The first observation is that as a nation we seem to be making some real progress in alternative energy sources. The most visible evidence being the number of windmill installations. Living as we do near the Altamont Pass wind farm in Central California (which incidently was one of the very first wind farms in the world), I was always boasted about the windmills to friends and relatives who visited the area. I am pleased to see that now, there are plenty more people that could boast of their local wind farms, and these new installations can be very impressive. The new windmills dwarf those on The Altamont. I know the wind alone is not the answer to the energy issue, but at least we are making some headway on at least one front.
Another observation is that the growth in the number of windmills is totally dwarfed by the explosion in the amount of billboards advertising for adult bookstores, gentlemen's clubs, and "adult relaxation centers."I have never been naive enough to think these places didn't exist, nor have I ever been of a vigilante bent to want to go about saving everyone from themselves by eradicating these kinds of places. What I had been comfortable with, however, was a culture that knew that what went on in these places was inappropriate. They were kept off the main thoroughfare because they were unsavory.It was like Uncle Billy who was always invited to family gatherings even though we all knew he was having an affair, but we would have been scandalized if he had ever shown up with his mistress in tow.
Well, relax Uncle Billy, bring whomever you want. It's all good. "Adult" establishments are pretty well mainstream, and sex has become one of the industries where deregulation has given consumers greater choice in a freer, more open market.
Sometimes change is good, sometimes, as David Bowie said, you've got to "turn and face the strange."
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