Thin air

Welcome to this week's Reno News & Review.

“Nature abhors a vacuum.” It's funny to me how that phrase cuts across all aspects of life. It's generally used as a term used in physics, and it regards density. If there's no air in a bottle, for example, when you open it, it'll suck air in. If there's air in a bottle, and you open it under water, if it's held top up, the less dense air will flow out and water will flow in. Top down, it'll compress to a density matching the water outside the bottle.

I think the Bernie Sanders phenomenon is this process in politics. People saw a lot of similarities between Hillary Clinton and the moderate Republicans. I certainly see why the vacuum existed to her left. I love that what looked like a walkaway is being challenged, but I was still happy to see that he's running as a Democrat. I was not looking forward to seeing a nut take over the nuclear button because of the weak-third-party syndrome that we suffer from in this country. I'm more hoping for a strong third party influence from the former governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson, the Libertarian candidate. I don't say this because I'm a Libertarian, I say this because the United States needs real choices and weak, one-campaign third party candidates actually undermine Democracy.

My son, Hunter, moved his stuff out of my house in preparation for college. He put a bunch of stuff in storage because he's thoughtful, and he knows I intend on unloading the house when the rising housing market makes it practical. But, man, that empty room. It literally looks like a dorm room before somebody moves in. He even stripped the bed. On a psychological level, obviously, I've got to figure out some way to fill the vacuum his exit created in my life. Maybe I'll strip out the carpet and come up with a really cool floor covering.

School is back in session, but I'm only taking two classes. Obviously, this leaves more time to think about how to occupy my mind. I haven't planned a good subversive guerrilla campaign for change at the city level lately. I like to play nice, but I know you guys are happier when I'm having a little intellectual fun, and not just complaining about how fat I've gotten.