Here are the topics for this week's blog: Indian summer; Athabasca tar sands; pandemics of the past; a new czar; Wheaties; Jeopardy; campaign 2014; Molly Brown; US foreign policy; the new Attorney General; and, finally, a local symphony

Indian Summer, extended. Would you believe, mid-October and it is a sunny 70+, even an occasional low 80s. Perfect weather for those tasks you neglected as September wound down.

Tar Sands. The article from The Nation is entitled, "Tarred Industry: an indigenous movement blocks the energy industry" (The Nation, September 29, 2014, p. 5+) and tells the story of Canada's indigenous people who are attempting to deal with the massive development in the Athabasca tar sands of Alberta province. Reportedly this project sits atop the world's third largest oil deposit, is currently the world's largest industrial project, and is large enough to be seen from the international space station.
     In the US, the project is known as the Keystone Pipeline,  for the pipeline that will deliver the tar sands's oil to refineries on our Gulf coast. The entire project provides ample fodder for the discussion of how energy development is changing our world -- physically and spiritually. As might be expected, the industry sees only the upside, for them and the world. However, if the project is "in your backyard," that upside is definitely clouded.
     Flying into Denver International Airport this past week provided a bird's eye view of the huge oil/gas developments just to the east of the metro area. What were once mostly irrigation circles amid the tilled farm fields now share space with energy development. A labyrinth of access roads are clearly visible, threading their way to each well-head.

Pandemics.  These deadly outbreaks are not unknown. Most readers know of the deadly bubonic plague in the middle ages, though fewer are likely to have heard of the deadly Spanish flu out break of the early 1900s. This article from The Daily Beast  gives a summary of how past presidents have dealt with these deadly health pandemics.
     With the mid-term elections barely three weeks away, this comment from the article bears special note, “One thing we can say presidents tend to be held responsible for responses to emergencies,” says Bill Galston, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution." While President Woodrow Wilson escaped blame for the Spanish flu pandemic that felled hundreds of thousands in America, 21st century communications and transportation have profoundly altered the equation of whom may be held accountable.
     Our second "home grown" ebola case caused President Obama to scrap his schedule and convene an emergency meeting of government-wide health care officials. While simple quarantine measures may have worked in the past, the speed and ease of modern day transportation have made quarantine questionable except as an "after the fact" technique. Over the years there have been more than a few governmental missteps, something President Obama would prefer to avoid. For example, only an outspoken, forthrightness of Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop, "saved" President Reagan from undue criticism for coming late to the HIV/AIDS crisis. Koop, however, was that rare gem not much seen of late in Washington!

An ebola czar? Oh, but of course, it's so American. One of the lead stories in last Friday's PBS Morning Line was about the need for yet another Czar. Have a new national problem? Then, by all means, appoint a Czar. President Obama's appointee, Ron Klain, was immediately panned as having no public health experience. Inconveniently, the president's appointment for Surgeon General is stalled in the Senate.

The new Wheaties champion.  Check the newest box on the shelf. Perhaps the president should try and persuade Madeline Albright to come out of retirement. After all, Wheaties only picks winners!

A winning romance novelist. The literati among the this week's readers might want to take note: last Thursday's Jeopardy champion was a young romance novelist from Massachusetts; perhaps the show's first? The author increased his winnings on Friday with a second victory - a very good payday for a struggling writer.

Campaign 2014. The unfolding ebola situation has forced President Obama and a host of other candidates and their backers to alter their pre-election campaign schedules. This November, in addition to the senatorial races (which could give Republicans control of the Chamber), there are an unusually large number of gubernatorial contests, many for first-term governors (e.g. Colorado).

Signs of running scared. I have good friends who enjoy an occasional trip to Las Vegas. Their trip mantra is "You can't win with scared money!" Be that as it may, CO's Democratic Senator, Mark Udall, has reversed the content segments of his latest political ads. Now these ads begin with his picture (in western denim, of course) and the obligatory voice-over mantra, "I approved this ad." This sequence used to come at the end of his ads and I opine that he (and his campaign staff?) finally realized that the mute buttons were silencing his message. Really? Several respected political polls now have the incumbent senator trailing his opponent. "Scared money" here?

Enjoyable redux. Here in Denver the story of Mrs. Margaret (Molly, the Unsinkable" Brown has hit the boards yet again. It was an enjoyable evening with new songs woven among the old reliables from the earlier Broadway show and the movie. Denver's young Molly was as just as sprightly and feisty as was the older Debbie Reynolds.

American foreign policy. This article from Foreign Policy opines that in the Middle East, the US reaction to IS seems to be repeating the foibles of the past; our hubris knows no bounds. The reality is that other states, tribes, sects, and groups have their own interests, and those interests don't conveniently coincide with the prevailing orthodoxy in Washington, D.C. That doesn't mean their view is right and that U.S. politicians are wrong, but successful diplomacy has to start by recognizing that no two states see things exactly the same way and others sometimes understand their own interests better than we do. Then, you have to work to find whatever common ground might exist. And if there isn't enough common ground to make the strategy work, be ready to walk away. Walking away, though, does not seem much in vogue in Washington.
     The article lists 5 failures of our current foreign policy.

1. Exaggerating the threat
2. Squandering US leverage
3. Failure to set clear priorities
4. Assuming others share our worldview and our interests
5. Over promising and under delivering

A new Attorney General? A Roll Call article (10-21) has a list of 10 questions likely to be posed by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee when the President advances his nominee. The confirmation hearing is certain to draw immense media attention. One wonders, who in their right mind would want to be President Obama's "lame duck" AG? It is certain that any Democrat with an eye on 2016 will "fight shy" of being named. So who's in the "second tier?" My guess would be either someone as unknown and lackluster as the president's new Ebola Czar or a relatively well-liked US senator known to be planning on retiring when her/his term ends in 2016. But, this is the political prognosticator who did not seem LBJ's denouement coming!

Aurora Symphony Orchestra. The ASO has long been a part of the local cultural scene. A long-time friend is now the principal bassist. This season's opening concert was very well done. The three selections were Debussy's Prelude to a Fawn; Mozart's oboe concerto in C major, and Beethoven's 7th. Max Soto, who plays with the the Boulder (CO) philharmonic orchestra, was the guest soloist.
     This is the second season that the ASO will be led by Norman Gamboa, who hails from Costa Rica. Norman delights in introducing each piece in what he calls his "tropical accent" and always circulates among the audience at intermission and after each concert. 

Thanks for reading and have a good fall week.