Miami is where first and third world cultures clash. The city is white-owned and latino-operated, so development takes second place to, well, just about everything. Have you ever seen how haphazard things are done in South America or Saudi Arabia when they try to copy our systems? They can’t see past the surface and it makes for untold wastage in the future. Here is the highway interchange looking from the northwest toward downtown. While this isn’t an important junction, let’s look at the problem.
The original planners could easily have examined what other cities did and build an ordinary cloverleaf [intersection]. But no. As you see, they mickey-moused the entire project. As each add-on proves inadequate, they keep adding on, like the full retards they be. They keep building the ramps higher and create this confusing mess because nobody has the guts to dynamite the thing and start over right. Latino voters won't approve budgets like that. In the end, there are no proper cloverleafs in Miami-Dade or Broward Counties. This photo was not taken at rush hour or you’d see cause and effect first hand.So, the US is going back to the moon. I'll believe it when I see it. Sounds like some election blabber for now. The premise is that a colony could become self-sustaining and used as a base to launch rockets to Mars. Yes, manned interplanetary travel will still use rockets for the foreseeable future (meaning probably 2050). What far too many people don’t realize is there is a race on for these settlements. Other contenders include China and India, and they are not using their touted ancient secrets, but technology created by our culture. Does it matter who is first? Yes, for the available real estate on the moon is quite small. I’ll tell you why.
By day it is too hot, by night it is too cold. The only tracts where these temperatures even begin to balance are near the moon’s celestial poles. These are also the only places where line of sight communication with earth is constant. I might get motivated and calculate the square footage, using the premise the moon must have “Arctic/Antarctic circles” in congruent positions with its own axial tilt. On second thought, I’ll leave that up to you.
The point is, there is just not that much good land up there, I’d guess maybe the half the size of Manhattan. (Insert New York-moon surface puns here.) Both poles are mountainous. All flat space will be at a premium for solar panels, the only local source of power that can be tapped immediately. Nobody wants to live underground, and nobody knows what they'll find if they drill. My guess? Jimmy Hoffa.
One of my dreams may just have become attainable. Andre Rieu, the violinist, is in Ft. Lauderdale next month, and I have the money this time. I missed BB King on New Years and still kick myself for that. On the other hand Rieu packs the house everywhere he goes in the world and where you won’t get me near much opera, I love a symphony. Time to find a gal to go dutch, ha, I just thought of that, Rieu is Dutch. Do you think he knows any babes I'd like to meet? Or do those guys, like, keep them all for themselves?
The downside is the show is booked by the concert Mafia, Ticketmaster. The best seats still available are located in the “Plaza”, a section that does not appear on the stadium floor plan. By extrapolating the other prices, I guess it to be the mezzanine, which is okay by me. Who will the lucky gal be? Symphony by sidecar, it has a charm all of its own.
Who is Henry Quarters? I’ll get to that, but today I’ve got time on my hands (still recovering from the flu). Allow me to lecture a little on crossword puzzles, which by the way celebrated their 100th birthday this year, I believe. There are many types of crosswords and I’d like to categorize them by my self-developed enjoyment scale, that is, the pleasure derived from completing each compared to the effort expended.
The absolute worst type of crosswords are the ones that use people’s names. I consider those who write this type to be the genetic defectives of the field, dull and unimaginative because they can’t do any better. I will often stop bothering with a crossword after the second or third reference to some obscure actor or author. Second worst are those who use foreign words and that includes colloquial spellings. Please, you morons, one language per crossword with ordinary terms only or get out of the business. Exceptions: such words as have become crossword standards such as obi and styx, but no more unless they are Internet terms.
Next rung up the ladder are English (Brit) style, but these are seriously flawed in that the clues are ambiguous to the point of misleading. Those who enjoy being misled should join the military. Still, moving the focus from the puzzle to the clues represents a major advancement, one that so many could stand to learn.
King of the hill are the crosswords which avoid all the above shortcomings and focus on clever, but not deceptive, clues. And the master of the dailies is Henry Quarters. It is not the words or the clues that are the challenge, but the association. I rarely look at the author except when impressed and when that happens, I see his name. The lion is known by his claw. Today was a masterpiece. Here are some of the clues (with number of letters), the answers are at the end.
Rand’s shrugger (5)
Potential perch (3)
Being No. 1? (4)
247.5 degrees (3)
Biblical spot (5)
Draw in a picture (4)
See this photo. That’s why I’m back in service, at least partially. Not one to resort to chemicals at every ache and pain, this time I decided not to sweat it out. I consulted my pharmacist for advice about effectiveness and compatibility with my prescriptions, and this was the result. No single product addressed all my symptoms. However, I was clear-headed within the hour (I heard that) and got an excellent night’s sleep. [Author's note: Without further ado, the crossword answers in correct order are: Atlas, roe, Adam, WSW, seest, and star.]
Return Home
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
