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Praetorium Honoris

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

How About That Weather?


Saturday's post had Sarge talking about the lovely weather he's having up in Rhode Island. It's interesting how weather is something we all have in common, and we can always talk about it. Not to say we have the same weather of course, but we all have weather and it's something easy to either commiserate on or be happy with.  I was walking my dog yesterday afternoon and a neighbor greeted me with "It's a hot one, isn't it?"  Weather is just easy polite conversation that allows a connection, without actually meaning anything.  I'm quite fortunate here in San Diego to have good weather nearly all year long, never really getting very cold, very wet, and never snowy or icy of course.  We do have the negatives of drought and forest fires though.  The weather is a huge reason I continue to live here, but with that nice weather, it's easy to get soft.  I remember my first visit to Rhode Island one November for a 7-week School to train me up on the Tactical Actions Officer job on board the carrier.  That's the job in combat behind the big blue screens where you defend the ship if necessary.  I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt the morning I left San Diego, and it was in the 30s when I arrived at the base.  Quite a shock to my system, which made me appreciate SanDog more.  And made me consider trading in my leather flight jacket for a pea coat!

TAO on the job

I was semi-estranged from my father for some years after my parents' bad divorce, and when we did talk it was often forced.  Once we finish talking about Navy stuff, something we had in common that was comfortable for both of us, the uncomfortable silence would be quickly filled with talk about the weather.  I can't say it was the most interesting of conversation items, but I suppose it kept us talking till things softened up between us years later.

I'm sure you can tell by my past posts that I'm not a big fan of California, but that is really only regarding our government, crazy taxes, and ineffective leadership.  It's a beautiful state with a very diverse landscape.  Here in San Diego we like to brag that we could ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon, not that I really do either of those though.  I have considered becoming one of those refugees that Juvat speaks of, leaving California for friendlier climes, but it's really isn't feasible for us right now.  Having a special needs son in a group home, and having access to all of his services and medical care sort of anchors us.  Not that we couldn't move and try starting over with a new job, home, and services for my son, but things are stable and comfortable for us right now.  So moving is a big change I'm not willing to take on right now.

Back to my conversations on the weather with my father, it achieved a level of communication that I was satisfied with, although not really doing much to make our relationship better.  I think a lot of the things I grumble about, both here in California and on the federal level is that various policies only achieve a certain level of satisfaction by the policy makers, the people they are supposed to help, and the taxpayers who fund them, but don't improve anything.  There's a lot of emotion behind various programs, that makes people feel good, makes government leaders feel that they are doing something about the problems, but they really don't.  And sometimes they actually have a negative effect.

For instance, consider our welfare programs?  Do we need them?  Absolutely.  I have no problem with helping people that are down on their luck, unable to work, or struggling to make it.  But does our welfare system do anything to help them get out of trouble, to give them a leg up and out of their need for those benefits?  Or is it too lucrative and easy for those folks to stay on the dole?  Also, does it help contribute to a fatherless society and single motherhood?  Probably.  After her divorce, my sister and her two sons lived in subsidized housing and received food stamps.  She was disturbed by some of the conversations she had with some of her unmarried neighbors who explained to her how she could get more money if she had another kid.  She got through that period of poverty and left that environment, but some others were just taking advantage of the system. These programs are clearly needed and very popular, but they can also be seen as perpetual and just paying people to not work.  

“Aid is just a stop-gap,”  “Entrepreneurial capitalism takes more people out of poverty than aid…. In dealing with poverty here and around the world, welfare and foreign aid are a Band-Aid.  Free enterprise is a cure.”  "Entrepreneurship is the most sure way of development."            - U2 frontman Bono



What about green energy policies? Should we maximize our use of renewable energy? That's another absolute yes. The more we can do to reduce our impact on the environment, the better. But we, the American people, are also part of that environment. When government policies clearly cause a painful rise in the the cost of all goods and services, hurting nearly everyone in the country except the uber-wealthy, green isn't good. And this administration doesn't seem to care. We are definitely addicted to fossil fuels here in the US, with every ship, truck, train, airplane, and panel truck delivering our goods being reliant on gas or diesel to power their way to us. There's no way we can fully or even partially replace that during a single administration, or even a generation. We can improve our power grid and transportation system over time, but that'll take a few generations. Here in California the Governor issued an executive order requiring sales of all new passenger vehicles to be zero-emission by 2035 and additional measures to eliminate harmful emissions from the transportation sector. That makes no sense, is economically impossible, and isn't supported by current or planned investment in our already strained electrical grid. It also ignores rental homes and apartments which can't support electric charging for every vehicle. The order also ignores the massive amount of raw material required to develop every single battery in those electric cars which isn't very green either. And one last point on renewables- if we're going electric- using coal for that power is another example of doing something that feels good, but doesn't do anything.

Need another example?  There's also the recent trend to declare much of society as racist, and enact policies that supposedly fix that. 

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown privately signed a bill last month ending the requirement for high school students to prove proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic before graduation.                                                 Source

That's just dumbing down our system, and our students, not preparing them for the world they'll face once they graduate.  We're essentially giving up on our kids.  Kate Brown and Oregon Democrats might feel good implementing policies like that, but it will eventually hurt those they are trying to help.  This is the same issue I have with CRT, which divides people by race, claiming that society is inherently racist and there's no way out of it.

I'm not expecting perfection with these programs, and we should continue to help those in need, increase usage of renewable energy, and maximize opportunities for everyone, but they seem to have as many negative consequences as they do positive ones.  We have to go the extra step to not only put on the band aid, but check to make sure the wound is healing.  Policies can't just be political theater, and should be based on statistical analysis, vice emotional platitudes.  The band aid might make us feel good, but it's about as useless as me and my dad talking about the weather- it helped a little, but didn't get to the root of the problem.  



