Sleepless in Midland

Fox Friday 7-31-20 -- the cats don't give way

Little fox gives cat wide berth.

Fox tries to sneak up.

Cat gets tough.

Cat goes after fox.

Cat won't let up.

Finally, a few days later, three foxes eating from same bowl.

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10:44 AM 7/30/2020

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Quote of the day -- what America has is very fragile but worth keeping

This comes from To America, From a Worried European Friend by Daniel Schwammenthal. Subhead: "A country convinced that it is irredeemably racist can’t lead the world as the ‘indispensable nation.’" Here's the quote:

History and evolutionary biology teach us that the normal course of human affairs is tribalism, oppression and poverty. The emergence of liberal democracies isn’t the inevitable endpoint of supposedly linear Western progress but an aberration—and a rather fragile one at that.

This is why the rising illiberalism in the U.S. is so troubling. Activists who seem to understand George Orwell’s “1984” not as a warning but as a manual see free speech—the lifeblood of democracy and human betterment—as a fascist tool of oppression. Other classical liberal ideals—a colorblind society, rational discourse, the scientific method—suffer the same fate.

These unenlightened views have spread with lightning speed. Once confined to the campuses of the nation’s elite universities, they have moved into the mainstream of public discourse. America’s future leaders have been spoon-fed two theories born of Marxism. One is postmodernism, so called because it rejects the liberal ideas of modernity and the very notion of objective truth. The other is critical theory, which is preoccupied with uncovering hidden power structures that have supposedly stood in the way of a communist revolution.

These once-fringe theories have given rise to quasireligious dogmas that divide society into hierarchies of oppressor and oppressed, setting the stage for eternal societal strife. In this new cult, dissent or insufficient fervor is interpreted both as validation of the doctrine of ubiquitous racism and a punishable thought crime. As in medieval witch hunts, both denial and forced confessions prove the defendant’s guilt.

Let's throw in another quote to supplement Schwammenthal's point. This one is from Ronald Reagan: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction." Is the current generation that is seeking control -- steeped in Marxist ideology and Gramscian methodology -- the one that will extinguish it?

The November election will be about much more than Trump vs. Biden.

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10:51 AM 7/30/2020

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Fox Friday 7-24-20

Hoping momma will leave something.

Mom keeps an eye on the two little ones.

Momma watches the door while the little ones scrounge for food.

Aw, they're so cute! One snuggles the other.

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4:27 PM 7/23/2020

An autonomous car race -- that will be one to watch

The concept of a fully autonomous car is intriguing. And a race involving them is even more so.

This will be a race to watch, even for those of us who are not race fans. It's the Indy Autonomous Challenge in which self driving cars will compete in a head-to-head race. To qualify, teams will have to complete 20 laps around the 2.5-mile track in under 25 minutes. Speeds will have to average 120 miles an hour over the 50 miles to beat that time. The ultimate prize will be $1 million, $250,000, and $50,000 to the first, second, and third finishers, respectively.

Entry is restricted to accredited, tax-exempt colleges and universities -- Texas A&M is one of them. The race is scheduled for October 2021.

I'll be watching.

Additional references:
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Will Host Its First Ever Autonomous Race In 2021;
Self-Driving Cars Will Race in Indianapolis. Tesla Can’t Take Part;
Autonomous Vehicles to Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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7:48 AM 7/23/2020

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Fox Friday 7-17-20

Fox and cat stare down -- cat wins.

Mom teaches little one to stay on alert.

Momma and the two youngsters.

Sloppy eater -- Junior has a foot in each bowl.

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4:02 PM 7/16/2020

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Did HEB get woke?

The CEO of Goya said nice things about Donald Trump, and the mob called for a boycott against Goya.

To counteract the radicals, I planned to purchase a couple of cans of Goya garbanzo beans and make some hummus. But at the local HEB today, there was not a single can of Goya beans of any kind on the shelves in the canned bean section. Not a one.

Of course it's possible that they were simply currently out of supply. Restocking has been a challenge during the Coronavirus panic. However one has to wonder if HEB did this intentionally. I'll keep checking. If HEB is boycotting Goya that would be disappointing.

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2:35 PM 7/13/2020

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Fox Friday 7-10-20 -- puppies!

Apparently, the two foxes who frequent the food bank made some babies. One night we had some more mouths to feed.

The little guy drinks from the deep dish.

Mommy watches over the little one.

Mimicking mommy on alert.

Nuzzling junior.

Whoa! Not one but two little ones!

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3:00 PM 7/9/2020

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Fox Friday 7-3-20

Fox calling for the youngster.

Youngster arrives -- partakes of food.

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2:17 PM 7/2/2020

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