Places – Page 48 – GEORGE ROTHERT

More About Less Sand

The world is running out of sand. The right kind of sand that is.

Miami Beach is in danger of losing its main tourist attraction: pristine sandy beaches. In fact, most of its sand was imported from the Bahamas. Rick Scott, who prior to his election and re-election as Florida’s governor was best known for the largest Medicare fraud ever, is on record the he is not a scientist and has not seen enough evidence the climate change is real. He therefore has banned Florida state employees from using the term “climate change.”

(Photo by: John Francis Peters/Esquire Network)

Meanwhile the water rises and the sand erodes.

Another Victim of the Digital Revolution

Something you may not have noticed in your travels: the disappearance of “Vacancy” signs. Fewer and fewer motels and hotels display them. Travelers these days can use a smartphone app to see what lodging is at the expected destination and can call ahead to check on availability.

Fewer mom-and-pop motels exist; chain hotels, as in other industries, are more prevalent. The chains don’t want to advertise that they are full. They want the traveler to come inside, so if there is no room at the inn, they can be directed to a nearby property operated by the same chain.

If you are planning a motor trip, RoadTripUSA.com is an excellent resource for traveling off the interstates. Or you could buy the book.

Religious Inclusiveness in Oklahoma

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin recently compromised her Christian faith. She issued her annual “Oilfield Prayer Day” proclamation that stated, “Christians are invited to thank God for the blessings” created by the industry and to “seek His wisdom and ask for protection.” It also declared that Christians believe oil and natural gas are “created by God.”

Bowing to pressure from non-believers, she revised her decree to invite people of all faiths to pray for the industry. Apparently the blessings of fossil fuels apply to all, regardless of their religious beliefs.

Enough Politics – Let’s Talk Religion

Or maybe it’s all the same thing.

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A Victory for Free Enterprise

The recent election may help revive a flagging industry. Already suffering from Internet competition, the besieged porn industry had largely fled the Los Angeles area because of burdensome government regulations.

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Homelessness – the Way It Used to Be

The Banfield Expressway plowed through Sullivan’s Gulch in the 1950s, displacing the few holdouts in what had been one of the largest homeless encampments in Portland. The “Hoovervilles” were named for President Herbert Hoover, who presided over the country’s descent into the Great Depression. By 1933, the northeast “Shantytown” had a population of 333 living in 131 shacks made from scrap wood, car parts, corrugated tin and cardboard boxes.

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