November 16

 Looks like another sunny, dry day. Temperatures have been mild and above normal but so far we are still out of drought.

The news has had sporadic stories about dry conditions but it has been sporadic. The low water levels flowing down the Mississippi and the movement of salt water up river. The Weather Channel had a story I couldn't really get much of because I was fixing breakfast about a Kansas town running out of water. I did a quick Google search and found this. This story, from September, gives more information. You should remember that the water that flows in the Mississippi starts out in states like Kansas, Nebraska. It has a huge drainage basin and most of that basin has been in drought.

First stray thought today: far too many of us have a black-and-white view of things. If Israel is good, Hamas is bad. The horror Israel experienced on October 7 somehow washes out the horror Palestinians are facing now. Somehow the 10k deaths in Gaza overwhelms the 1400 or so in Israel. As long as we frame questions in that black-and-white, either/or fashion we are stuck. That myopic tunnel vision mars other areas of our political/social/economic life. As some commentators have noted both might be true at the same time.

Second stray thought: the question a reporter asked Biden this morning is so irrelevant it gives me a headache. Whether Xi Jinping is or is not a tyrant doesn't really matter. That reporter was hoping for a gotcha moment that does not touch what we hoped to gain out of the talks. Our government and our political leaders have to deal with a lot of different countries and a lot of different leaders. That is best done by leaving the disparaging labels behind.

Earlier this month a news report quoted the new Speaker of the House saying "I refuse to put people over politics." This article on The Hill tries to soft soap the remark characterizing it as a "mix up." Maybe, maybe not. Certainly the Democrats aren't giving him any "benefit of the doubt." But I haven't seen any evidence that the GOP has any great regard for their voters. For their donors, yes; but not for their voters. And I have one question for them: WTF are they for if not for their people? Their own power? Their own egos?

The fifth National Climate Study is coming out. Wonkette is covering it here. I love the title.

According to the New York Times (pay wall, no link) Rep. George Santos won't run for re-election as a House panel found sufficient evidence that he broke Federal laws. I would say "Good riddance to bad rubbish" but he isn't going away just yet.

Both chambers have left for a Thanksgiving week off. They left with one of the twelve appropriations bills languishing. They could have stayed for another day or two to get it done but I guess funding the government isn't all that important.

Another stray thought. Robert Reich again wrote about the disconnect between the rosy view of the economy President Biden and economists tout and the pessimistic view of a significant portion of our population. Finally, someone had the sense to note that people don't really look at the statistics. Nor are they swayed by all the stories of what the Administration has done for the country. Instead, people judge the economy (and the politicians) relative to what their economic condition was in the past and relative to what they want it to be in the future.