Government declaring “a climate emergency”: a thought experiment

Today, I received an email from a local climate group urging me to support "Build Back Fossil Free." It included two documents -- links follow. One urged recipients to call President Biden and urge him to (1) Declare a climate emergency, (2) Ban new fossil fuel leasing on public land and waters, (3) Use the Defense Production Act to scale up renewables. This is my response. Attached image:...

The value of a smile

I was at Home Depot this morning, walking to the restroom.  Ahead of me, about halfway down the lighting aisle, with lamps hanging overhead, was an older lady with short silvery hair, pushing her cart.  Our eyes met; she gave a welcoming smile.  I smiled back.  We passed each other, and I continued on my way, a good feeling in my chest.  Then it occurred to me: neither one of us was wearing...

“Fur-babies” – extending human authoritarianism to the animal kingdom

I have always loved animals.  When I was three I contracted ringworm in my scalp from petting neighborhood cats.  At the end of a disastrous marriage I found myself interested in getting all sorts of pets that I had missed on having during the marriage.  Currently, I have 4 cats, a dog, 2 parakeets, 2 goldfish, a 40 gallon tank of tropical fish, and 16 hens.  I have to hire...

Creeping authoritarianism

I had a discussion with two of my teens yesterday about the definitions and real world examples of: totalitarianism, tyranny, dictatorship, fascism, and communism as practiced by the former USSR and the CCP, and authoritarianism.  My daughter had a great example of authoritarianism to share. At her middle school the students are required to display their student photo ID at all times around...

Messaging and gas-lighting

About four years ago my ex put together a computer for each of our then pre-teen children.  We were in the middle of a family court case and he was courting their favor after having previously paid them little attention while he was binge drinking.  For Christmas he gifted them each with the computer tower, and did not provide them with keyboards, mice, monitors, nor connecting...

Vindication

I enjoy performing music for people. One of the most difficult parts of the covid pandemic was the drying up of all the venues where I performed and collaborated musically. In spring 2021, opportunities finally opened up at the local retirement community, where I had often performed in the past. I was, however, not adequately informed of the nuances of their masking policy for outside...

Fun with Covid-19 anecdotes

Four families that I am familiar with took a road trip together and stayed in an airbnb for about a week. Just before the start of their journey, one male adult had just been diagnosed with covid — he had symptoms and positive PCR test. These are the results. Family 12 adults, 4 minorsCovid Stats: no prior covid infections, no covid vaccinationsResults: 1 adult from this family was diagnosed...

Expanding checks and balances

In 1776 the folks who signed the US Declaration of Independence and later formed the Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution were very, very wary of power becoming entrenched. Obviously, their concerns were valid. We could, from the “American Experiment” surmise that representative democracy is a total failure. But, perhaps it is not helpful to “throw the baby out with the bath...

Children: Which is more dangerous, Covid or the Vaccine?

I'm not a statitician -- and my college education did not require a statistics class. I always had a knack with math, and this should be easy to follow. In the Stage 3 Clinical Trial for the Pfizer vaccine in children ages 12-15 there were originally 1,127 participants. One participant, a 12 year old girl, became paralyzed from the waist down as a result of the vaccine. That means, in kids ages...

Regarding “meritocracy” in education

I received elementary education based on merit.  I was in a school that taught math in levels, and tested the students at the beginning of the year to determine that level.  In addition, I was identified as “gifted” in second grade, and received extra educational opportunities as a result.  When I went to middle school and was mainstreamed at Powell Middle School I was bored...