Sunday: Hili dialogue

September 3, 2017 • 6:43 am

by Grania

Good morning! I’m filling in for Jerry who is winging his way to Poland right now and will check in with us when he reaches his destination, but he still has a train journey inland ahead of him when he arrives.

Today in 1189 Richard The Lionheart was crowned in Westminster. A few centuries later things had changed forever on the monarchy front and in 1658 Richard Cromwell (son of Oliver) became Lord Protector of England. In 1783 the American Revolutionary War came to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Paris by the United States and the Kingdom of Great Britain. In 1976 the American Viking 2 spacecraft landed at Utopia Planitia on Mars.

Today is also the birthday of Jamaican singer Omi, whose most famous song is smooth enough for Sunday morning listening.

On to animal affairs:

Hili: Do you see what I see?
Cyrus: Of course.
Hili: And what do you think?
Cyrus: Nothing interesting, a magpie is sitting in a tree.

In Polish:

Hili: Czy widzisz to, co ja widzę?
Cyrus: Oczywiście.
Hili: I co sądzisz?
Cyrus: Nic ciekawego, sroka usiadła na drzewie.

If you’ve been following the series of weapons capability claims from the North Korea including their claim of having a missile-ready nuclear weapon, you may find this series of tweets from Senior Research Geophysicist at NORSAR Steven J. Gibbons interesting as he explains how they monitor nuclear testing with seismic waves.

More annoying, but perhaps less worrying, Donald Trump has declared today a day of prayer. I can’t fathom why politicians still do this. I know it scores brownie points among a few people who think that displays of piety matter, but during a disaster of this magnitude surely more concrete measures would be more reassuring. Anyway, this cartoon tweeted by Heather Hastie is appropriate to the moment.

18 thoughts on “Sunday: Hili dialogue”

  1. The Governor of Texas or one of his senior minions, refused an offer of essential material help from Canada,and instead asked for Prayers.Deluded doesn’t do it justice.

    1. I read that. Can’t have them Canadian Socialists comin’ down here ‘n’ spreadin’ their stinkin’ philosophy.

  3. A-a-a-and let’s screw “climate change.”

    Go back to Global Warming. That’s what it is.

  5. I think Houston should be move inland about 20 miles. Otherwise, this disaster will repeat within the next 20 years. With all the pavement and roofs out of the way the rain will soak more slowly through the landscape. Can we get a referendum on that?

    1. I hate to tell ya Rick but a 20 mile move for this city would accomplish nothing. Move them 100 miles and build in the same manor and the outcome is the same.

      1. You’re right, except it’s actually 200 miles to the rising terrain. In fact, checking the topo map, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio form a line along the edge of the plateau. Whoever chose those sites was a brilliant planner. Maybe for Houston, stilts is the only option.

        1. Some of the ideas I have heard put forth are to build many more reservoirs with a network of canals and Bayous. Also to use pervious asphalt and cement which would mean passing regulations. Republicans hate regulations unless they specifically benefit them. But anyway, on flat land these are some of the things that would work. The soil type in that part of Texas is also very poor for drainage. A perk test will show this.

          1. They had that [reservoirs]. Then built suburbia into the catchment basins, making them useless.

          3. Building 2 reservoirs in the 1930s and then growing the city by 2 million is not exactly what I was talking about. Best leave the Hydraulic Engineering to guess who, the engineers.

    2. If you’re gonna be a big port city you hafta be on the sea. (Unless there’s a handy, substantial river on which you can build upstream…

        1. Lol, I can see it now: Big Oil meets Outlaw Country music…

          (My out-dated vision of Austin, having lived there in the late 70’s…)

          (There are indeed some busy “inland” ports, though…Portland OR, e.g., thanks to the Columbia and Willamette rivers…)

  6. Eight long years for the American revolution although England essentially threw in the towel after 6. Use to be this was a long war but no longer.

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