Reading thoughts
So, today I finished reading a short story by Christopher Anvil called "Top Line". It was originally published in February 1982, and has recently been reprinted by Baen Books in the novel War Games, which was edited by Eric Flint (since I believe that Anvil is deceased). Baen is reprinting many of Anvil's Works, including the series of short stories about the Interstellar Patrol. For this, I am grateful, because it allows me a chance to read some lesser well known great works from the golden age of sci-fi.
Anyhow... I found "Top Line" remarkable for it's prescience, unintended humor, and a clever idea whose feasiblity I wonder about. The story is written as a series of newspaper blurbs about economic stagnation/recession, a struggling automotive industry, and rising oil prices.
Some of the unintended humor include a comment about a soaring Dow-Jones Industrial Average reaching 467.79. The idea I wonder about is that he suggests converting our roads into solar energy collectors to generate and distribute power. I'm not sure that this is feasible, but I like the idea of it happening. It would combine two major pieces of infrastructure. On the other hand, roadways are difficult enough to maintain without adding some form of solar panel to them.
Wow... two posts in one day, and three in one week. I'm getting downright loquacious. Probably time to go to bed...