Don Quixote

My lunch biddies chided me today about Trump thinking that windmills cause cancer ... something that I had not heard about. So I came home, full of beef brisket and Cel-Ray tonic, and looked it up ... see: The Hill Story. Actually, Trump said three things about wind turbines (not windmills):

1) they decrease nearby home values by 75%
2) their noise is claimed to cause cancer
3) they kill lots of birds

Are these claims reasonable? I then researched this matter further. See the following links:

1) Maybe not down 75% ... but certainly down 20 to 50% ... see: Forbes Article.
2) Probably not cancer ... but many other health problems ... see: How Stuff Works.
3) In the US, wid turbines kill more tha a half a million birds a year ... see: Live Science Data

Now, dear reader, was Trump lying ... or just being quixotic?

My Hero

Oklahoma Senator (and Doctor) Tom Coburn is going to retire at the end of this year, two years before his term would be up … see: Breitbart Story.  Drat!  This man is one of the few in the Senate who deserves accolades for his courage in standing up against the many degenerative forces in Washington. I have watched him numerous times on the “Morning Joe” show on MSNBC and he invariably skewers those of either political stripe who are putting their party or themselves before our national interest (which unfortunately is most of them.)

In particular he has published an annual “Wastebook” pointing out the financial fraud and abuse which is all too rife in our federal government … see: Coburn Website. This waste includes silly and expensive studies, wanton destruction of weaponry, continuing to pay the Fort Hood terrorist’s salary for years, unworkable research programs, unwanted buildings, race-car driver sponsorship, etc.  This book specifies only $30 billion out of the hundreds of billions of dollars of profligate government spending in which the good doctor knows we engage.

Also, he is outspoken out about how the Senate’s legislative process has degenerated to the point were partisan bickering is the natural result of dictatorial abuses on Harry Reid’s part … see his retirement statement above.  I suppose this frankness might be one reason he is leaving.  Another might also be his health problems which are rife.  I hope that he beats these health demons like he has fought valiantly against the demons of our federal bureaucracy.
  

He s a true statesman and will be missed.