2018 Winter February 13 Tuesday

25 degrees this morning (38 degrees Oklahoma City)

It is definitely a colder 25 degrees here where the wind is unfettered by buildings or many trees.  It bites a lot harder.

I read where the state legislature put their head in the sand again (and deposited big “donations” from a number of lobbyists) and refused to take the necessary action to fund state government.  

Meanwhile we continue to lose teachers who get welfare wages (many paid less that the actual salary of the very part-time state senators and representatives) who also receive fat per diems  and other hidden benefits as well as big checks from “donors”, paid vacations, tickets, lunches etc.  

Hopefully the actions will activate people to vote for capable people who have the courage to do what is needed, but I won’t wait by the phone for the call that it happened.    Difficult to get through the big money donors use to buy the hypocrite politicians.  

As I mentioned yesterday, the “wind industry” got huge incentives in recent years, enough to literally bankrupt the state.  Now they are using that one to buy politicians and try to continue their gravy train.  

I expect the regulation of the industry is also very lax, throwing costs to the public in the future as the “easy money” is grabbed and then the “real costs” are thrown to the public like the “superfund” sites.  

Absolutely nothing against “wind” as an industry, but again if it doesn’t make economic sense, don’t do it.  If it needs  huge  “incentives” it probably isn’t worth it.  

Anyway, it is enough I definitely plan on getting involved in some small degree on assisting in getting some capable people into office.

Looking at the wide open land up here I have to wonder how the geography of where you grow up affects you.  

For example, an area surrounded by mountains may have a psychological impact on how you think.  It seems if you grew up with mountains on any or all sides, you may feel a little insecure in a place without any mountains or by an ocean or whatever.

On the other hand, if you grew up in the wide open area or by the sea, you may feel somewhat uneasy about the mountains hanging around an looming over you.  

I’m not sure, I know there have been studies on it, but it is something we will probably never know for sure.

I know when I first moved to Tennessee, my emotional reaction was definitely affected by the tall trees.  Can’t say good or bad.  The first time I drove to Nashville (well before I ever even thought of moving there, I was going to a conference), the dense tall trees along the interstate definitely affected my mood. Again, don’t know if good or bad, but there was definitely an affect.  

After I moved there, I was very aware of the lack of trees (at least the type there) when we retuned to visit family.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, February 13, 2018.