24 comments:

  1. People are like cattle. Breeding them with a purpose long enough will make them measurably less intelligent, less aggressive, and easily contained. Our society is somewhere between feral and the slaughter house, and I'm guessing closer to the slaughter house.

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    1. I'm hoping it's just the current trend because of all the focus on division for political means, and we'll get back to some level of sanity after the next election.

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    2. Not sure why these comments are posted as "Anonymous," but this is Tuna.

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  2. Who knew that the flick Idiocracy was not just a movie but a documentary? Program, thoughts, and political theater designed to make people FEEL good.

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    1. I see that movie in play everyday.

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    2. Nylon- that was my response. UNK why it's anonymous.

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  3. The adults have apparently left the room in DC (and in most state capitals, corporate boardrooms, etc.)/

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    1. I think they enter as adults with altruistic means, but quickly grow stupid and corrupt.

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    2. I think they enter as adults with altruistic means, but quickly grow stupid and corrupt.

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  4. I don't think we can excuse "the kids" running things anymore; the AOC-types merely provide a lightning rod (see? weather stuff) for the shot-callers operating with malice-aforethought.
    The weather would not keep me in Sandy Eggo but Tuna has other considerations. I've lived in SD and return to see the few remaining family who will not unass the place either.
    I don't like the weather there. Anyone who says it doesn't get cold hasn't stood a Quarterdeck midwatch in January. The rest of it is mostly boring; slate-grey overcast at 20,000 feet.
    THEN you have the lack of potable water (soon to be real shortages) brown/blackouts affecting AC and refrigeration amongst other things.
    Hard pass
    Boat Guy

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    1. Boat Guy- true- the weather here is great, but I also have 50+ relatives in the area, a home that's paid off, and my son. If infrastructure starts failing, we're out of here.

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    2. Don'tcha mean WHEN? It's already pretty "wobbly" as Mrs. Thatcher (RIP) would say.
      You've got a water system for 20 million with 40+ million people there already. It's easier to deal with brown/blackouts than no water.
      Every time we're there, the concrete is a little more crumbly than the last time.
      Vaya con Dios
      BG

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    3. We're good on power, for now, since we have solar. Water is a growing concern. Roads do suck, but they have all that new gas tax money to fix it! HAHAHAHAHA

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  5. Weather is a common and good place to start a conversation. That you and your dad met at the "front door", but didn't get any farther was still a good thing. The communication lines were working, and eventually, you guys connected. Good on you.

    Clean energy is just a scam to kill the productivity of the industrialized nations that are foolish enough to embrace the concept. It will eventually impoverish those nations as well. Steam power was invented in the early 1800's, and wasn't completely replaced for 150 years. That was after a better technology developed along side it. We don't have anything capable to take the place of petroleum at this point in time, unless you are ready to stop every 86 miles to recharge your towing vehicle. Renewables aren't ready for prime time. And nuclear has been so maligned I doubt we are even up to date on the technology. Add the environmental rules now, we can't even build anything anymore.

    As a nation, we better get our belt and braces on and start working on our little areas of influence. Otherwise, it's balkanization for us.

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  6. True- our Navy and Wx convos kept us talking. Don't get me wrong, I know there's massive overhype about pollution killing the environment, BS rising sea levels, and blatant lies about plastic island, global warming, and fracking concerns, but I'm also not against moving towards more renewables IF it works and makes sense, without bankrupting us.

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    1. Report today notes heavy metals leaching off your solar arrays into your groundwater.
      And we haven't ever started talking about the bird-shredders.
      Y'all need nukes if you're gonna have a chance of making it.
      Boat Guy

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    2. Can we ever get past the environmentalists to go nuclear again? I can't see it happening. Maybe if we are constantly facing power shortages with our insatiable need for power generation, but not in my lifetime I'd expect.

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    3. Only if you're allowed to use logic, fact and reason in "discussion"; which you serfs are not permitted in Gavin's commie paradise.
      GB

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    4. I'll bet you a coke that Gavin is the Dem nominee for prez in 24.

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    5. Likely. Jared Polis Schultz has intentions as well...
      BG

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  7. Ha, weather. Dad was assigned as an AF liaison on a British ship going to do stuff around Bermuda. AF said, "Bermuda? That's tropical, so wear Tropical Uniform." In February. Dad thus wore tropical uniform of short sleeves and shorts. Would have been okay in Miami, but not Bermuda in February. Captain of ship took pity on him and had him draw a full naval officer uniform (or what could be cobbled together) from stores, just with AF insignia. Obviously the same personnel people who sent US troops into Korea in winter with summer uniforms, or in summer with winter uniforms...

    As to potentially leaving California, if you have any questions about Florida's programs for people like your son, you can contact Angus McThag at "The Abode of McThag."

    Can't understand the stupidity of California politics and all the decisions being made out there. Not saying Florida is perfect, but...

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    1. Thanks Beans! My wife would love to live in Tampa again. Cali decisions? If it's crazy and expensive and doesn't make sense- it plays well in Sacramento!

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  8. You write: "Or is it too lucrative and easy for those folks to stay on the dole?" My son, the cop (30 years San José PD) would say yes. After retiring with thirty years, he became a fraud detective for the County of Santa Clara. He says now that those in charge want them just where they've got them. His investigations (and those of his team) go unnoticed, the Socialists in charge are happy as clams. We need to begin to notice.

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    1. I think we all know it, that there's so much fraud, but we're either apathetic, or afraid we'll hurt those that need it if anything is reformed.

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Just be polite... that's all I ask. (For Buck)
Can't be nice, go somewhere else...

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