Austin’s clean (wind and solar) energy program isn’t attracting many takers. Mainly because "green energy" is more expensive than coal or gas. Oh, ho.
This is the part they didn’t tell you. Meanwhile all that extra carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is doing plenty of greening with no extra charge at all (unless you believe Al Gore). Ironic, isn’t it?
Comments Off on Green road not taken
Posted in Texana
Tagged Austin clean energy program, carbon dioxide's greening, solar, wind
Okay all you folks who think of Texas in stereotypical terms. Here’s one to jangle your spurs. Southwest of Austin, on the road to Driftwood and not far from Dripping Springs, there’s this two hundred acre replica of an Indian holy district.
It’s the North American home of the Hindu sect JKP, Barsana Dham. You can almost smell the incense by clicking on the link. Unfortunately, its international leader and swami, Prakashanand Saraswati, has run afoul of the indecency-with-a-child laws, twenty counts worth. So things are not copacetic at the ashram these days. Reminds me of the Russian Orthodox sect’s similar problems down in Blanco in ’97. It’s the freedom that draws ’em, I think. And, sometimes, trips ’em up.
Comments Off on JKP, Barsana Dham
Posted in Texana
Tagged Barsana Dham, JKP, Swami Prakashanand Saraswati
Reading T.R. Ferenbach’s Fire and Blood, a History of Mexico, I encountered the Mexica (or Aztec as they are called in English) concept of flower wars. Which made me think of the San Antonio Fiesta’s Battle of The Flowers.
The Mexica version was the fifteenth century pursuit of thousands of prisoners for human sacrifice to the bloodthirsty Aztec gods. The San Antonio one, which began in 1891 as an April 21 salute to the heroes of the Texas revolution, has become a chamber of commerce event where floats are decorated with flowers.
In early years the Texas participants threw flower petals at each other. Otherwise the only apparent connection between the two is that some San Antonians undoubtedly are descendents of the Mexica. But, to my cluttered mind, it’s a strange coincidence that probably bears scrutiny.
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Posted in Library, South of the Border, Texana
Tagged Aztec flower wars, Mexica flower wars, San Antonio Battle of the Flowers
The lake she is sinking like a stone, two feet lower than at the link there which was a week ago. I mean fifty-one percent of capacity? Whoa. On the other hand, we’ve been here before, just three years ago, in fact, and it’s not yet as low as it was in 2000. The important thing to remember about Texas, folks, is that, for us, drought is normal.
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Posted in Blogosphere, Rancho Roly Poly, Sailing, Texana, Weather/Climate
Tagged Lake Travis
I probably ought to file this under Obituaries as it must have been taken before the road was widened a decade or so ago. Once upon a time, say, back in the late 70s, this was a fairly typical scene around Austin–uncluttered, pristine, and pleasant. The rest of the photos here, while certainly interesting, are more up-to-date and representative. Alas.
Comments Off on FM 2222
Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Texana
Well, a reasonable chance for some tomorrow night, anyhow, which will feel good after today’s hundred degree heat (it’s 100 in the city at the moment). But the real chances, according to the federal Climate Prediction Center begin in October and last through April of next year. Thanks to the anticipated return of El Nino, they’re forecasting precip to be above normal for that period. After two years of dry, that would be sweet.
Via KVUE’s Mark Murray.
Comments Off on Rain ahead…
Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Texana, Weather/Climate
Tagged Climate Prediction Center, El Nino, KVUE, Mark Murray
"Since June 12, Austin-Travis County EMS paramedics have responded to 37 heat emergencies. Included in the elevated response data for heat emergencies [were] construction workers, patients with pre-existing conditions including pregnancy, also several very young patients."
Meanwhile, the forecast is for more of the same through the July 4 weekend. And probably thereafter.
UPDATE: Thursday’s highs at Camp Mabry and the airport were records: 106 at Mabry, 107 at ABIA. The LCRA’s Bob Rose says those were the second hottest June days in recorded Austin history, which I might add only goes back to the 1840s or so.
The warmists will say this is Global Warming. That’s what they say when it’s freezing, too. And, probably, when there’s a big sale on at Fry’s. Nevertheless, with the ground thoroughly heated after weeks of this, we can expect plenty more records ahead.
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Posted in Scribbles, Texana, Weather/Climate
Tagged Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical System, heat emergencies, heat stroke, paramedics, triple-digit heat
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
