Preserving Our Rainforests
It’s the 92nd birthday of the eminent biologist, naturalist, and author E.O. Wilson, who said, “[Destroying rainforests for economic gain] is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.”
It’s sad that our culture is driven so little by science and so forcefully by economics, and that this effect has become so greatly amplified over just the past few years, by what could be called the “Trump phenomenon.” Our society now ridicules intelligence and academic achievement, is indifferent to truth, and celebrates anti-intellectualism and wealth at any cost.
The paucity of posts here recently is due to the fact that my wife and I are en route from Santa Barbara, CA to North Dakota, driving our daughter’s car up to her, and making stops along the way to visit a few national parks like Bryce Canyon; it’s spectacular (see below).
Here’s one from the vaults of “just when you thought you’d seen it all.”
Normally, we hear about stupidity that comes from some corner of the world we’ve never visited, and perhaps never knew existed. But here’s one from the small town in rural Santa Barbara County, Santa Ynez, in which 2GreenEnergy makes its home:
From 
Well, a lot has changed. Now he was a family man, and he had no jail experience. Also, I’m sure he had a job. Perhaps he was well respected in his community.
Re: the meme here, as reader notes: Please explain the cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. Or perhaps run the numbers per capita for the other countries? While this lovely poster is powerful it’s comparing apples to oranges to pineapples!
Regarding the red MAGA hat, I beg to disagree. Both the swastika and the Confederate flags are signs of evil, of genocide and slavery, respectively. The red hat incorporates those as well, but it adds in an important ingredient missing in both: stupidity.
The subject of 
Whether you remember Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins, his sit-com of the 60s, or any of the other hundreds of things he’s done in his long, eclectic, multi-award-winning career, it’s clear that, at age 95, he’s still totally lucid.
