What's Tony Thinking

End of Another Week, 9/29

We’re back in the Wallowas for a final week, celebrating Linda’s October 1 birthday with friends here, and then closing up the cabin for winter. Beautiful hike yesterday with lots of autumn color. The reds are mostly Rocky Mountain Maple, similar to Vine Maple. The yellows are aspens. Other bright yellows are Tamarack, a.k.a. Larch.

Maybe the Democrats Could Also Have Vice-Presidential Candidate Debates? So far as I can tell the Republican Presidential Debates are, in reality, the Republican Vice-Presidential debates. (Though Chris Christie appears not to have gotten the memo.) So how about the Dem’s giving that a whirl? Let Kamala debate Gretchen, Gina and Gavin and Pete.

Shoplifting for Fun or Family? In a piece on Seattle’s Drug Crisis I noted the empty shelves at our nearby Bartell’s (really it’s a Rite-Aid, in corporate camo). Meanwhile, Target announced that its Ballard store would be closing with shoplifting and crime cited among the reasons. Which spawned charges of “corporate conspiracy,” and claims shoplifting is not really a problem or not “the” real problem.

AOC has told us that shoplifting is done by people that need to feed their families. Batteries and Sudafed being popular family foods. Zahid Jilani (courtesy of TGIF at Free Press) had this to say:

“Business owners: They’re taking stuff because they like free stuff
Cops: They’re taking stuff because they like free stuff
Looters: Were just taking stuff because we like free stuff

“Academics: This is a very complicated issue, we will never understand this.”

“God, it turns out, is present in the dismantling of carefully constructed edifices.” That’s just one of the lines I love in a great piece by Dave Zahl, “Pray for a Nervous Breakdown.” Read the whole thing here. In the meantime, tell me if the opening paragraph doesn’t ring true?

“Having trouble sleeping? There’s a great new pillow you should try. Up cause you’re worried about your kids’ schooling? Here’s an app that allows you to monitor their grades. Online too much as a result? Check out this hip new device that locks you out of the internet. Still feeling overwhelmed? Maybe you should change your diet. There’s an app for that as well. Or, hey, start coming to church! Too many obligations on Sunday morning already? You should try our virtual service.”

The Tree Census. Having begun in the Wallowas, let’s conclude there. I have mentioned “my” trees, that is the trees, mostly on our property, which I steward. The other day, with Linda’s help, I did a tree census. Here, drum-roll, are the results you’ve been waiting for, the number and types of trees on our less than 1/2 acre lot. Total number of trees: 138.

Breakdown: 58 Douglas Fir, 51 White Fir, 10 Spruce, 3 Blue Spruce, 4 Aspen, 2 Mountain Ash, 2 Rocky Mountain Maple, 2 Autumn Blaze Maple, 1 Tamarack, 2 Ponderosa Pine, 2 Cedar, 1 Juniper.

Bill Gates recently ridiculed the idea that one way to save the planet is by planting trees. He prefers investing in heat pumps. But even if he’s right, planting trees is way more fun than installing a heat pump. Meanwhile, the plan is to disappear our cabin in the trees.