There is a lot of good journalism and bad journalism out there. As a personal reminder, here’s a log of some of the better, more provocative pieces I’ve consumed in 2019.

2019-11-27

Winter weather painted white a good fraction of America from California to New England during the week of Thanksgiving 2019. It if often a delight to read analysis from forecasters when proper storms hit the country. Words like “significant winter storm” and “The snow will have little resistance in spreading across lower elevations of eastern California” are a delight, as is watching the snow accumulate from the comfort of a heated abode.

Even better for this storm was the updated imagery from the GOES satellite operated by NOAA. Mother nature can often be the best artist, and this was no exception.

Band 09 represents mid level atmospheric water vapor - notice the firehose-like spigot hitting the Sierra Nevada from the edge of cyclone. The result was the four feet of snow making knee deep turns on Thanksgiving day.

2019-08-24

One of my favorite ladies at the Hagar Farm - producers of Monument Farms milk

The 1619 Project: An ongoing work by the New York Times looking deeply into slavery in the US. The introductory podcast on the daily was quite provocative. Two things most memorable was how Lincoln didn’t really believe in equal rights for liberated slaves - he was interested in emigration. Also, particularly provocative was how we had the founders of America giving us a foundation for a free nation, but we have largely the African Americans to thank for bringing true freedom to fruition. With the 15th amendment, many others have risen out of discrimination to achieve the right to vote and live without restraint by the government or fellow citizens.

The Broken American Presidency: The Atlantic teamed up with John Dickerson, co-anchor of CBS This Morning [and contributing editor to the Atlantic] to investigate how the office has become over-burdened to the point that no matter who we elect to the office, the likelihood of something of substance getting done is small. Particularly noteworthy was how Eisenhower conducted himself in office. “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important,” how he insisted that things were screened by aids for importance before getting to his desk and how he would take at least 10 weeks of vacation a year to avoid the disease of overwork. Much is memorable, how the executive branch of the government employs 1.2 million people, how presidents have to be shape shifters - shaping international diplomacy whilst hosting NCAA champions, rushing off to sooth victims of natural disasters and fund raising. Perhaps most salient is the election process and how the election of the president and what he does in office has strayed so far from what the founders of the constitution framed. Kennedy brought us televised debates which now are theater, and it breeds a disconnect between the person running for office and the person who takes office.

Easy to fall in love with some Vermont headlines, the first being a real moo-ving violation, where a sergeant in the vermont state police force came upon a car with a calf in the back seat. Made all the more hilarious by the fact the calf was holding court with a bunny rabbit. The second one perhaps representing a subtle act of civil disobedience where either hemp or marijuana was secretly planted in flower beds in front of the State’s capitol building. Said capitol police chief Matthew Romei, "The beds are maintained -- as you can see -- very well by Buildings and General Services. They really know how to run a flower bed. It's an impressive display every year but I don't think they included this in their annual rollout."

Get off the Vermont pavement…then the magic happens