“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves….” Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Act 1, scene 2. Still Playing With Fire It is summer so wildfires are in the news, and this year’s Yarnell Hill and Rim Fires are partially used to hype man-caused global warming. Our fire problem has been a longContinue reading “Burned Policy”
Author Archives: Norm Benson
Weekend Postcard: Wildland Fire
This is the “San Joaquin Fire” that started around 2pm (PDT) on San Joaquin Avenue of Clearlake Park, CA. The photo was snapped at around 2:10pm. The fire was contained at seven acres (about what you can see in the photo).
Energy Independence is a Dumb Idea but not Because We Will Run Out of Oil
Update: One more sentence has been added to Charlie Munger’s quote. Over at the Farnam Street blog, Shane Parrish has a post titled “Energy Independence is a Terribly Stupid Idea.” I agree. But, apparently not for the same reasons that Farnam Shane Parrish or Berkshire Hathaway Vice-Chairman Charlie Munger does. (But, hey more people followContinue reading “Energy Independence is a Dumb Idea but not Because We Will Run Out of Oil”
World War Zzzzz
Due to a pandemic sweeping through the world, we might have to go without our usual cup of joe or pay much higher prices.
Jury Selection. Again.
In 2011, I was part of a host of people considered to sit on a jury. Considering that the trial for the killing Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman has just ended in a Not Guilty verdict, I thought I would share how the process appears to work in Lake County, California. Jury duty in LakeContinue reading “Jury Selection. Again.”
The Good Old Days
When our climate was just a little cooler.
Me, Microbes, and I
It has been said that “No man is an island.” While you may quibble that it should be “No one is an island,” we know what it means: We human beings depend on one another. We depend on each other, and we also depend on ecosystems to provide us with water and clean air—amongContinue reading “Me, Microbes, and I”
Is Optimism Rational?
Matt Ridley’s book, The Rational Optimist: How Prosperity Evolves, continues to be my favorite book. It is not simply my favorite non-fiction book; it is my favorite book: challenging, witty, and chock-a-block full of facts. If you are pessimistic about our world’s future (as I was), you owe it to yourself (and your children) toContinue reading “Is Optimism Rational?”
OMG GMOs
I don’t get it. Yes, Monsanto is a large company. So is Ford. Monsanto does not control the food system any more than Ford controls the automotive system.
Beer and Civilization—Who Knew?
This will be in tomorrow’s today’s Record-Bee in the Green Chain column. It is also cross-posted on my Batch-22 blog. I hope you had a happy Earth Day. It happened, thanks to beer. Fermentation First Evidence mounts almost daily that beer started humans on the path to civilization even before the invention of agricultureContinue reading “Beer and Civilization—Who Knew?”
Nullius in Verba 