the Phoenix Economy

I have gotten into the routine of listening to Slate Money every Saturday morning. Last week, the host, Felix Salmon, was promoting his new book.  I find the show fun and informative and thought I'd take a chance on it and bought it on Amazon for my Kindle. 

I have been expecting a series of books to start coming out on the pandemic. "September 11" and Afghanistan have produced a few good books, as well as a few forgettable coffee table dust collectors. This is the first book on covid, at least that I have noticed, that comprehensively deals with   the economic, social and political ramifications of the disease. 

The book is an easy read and has some information that I did not know. However, oftentimes, what is presented as fact is often closer to opinion. This book is full of Salmon's points of view. Although it tries to be somewhat encyclopedic in its breadth, I feel it shortchanges covid's effect on education. I also suspect some eyebrows were raised when he talks about the babysitting aspects of teaching.

Editor's note:  Librarians also become unwilling babysitters.

Prince Andrew

First we had the Trump presidency, then we had covid, soon we might have the US defaulting on its debt. But the news most of us are  concerned about involves Prince Andrew. Apparently the king wants to move him and his family (they are divorced but still...) out of the Royal Lodge and into Frogmore Castle. Frogmore Castle looks like a nice place from its website. Still it is making money now as a museum. Having Andrew there  might be an added attraction. Tourists will be able to spy on a pregnant Eugenie sunbathing in the garden or the prince entertaining a group of Americans on their junior year in Europe. 

Ron DeSantis and the battle of trans rights

 

Recently I went to my old job to attend a retirement buffet for my old boss. At some point I had to answer nature's call. I mentioned it and got giggles. I was warned that the bathrooms were all cross gender. I.E., there were no men's rooms or women's rooms. There were only rooms. Upon entering, I noticed that there was no difference in the facility since I worked there. Of course, the sign on the door was different. It said, "all gender restroom." I wonder how women navigate the urinals? 

It is this type of politically correct activism that the governor of Florida wants to save us from. He would not allow such travesties in Florida or the USA. Ron DeSantis has discovered the weakness in political correctness that he can exploit. In the old days he could fight against gay marriage. Unfortunately, gay marriage has entered the mainstream even in red states. Of course, there is women's rights. Again, equality for working women is now generally accepted. Cash poor states are allowing legal marijuana. That issue again waning. interracial marriage? Again, becoming mainstream.                 

The next frontier of liberalism that might scare the behooves out of suburban housewives?  Trans sexualism. He reads about a school in Philadelphia that has a drag queen story hour for kids. Trans gender rights. Here is a topic that is entering the political conversation. And one that people are ambivalent about. Most people never thought about this topic until recently, but Ron has instilled the fear in parents of girls who will have to compete in sports with boys who have sex change operations. There goes that scholarship. 

One of the great arts in politics is teaching the public to fear things that they never thought about before. It should be an interesting two years. 

He was brought down by a woman

 

"History repeats itself, first as a tragedy then as a farce" Karl Marx

We are now entering the farce stage of the Trump saga. Brought down by a woman, Donald Trump will forever be linked in history to

Stormy Daniels. The next stage is beginning. I predicted riots on this day. I think I will be wrong. There will be some excitement, staged for the television cameras, but I suspect the Donald like the Harry is starting to wear on the short attention span of Americans. People are getting tired of the soap opera of Donald and Stormy like they are tiring of Harry and Meghan. 

Cock fighting

One of the well-worn stories I've told at parties is the time I was taken to a cock fight as a kid. Looking back, it was an opportunity to experience a bit of Americana, now lost to the passage of time. It was also something most people from the Northeast haven't experienced, at least in this country. 

As a kid (I was about 12) my mother flew us to visit her kinfolk in Texas. Her people lived in rural Texas and at least some of them were entrepreneurs. Aunt Willy owned a dairy farm left by her late husband and a washateria where local women came to wash their clothes. 

Up the street was Harold &^*&*, Aunt Bug's husband. He owned an insurance company in a small city in East Texas and would later be known as the man who brought liquor to the county. At that time him and his son were persuing fighting chickens as a hobby. I remember walking by the pens full of roosters who were getting primed for the big day. On Saturday, a chosen few were put on a truck and hauled to Oklahoma where cockfighting was legal. 

They had to ask my mother if I could go. She said okay, even though she worried that a sensitive boy like myself might get upset at the gruesome antics I was going to witness. Saturday came, and after breakfast of a sausage on a biscuit and some sweet milk I was in the truck with my cousin and his dad. 

I remember this small but round building that had the meets. Inside there was seating for maybe 200 people and in the ring were two proud chickens. They had spurs attached to their legs. The chickens would fight, and men would yell bets. "I'll take a dollar on old blue".  Some of the fights were ferocious. They could rise up several feet in the air at times. 

Walking around the arena I saw "loosies" for sale, cokes and hot dogs. Finally, the formal program ended and the men had impromptu contests. Some of the chickens died.  I was told the meat was tough but could be turned into a passable chicken with dumplings.  

Later my mother told me she was disappointed with my enjoyment of the day. I turned out to be just as cruel as the rest of them. 

Oh wow, UFOs

We've all been so excited. Aliens from outer space have been flying over Alaska and Canada. Different than the movies, though, they have been shot down before they could land. No scenes like when the alien comes out of the spaceship in The Day the Earth Stood Still. At least not yet. Biden claims they are neither Chinese spy vehicles nor aliens from outer space.     Quien sabe. 

Happy Valentine's Day

 Happy Valentine's Day.