How a $10 Enterprise rental car became $40, but not more.

For me, a car is a means of getting me from A to B.   I just don’t “get” the idea of spending money for a “luxury” car.  But many people aren’t like me, and rental car companies know this. Two days ago, I rented a car through Expedia.  I reserved the…

Continue ReadingHow a $10 Enterprise rental car became $40, but not more.

We’re running out of water and oil . . . (yawn).

Today, the following Associated Press article was run on page-19 of my local newspaper (the St. Louis Post-Dispatch):

An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions. Florida doesn’t have nearly enough water for its expected population boom. The Great Lakes are shrinking. Upstate New York’s reservoirs have dropped to record lows. And in the West, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is melting faster each year.

Across America, the picture is critically clear — the nation’s freshwater supplies can no longer quench its thirst.

The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperature, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess.

“Is it a crisis? If we don’t do some decent water planning, it could be,” said Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Water Works Association, based in Denver.

Water managers will need to take bold steps to keep taps flowing, including conservation, recycling, desalination and stricter controls on development.

The price tag for ensuring a reliable water supply could be staggering. Experts estimate that just upgrading pipes to handle new supplies could cost the nation $300 billion over 30 years.

“Unfortunately, there’s just not going to be any more cheap water,” said Randy Brown, utilities director for Pompano Beach, Fla.

Truly, this is a major story; our country is running out of a critically important resource.  Combine that lack-of-water news, though with the equally unreported news that the world is running out of …

Share

Continue ReadingWe’re running out of water and oil . . . (yawn).

What it was like to practice law 25 years ago without the use of any computers

What it was like to practice law 25 years ago without the use of any computers It’s amazing to think that I’ve been a lawyer since 1981, which is more than 25 years ago.  The years are certainly going by quickly, which is a bit disconcerting. I currently work with…

Continue ReadingWhat it was like to practice law 25 years ago without the use of any computers