by Pat Hartman | Aug 7, 2018 | Uncategorized
In Austin and Travis County, the homeless count has grown by 5% in the past year. Almost 3% of public school students declare as homeless, while an unknown number of others are able to conceal the fact. One Community Impact headline reads, “Austin seeks $30 million to...
by Pat Hartman | Jul 31, 2018 | Uncategorized
“The Monkey’s Paw” is an immortal tale because it embodies an unassailable truth: Be careful what you wish for. Amazon has not yet named the next city to be blessed or cursed with the company’s presence. Do the competing cities have any clue about what is in store for...
by Pat Hartman | Jul 24, 2018 | Uncategorized
There is more to say about Amazon’s headhunting expedition in search of a city in which to establish its second headquarters (which is an oxymoron, but never mind that). No, the problem is that wherever HQ2 lands, it will create a housing shortage, and a housing...
by Pat Hartman | Jul 17, 2018 | Uncategorized
New York City’s official government page says that when the temperature is more than 10 degrees above the “average high temperature for the region,” or the heat lasts for “prolonged periods” and is accompanied by high humidity, that is extreme heat. Since New York is...
by Pat Hartman | Jul 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
When conditions of deprivation in third-world countries are discussed, one familiar trope is the procession of women carrying vessels on their heads, who walk miles every day just to get some water. And yet, in most of the world’s allegedly advanced metropolitan...
by Pat Hartman | Jul 3, 2018 | Uncategorized
Q: What do you call an 800-pound gorilla in your living room?A: Sir. It’s the oldest joke in the book, and not so funny when, as in Seattle, several gorillas (with names like Amazon, Tableau, Microsoft, Google, Expedia, Facebook, and LinkedIn) are lounging around on...
