Thursday, May 19, 2011

A Stormy 19th Day Of May In Texas Worrying About Rick Perry Becoming President

May 19 appeared to me to be starting off portending stormy weather, when I stepped outside to retrieve my swimming suit.

When I woke up my computer the stormy assessment was confirmed with the prediction a strong thunderstorm for later today.

This morning I read that speculation that a potential presidential run by Texas Governor Rick Perry may pick up steam after Rush Limbaugh, on his Wednesday radio show, gave Perry a plug, including among Perry's assets that, "He has great hair."

I really don't think America has had enough rest from the last president Texas provided America. Every time Texas gives the country a president America ends up in a war. With Lyndon Baines Johnson it was the Vietnam War. With the first President Bush it was the first Iraq War. With the second President Bush it was another Iraq War, plus a war in Afghanistan.

I really think it's time to give peace a chance. American kids in the 12 years old range have never known an America that is not at war. That can't be good to have an entire generation growing up who think perpetual war is the natural state of affairs.

Switching from war to drought.

North Texas has been in drought mode for awhile now. Meanwhile, up in the Pacific Northwest, they have been in anti-drought mode for awhile now.

So much rain has been falling on the Pacific Northwest that all the rivers are running high, which has hydroelectric generation running high, which has the Pacific Northwest getting most of its electric power from the dammed rivers.

Which led, yesterday, to the Pacific Northwest's wind farms being turned off or scaled back.

Which had me wondering, why can't the wind farms keep spinning? With the Bonneville Power Administration selling the excess electricity to elsewhere on the grid?

I really have no understanding of how the power grid works. I am grateful that it has been 6 days since my power in Texas has gone out.

It is time to go swimming now and worry about the troublesome concept of Rick Perry becoming president.

3 comments:

Sarah R said...

They do sell the extra power to California for one. We had a huge spike in electricity prices about 5 - 6 years ago, because they were selling it cheaper to WA than to CA. And CA sued WA over it (the electric companies that is). So now, I have $200 winter electric bills in stead of $80. Yeah, I know I shouldn't whine.

Anonymous said...

Kids today don't know what it is to grow up in a time of war unless a parent is in the military. And that is not very many families or kids.

The baby boomers were the last generation to grow up during a time of war that they might have to participate in. Younger generations have no idea what it is like wondering if you might be drafted. Vietnam was in the back of every young guy's mind in the 1960s. Most figured they would just stay in school as long as possible, but the draft lottery changed that.

Today's kids don't give the war or the military a second thought or any thought. Neither did Gen-X or following generations. Yes I am repeating myself.

Anonymous said...

The big political news in FW is that the embattled, and highly compensated, superintendent of the school district finally resigned this morning. Wonder if the same will happen at the local MHMR? There are so many similarities and parallels between the two public institutions, except all the MHMR Trustees and advocates are in Jim McDermott's pocket. And the mental health agency's wrongdoings are not given much attention by the fourth estate. The scandal blog however has done a pretty darn good job in place of all those parties that helped expose fwisd and brought about this house cleaning and public accountability.