I’ve told myself I’d retire from the discussion of natural disasters here, because the scope is far beyond a modest cartoon blog. Hurricanes in particular became fodder here, you will recall, only because I happened to have had personal experience with Katrina. However, because of that experience, I have been struck by one thing: so many of the Caribbean islands and the Florida Keys are virtually denuded of leafy foliage in the wake of Irma. One might be tempted to think, “Well, at least that will grow back.” One could be forgiven for assuming palms and coastal live oaks are naturally adapted to a capricious environment and have an abnormally hardy capacity to rebound. Not necessarily. Many of the trees stripped by wind and by storm surge will never recover. They are dead. Not a good thing in the tropical sun.
79 responses to “Command and Control”
Yeah Gene’s shirt and hair are Arlo’s color in the third frame….
Ghost and I think Jimmy needs to speak to colorists.
Saw this last week when I was conserving battery and data –
If we would enjoy ourselves, we must take the world as it is; mix it up and a thousand spots of sunshine, a cloud here and there, a bright sky, a storm today, calm tomorrow, the chill-piercing winds of autumn, and the bland, reviving air of summer.
–The 1854 Old Farmer’s Almanac
“… a cloud here and there…” would be much better than what I’ve been getting this year.
Yep, same old gripe concerning Utah’s ever-cloudy night skies. Does anyone know of a website that has a map which tells how many clear nights for stargazing? I’m approaching the point of moving!
Expect a Sky & Telescope site might help. Peace,
https://scontent-dft4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/12009767_10205304772087033_5296623548123136559_n.jpg?oh=bc05ca55baa1de578f5ccfe8a112399a&oe=5A429B32
Mark, I almost spit my lo-cal yogurt over my keyboard, thanks to you!
Trucker Ron, it’s hard for this New Englander to imagine cloudy skies in Utah. It’s way out West in the desert — how come it’s not all dry and clear?
TruckerRon, glad you liked it! I ran across it on FB and knew it belonged here.
TruckerRon, in answer to your question about stargazers sky charts: http://cleardarksky.com/cgi-bin/find_chart.py?keys=utah&type=text&Mn=astrophysics&doit=Find
Charlotte, I believe our mountains serve to “snag” the lower altitude clouds. The general weather flow is to the east, and we have a chain of mountains on that side. The western slopes of those mountains generally get more rain and snow than their eastern sides, though the afternoon sun results in that snow melting faster on the west side.
Mark, I added that link to my bookmarks. Thanks!
GM Debbe & Mizz Charlotte
Good morning all. It will be another early morning today with last visit to oncologists today and a visit at long last to the ear nose and throat specialist about my sinus and horrible cough.
Anyone besides me noticed it is getting harder and harder to get in to see really good soecialists, even if you are an established patient? Are there not enough physicians to go around to an aging or increasingly ill population?
TIP blogspot: Better than some.
http://thatispriceless.blogspot.com/
Jackie: Yes. As more of us survive way beyond ages our parents/grandparents did, there’s more need. As to the pipeline, don’t know all the factors, but know I’m glad I never considered MD as a profession. It’s a way for many to acquire McMansions. I even know many that are truly happy, and truly good people. Some have been my students. One, now retired, is receiving a BSU alumni award Friday. He even established a BSU scholarship named for his mentor, one of my colleagues.
Peace,
Jackie, sound familiar? https://scontent-dft4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21559015_1560687757302797_8109599744053285353_n.jpg?oh=cc97bbc9bf41466cda85b83fcf35f06c&oe=5A5072F3
Jackie, the practice of medicine has become frustratingly complicated by the intrusion of outside forces: insurance companies and the government (state and federal). Doctors have had to add staff just to deal with the paperwork and to keep them informed as to what procedures they can do and tests they can order. It takes real desire and dedication to put up with all of that. Some have opted for early retirement, others have dissolved their private practices and hired out to bigger commercial groups.
Totally true Mark! I am considering a taseful recycled container with heat and air as a walk in clothes closet!
Right now I have to go through clothes and pull out just those that do NOT go over my head but open up front. Seems I will be wearing those a long time until I can raise my arms. First left, then right.
And some have gone back to the old style practice that does not accept either insurance or Medicare, so they can concentrate on medicine rather than paperwork. When Medicare pays 40 percent or less of the actual cost of the care and demands more of the physician’s time to make sure the paperwork is done correctly to keep even that small portion, there is no incentive to accept new Medicare patients unless you are starting a new practice and need volume of clients.
Good morning, Village! Just checking in. While we didn’t get the flooding that some did we did get high winds and a good bit of rain last week. Our power went out Monday afternoon and didn’t get back on until Friday evening. Thank goodness Husband is prepared for anything up to and including the Zombie Apocalypse so we have a generator. It can’t run the whole house all the time, but we can keep the fridge and freezer cold and there is water for short showers and washing dishes and since we have a gas stove we managed pretty well. Of course not being able to walk into a room and flip a switch and have light is annoying, but that’s about it. A couple of trees did come down close to the house, but no damage was done so we were truly lucky.
Good to have your report, Jean. I’ll check in with mine also. Just as I knew, second week after knee replacement is better than first but still not good. Range of motion is excellent but lots of swelling and bruising, ergo still lots of pain. Even though one knows better, one still hopes….
Trapper Jean
Glad things are OK with you. But:
Of course not being able to walk into a room and flip a switch and have light is annoying, but that’s about it.
Is that a “first world problem”? We do get used to electricity quickly.
I too have a generator – just big enough to keep the freezer OR the frige OR the heat going.
Nancy
It does get better —
.
.
..
slowly
Can’t get into GoComix just now
Nancy it does indeed get better and the physical therapy is really important. I was so looking forward to having the right one done in October and having a matched pair.
The left knee is straight and entire leg is straight, muscular and full. The right one is crooked, bowed, scrawny and boney. Not matching at all.
Ghost changed his appointment calendar tonight and pointed out that the date I was to have the right knee replaced is now the date I am to begin chemotherapy. How life comes at you.
Do the exercises and take enough meds to control the pain. Icing with the knee ice machine really helped too.