (or demonstrated) some empathy for his constituents; maybe made some calls to heads of utilities, or even the governor, to make sure someone started making plans so that this never happened again. But he can make calls from anywhere, right? So it made sense just to pick up and leave.

And leaving his dog in an unheated house? Well, who has time to figure out the nuances?

 

But did he have to pull police resources away from actually doing their valuable jobs to give him “security” at the airport?

 

Self-Preservation: A+

Concern for Constituency and Animals: F

 

 

The First Time is the Toughest

February 15, 2021

 

For the first time in my life, I called in to say that I would not be in to work because of weather and road conditions. It was tough—I’ve always soldiered on, like everybody else, and lived up to my responsibilities, office-wise.

But now that I’ve got it under my belt, the next time may be easier. (All my mystery books say that about the first murder, so why not the first stay-home?) I know it was certainly smarter. I also know that the company wouldn’t bail me out if I got stuck on the road.

I guess that’s what comes of being an older worker. Your experience kicks in, and you finally start making the tough—and wise—choices.

 

 

 

Election Entertainment?

February 12, 2021

 

Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz seem to be pretty much on the same page these days, as far as the Capitol riot not being all that bad.

 

But I’ll bet this lock-step won’t last when they’re both running for president. I’m looking forward to hearing what they have to say about each other then.

Sometimes a Storm Is Just a Storm

February 17, 2021

In the past, some people have pointed to things that they disapprove of as the cause of natural disasters.

So far, I haven’t heard anybody blame this week’s huge winter storm, with its subsequent power outages and their attendant misery, on gays, gay marriage, or abortion.

 

How refreshing.