If you live in Midland, you’re familiar with the Midland Development Corporation (MDC), the quasi-governmental agency that uses some of our taxes to bribe entice companies to either locate in Midland County or expand their operations if they’re already here. The special sales tax that funds these efforts has been in place for a decade,… Continue reading A Modest Rationale for Ending “Economic Diversification” Efforts
Category: Society & Culture
Honoring a Veteran – My Dad
Seven years ago, at the urging of one of my cousins, my Dad sat down with my Mother and dictated the story of his experiences in World War II. Dad served in the Army as a machine gunner in the European Theater – he and his outfit landed at Normandy Beach shortly after D-Day –… Continue reading Honoring a Veteran – My Dad
“Occupy Wall Street” has local impact
Our financial advisor is a fellow named Jim Cosner. Jim has impressed us over the years with his business acumen (our portfolio has done almost embarrassingly well during these, um, difficult times), integrity, and unflagging optimism. We meet about once a quarter to talk things over, get his take on what might be on the… Continue reading “Occupy Wall Street” has local impact
Drilling boom in Midland County? That’s an understatement…
The city of Midland is an island surrounded by a sea of oil and gas wells.
I, Cartographer
Two months ago, I couldn’t spell “cartographer,” and now I am [on my way to becoming] one. As a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist, my duties include generating and editing maps, and I’ve found the learning curve to be challenging. There are actually two different challenges. One involves learning the systems we use for mapping. Most of our… Continue reading I, Cartographer
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs died today at age 56, and the world lost a creative visionary. Apple enthusiasts will freely admit the significance of the loss, while even those who rejected or denigrated his contributions will nevertheless continue to enjoy for years to come the benefits of the technologies he championed. I didn’t know Jobs, but I… Continue reading Steve Jobs
Desalination a solution for our water woes? Uh, not so fast…
As we creep inexorably toward the one-year mark without meaningful rainfall (how mind-boggling is that, anyway?), ideas that were once bandied about in sci-fi mode now start to take on some semblance of credibility. Like, for example, the idea that we have plenty of water available to Texas, it’s just a bit on the salty… Continue reading Desalination a solution for our water woes? Uh, not so fast…
Rick Perry’s Tax Return: Reading too much into it?
Texas governor Rick Perry’s plans to host a day of prayer and fasting in Houston’s Reliant Stadium on August 6th have – not surprisingly – evoked a wide range of reactions. Some are accusing the governor of crossing the line between church and state, some are suing to stop the gathering, and some are applauding… Continue reading Rick Perry’s Tax Return: Reading too much into it?
QR Tattoos: Get inked, get linked
Ran across this video (via Neatorama) of a guy getting a tattoo of a QR code that links to a website. Note that YouTube apparently believes that a video of someone getting a tattoo is too intense for general consumption. Also, some skeptics are doubting the veracity of this process. Whatever. That’s not the point,… Continue reading QR Tattoos: Get inked, get linked
Happy Independence Day
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled hipster masses yearning to breathe free…”