Odds and ends number 123
Since I'm using the concept from monoblogue, I'm keeping the numbering system, too. Here are thinner slices of bloggy goodness.
Back after about a month with something a little different. Since there wasn’t a news story I thought worth condensing to odds and ends, but a TON of good reads from Substack, I’m making this the first all-Substack edition of odds and ends. It may never happen again, but this holiday weekend was as good a time as any to do a first.
I’m going to go in the order collected. First up is something I enjoyed from
on Living Local.
Years ago, a part of my 50 year plan dwelt on Community, with several of the same ideas placed in this piece. And tell me honestly: even among big city dwellers, who doesn’t want to at least live in a small town? While some laugh at the idea because it’s the oft-used plot of a bad Hallmark movie, there’s a reason it’s an oft-used plot of a bad Hallmark movie.
The more people talk about so-called “15 minute cities,” the happier I am that my wife and I made a choice to live in a semi-rural area. It’s been fun to watch the watermelon harvest this year.
But it was funny - I wondered where Stone got all the photos, only to find out they’re all AI. Sort of like a Hallmark movie, I guess.
From small town to big problem…one of my favorite energy writers is
and no wonder: he and I both see the issues with Big Wind.
Slowly but surely, the government-provided green in the pockets of the international energy companies is talking to states along the East Coast, including here in Delaware and nearby Maryland. Delaware is essentially taking a multi-million dollar bribe just to allow the facilities for offshore wind to become onshore electricity - never mind the damage to our coastal life.
So. If you’re a subscriber, you know
writes daily. But I kept this particular day’s news analysis for a paragraph that confirms someone else got the message I’ve believed for years, based on a Politico story.
Two years ago, Florida passed laws transferring state public school funds to parents, to use for private school tuition and expenses. The funds can also be used for pods, now widely called “microschools.” Politico reported that participation in these state-funded scholarships boomed to an estimated 217,000 students since Florida opened the new voucher program to all students regardless of income.
In a micro-school scenario, parents hire their pod teachers based on merit, not diversity. Microschool teachers reportedly earn +25% more on average than when they worked at comparable public school positions, with less work, fewer students, better students, no unions, and zero politics.
Back in the day, I talked about the concept of for-profit schools giving the local Teacher of the Year a pro-athlete style multi-year contract to teach at their school, but this is even better - sort of like a modern twist on a one-room schoolhouse. They could rotate hosting duties or rent a small office space somewhere nearby.
Coffee & Covid is worth the subscription if you haven’t already - I notice a fair percentage of my followers and subscribers already do.
Now, in the department of foreshadowing,
(not to be confused with the Delaware gubernatorial candidate, Matt Meyer - politically you definitely would not) has an assignment for me. It’s simple: how bad is the Delaware jobs record? Based on his chart, it’s middle of the pack but I think it could be better. Matt has the scoop on my home state of Ohio in this piece.
I could ask the same about Carney/Hall-Long. Delaware has placed a lot of eggs in the financial basket, but our part of the state depends on agriculture, retirees, and tourism. We could use something more substantial.
My friend
did a post I couldn’t like enough about a subject that I couldn’t be more disgusted about. The dog and pony show continues apace…
In a world surrounded by shiny objects, David is keeping his eye on the ball. It’s also worth noting that he hails from Ground Zero in a significant portion of the news cycle, western Pennsylvania. He can relate to Rust Belt working-class stiffs like us.
Then again, if you want cultural references this post by
worked well with me. He’s a bit older than I am but I figured it out quick.
You know, there are still many millions of people who are Gen X and Boomers, and we have their own cultural references and touchstones that only we understand. (That phenomenon even extends to my own “dadisms,” phrases I got from my late dad, like “Whadda ya think this is, giveaway day?”) So that’s the reason I included this - after all, who can make a good post out of a song like WAP? I doubt that hole is rather small.
*ahem* If I need an alternative viewpoint, I get a good one from
. But the most fascinating story of his I ran across this month was about the shed he built from other’s garbage.
I’m sure he’d get LEED points out of that, but to me that shows a little bit of ingenuity and teaches a lesson. In this day and age, there’s nothing wrong with repurposing things that still have a use. Rather than take up space in a landfill, Christopher has made something good from the castoffs.
See, there’s hope for my junk drawer yet! Funny thing - my stepdaughter was looking for a different phone adapter and I found the stash in my desk drawer, right next to my copies of the Constitution (which isn’t junk, although some liberals may beg to differ.)
But to get to something Cook normally writes about, there’s not a governmental agency that would allow such a building if they knew about it. Then again, why would it be their business, since the structure is not on public property and is built soundly? That’s my point in bringing this post of his up.
All right, one more for the month. Speaking again of cultural touchstones, I’m not sure how many folks remember the HBO show Deadwood, but I do and so does
. Yet to him the show answers a larger question.
As he concludes:
Deadwood tells a human story. One in which people lived fully and had meaningful relationships with each other. A story where people tried to build new things. Where people looked to the future with hope and optimism and a desire to work toward a better life for themselves and their loved ones.
While we have inventions these characters could only dream of, we still have that hope and desire deep down within us.
Somewhere I have the DVD set of Deadwood season 1, and being the Luddite that I am, I may have to give it another spin. And I’m looking forward to the rest of the American Trilogy.
And those are the odds and ends for the month. We’ll see what news I get as I (most likely) go back to a conventional format.
Until my next edition of odds and ends, remember you can Buy Me a Coffee since I have a page there.
Michael, again I am honored by your mention. Thank you. Always enjoy your writing.
Thanks for the shoutout :-)
What does LEED stand for?