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REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS
Forget Irene: The drought in Texas is the catastrophe that could REALLY hurt!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:15 AM
NIKI2
Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...
Quote:As Hurricane Irene swept up the East Coast of the U.S., there was a surge of envy rising deep in the heart of Texas. No one wished ill on a neighbor on the Eastern seaboard, of course, but for some Texans, watching intrepid, slicker-clad reporters standing in water up to their knees was like watching a moon landing. Temperatures in Austin were soaring to 112°F and the drought-stricken Lone Star State was dry as a bone. There was nary a cloud in the sky Sunday afternoon as Austin marked the all-time highest temperature on record since Texans began making note of such things over 150 years ago. By late afternoon, the sinking sun was a huge searing orange disk in a cloudless sky, seeming to draw burnt orange haze out of the earth on the horizon. Orange was also the color of the ozone forecast, a warning to anyone engaged in outdoor activities, particularly children and individuals with breathing problems, to avoid lengthy, strenuous outdoor activities. Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and New Mexico have been caught in a heat wave that feeds on the drought, according to Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon. As sunlight hits the ground, Nielsen-Gammon says, it evaporates any moisture in the soil and raises the temperature of the soil. With no moisture, the ground is a virtual hot plate, adding to the misery. That misery is bound to end and the last of the year's 100-plus temperatures may be recorded this week, but this drought will have a ripple effect that will spread beyond the region in the months ahead, having an impact on the one place Americans do not need to feel the hurt: their pocketbooks. From beef prices to the cost of a pair of socks, the Texas drought of 2011 will leave its mark on family budgets. "This drought is just strangling our agricultural economy," says professor Travis Miller, of Texas A&M University's Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Losses, so far, are estimated at $5 billion. Texas has lost a little over half of its cotton crop as parched fields brought back memories and statistics not seen since the great dust bowl of 1933. Texas produces 55% of the U.S. crop and two-thirds of America's yield is exported to mills in China, Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand, where textile manufacturers drove prices down by reducing their stockpiles hoping to see a glut on the market and hence lower cotton prices, Miller says. However, their effort did not anticipate the drought and now with shrinking supplies, cotton prices are surging. The effects go beyond this year's cotton harvest. Ranchers are selling off cattle in historic numbers, Miller says, many of them getting rid of breeding stock that ranchers can no longer feed and water. The state has also lost an entire hay crop, making winter feeding an expensive proposition. While that may mean lower beef prices in the short run as plenty of newly slaughtered cattle hit the marketplace, it likely will mean higher prices down the road since valuable breeding stock is being sold off. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2091192,00.html
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:50 AM
ANTHONYT
Freedom is Important because People are Important
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 11:58 AM
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:02 PM
NEWOLDBROWNCOAT
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 12:09 PM
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 1:14 PM
KWICKO
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." -- William Casey, Reagan's presidential campaign manager & CIA Director (from first staff meeting in 1981)
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 1:16 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AnthonyT: Hello, I think Texas might be able to afford the cost of seceding if they either nationalize some of their production or increase taxes on businesses operating there.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 1:33 PM
RIONAEIRE
Beir bua agus beannacht
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 4:29 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AnthonyT: Hello, I think Texas might be able to afford the cost of seceding if they either nationalize some of their production or increase taxes on businesses operating there. That sounds a bit... socialist, if you don't mind my saying so. If Texas were willing to do that, why would we need to secede? Hell, that's a more progressive plan of action than anything proposed by the President!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 4:44 PM
SIGNYM
I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:29 PM
Quote:Originally posted by AnthonyT: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: Quote:Originally posted by AnthonyT: Hello, I think Texas might be able to afford the cost of seceding if they either nationalize some of their production or increase taxes on businesses operating there. That sounds a bit... socialist, if you don't mind my saying so. If Texas were willing to do that, why would we need to secede? Hell, that's a more progressive plan of action than anything proposed by the President! Hello, I don't mind at all. :-) For sure Texas couldn't secede without adjusting their revenue stream. How else could they afford the necessary military to keep out the Mexican invasion forces? --Anthony
Wednesday, August 31, 2011 5:52 PM
FREMDFIRMA
Thursday, September 1, 2011 1:55 AM
GEEZER
Keep the Shiny side up
Thursday, September 1, 2011 2:19 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Only one thing to do. Saturday, Sept. 3, everyone in Texas wash (with as litle water as possible) and wax your cars and leave them out of the garage overnight. It might also help if folks with convertibles leave the tops down. "Keep the Shiny side up"
Thursday, September 1, 2011 2:20 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Fremdfirma: I'd send ya a case of freezy-pops Mikey, but why not cut out the middle man, ehe ? Seriously, them things are manna from the gods when it's hot!
Thursday, September 1, 2011 2:21 AM
Thursday, September 1, 2011 7:10 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: I haven't washed the Durango... ever, that I can remember, because I'm not a fan of polishing a turd...
Thursday, September 1, 2011 7:28 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Fremdfirma: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: I haven't washed the Durango... ever, that I can remember, because I'm not a fan of polishing a turd... *hysterics* OoooKAY then, yeah, my ex has a Dakota, so I concur with that assessment, although MY major problem with it is that it's apparently designed for people YOUR size, Mikey, my puny ass needs a telephone book to see over the damn dash! -Frem I do not serve the Blind God.
Thursday, September 1, 2011 9:09 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: It's not that Americans *can't* build a quality car; it's that we simply choose not to.
Thursday, September 1, 2011 9:21 AM
Quote:Originally posted by Geezer: Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: It's not that Americans *can't* build a quality car; it's that we simply choose not to. Or you might have the wrong one. My '99 Tahoe has close to 180,000 miles on it, including maybe 10,000 towing a 5000lb trailer, and it's never needed anything other than normal wear items (Water pumps for a GM 350 are a wear item. Right?). I'd jump in it tomorrow and head for anywhere. My cousin Bill has driven Suburbans since forever, and feels they aren't even broken in until 150,000. "Keep the Shiny side up"
Thursday, September 1, 2011 1:57 PM
Quote:Originally posted by Kwicko: The Durango has exactly two things going for it, and they're enough to make me keep it, for now at least: (1) A big honking V8 that makes merging a snap - push the skinny pedal and find a hole to merge into; and (2) great A/C. Dual-zone A/C - front and rear A/C. Not only can I cool down, but so can the dog! :)
Friday, September 2, 2011 7:06 AM
ARTCAT81
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