25 years ago, August 22, 1997, I wrote my first “Weekly Comments.” My goal has always been to write in the style and philosophy of Will Rogers. Of course, it’s impossible to duplicate Will.
Weekly Comments #1 was emailed to 6 people. In 25 years, I’ve only lost 3 of ‘em. Here’s #1:
“That UPS strike was settled just in time. They got a rush order to haul 25 million pounds of raw hamburger back to Columbus, Nebraska. Seems odd that in a country with millions of people going to bed hungry they couldn’t find enough poor folks that would swear not to eat any of it raw, if we just allowed ‘em to take home enough for a few meals.
“If those trucks slow down as they pass through Lincoln, the Cornhusker football players may hijack a few million pounds just for a midnight snack.
“Now that UPS drivers are delivering new textbooks to schools on time, the teachers are reconsidering whether they want to work at current salaries. I understand they have a new goal — to make as much as the truckers. I asked my UPS delivery man about that today and he said he can understand their view. He said, ‘I sure felt teachers were underpaid before I quit teaching.’”
Historic quote from Will Rogers:
“A person learns in two ways: one is reading, the other is associating with smarter people.” WA #147, Oct. 4, 1925
Starting Year 26, Weekly Comments #1124…
Today, August 21, 2022, you have plenty of good, healthy hamburger to choose from. The only shortage may be finding enough cash to buy it with.
In the Southwest (mainly California, Nevada and Arizona), the “shortage” they’re concerned about isn’t cash and it isn’t hamburger. They are running out of water. Yes, water. Lake Mead (behind Hoover Dam) is so low the organized crime syndicates in Las Vegas are worried; every few days another skeleton appears on the dry lakebed. With DNA identification, the perpetrators could be tracked down. A hit man might say, “Boss, I swear I dumped him where the water was at least 150 feet deep.” Well, the lake is down about 170 feet. (Recent storms only added a foot or two.)
Both Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which is farther upstream on the Colorado River, are at about 25% of capacity. Together they provide water for 40 million people and electricity for 6 million. If the water level drops a few more feet, it will be below the inlets for the turbines. Meaning no electricity generated.
The new “Inflation Reduction Act” won’t provide any water, but it might help keep the lights on. Do you think a hundred Billion dollars’ worth of solar and wind generation can be constructed in a year? Only risk is, all the Electric Vehicles being sold with huge tax credits might use up the additional solar and wind energy, with none left over to replace the hydropower from the dried-up dams.
Historic quotes by Will Rogers:
“Water ain’t gold in the West, water is diamonds and platinum.” WA #562, Oct. 1, 1933
“Don’t miss seeing the building of Boulder Dam. It’s the biggest thing that’s ever been done with water since Noah made the flood look foolish. You know how big the Grand Canyon is. Well, they just stop up one end of it and make the water come out through a drinking fountain… It’s called the ‘Hoover Dam’ now. The dam is entirely between Nevada and Arizona. All California gets out of it is the water.” DT #1900, Sept. 6, 1932