In the last two days, I’ve met two people from Portland, Oregon, both of whom I told the same story about my reaction to the Trump administration’s claim that they brought in federal troops into the city to stop the “rioting” and “domestic terrorism” of the “No Kings” protestors.

As I put it:

Bullshit.  If I had to name the most peace-loving city in the United States, it would be Portland.

Not one but both of them squealed with delight.  They both pointed out that many of the protestors were dressed as frogs, in the way of pure whimsy that dominates the state’s largest and most highly educated city.

In the case of the fellow at left, yes it’s true that, sadly, there are tens of millions of Americans who don’t have the intelligence to know that a) Iran’s nuclear program had been shut down in the Obama administration, with every major nation of Earth and its nuclear physicists signing off on the landmark agreement, and b) that (even if that weren’t the case) it had been “obliterated” by Trump far more recently.

This guy’s career is built around lying to idiots.  I don’t envy him.

Iran’s Nuclear Program and the Lies that Surround It

Wind contributes about 12% of the U.S. grid mix, though it’s over 70% in some of the plains states.

As one reader pointed out, “It’s great for the common American.  Sorry it doesn’t work for billionaires.”

The Value of Wind Energy

The shot at left was taken in 2006, during another war in the Middle East.

We often talk about the “externalities” of fossil fuels, normally referring to things like lung disease, climate change, ocean acidification, and so forth.  But we sometimes forget about people with their bodies blown to bits.

“No War Required”