BPP

There are over 2 million of them here in Texas. They represent one of the fastest growing populations in this part of the country. And they are not just in Texas. When the authorities attempt to deal with them they are sheltered and supported by people whose motives are questionable at best. They are harming this state and our nation.
They would appear to be unstoppable. Can you guess who they are?

a) Illegal immigrants
b) Muslims
c) Tea-party activists
d) Registered sex offenders
e) All of the above
f) None of the above

If you answered: f) None of the above; then you are correct-o-mundo. The problem we are facing is one that does not get much attention. It’s worse than a BP, it’s a BPP. Friends and neighbors, we have a Big Pig Problem. Seriously, there are over 2 million feral hogs on the loose in the great state of Texas. And they are a growing problem in surrounding states. All they need is some space and a food source (and they are not picky eaters).

They are also smart. A lot of land in the Southwest is undeveloped and used for hunting or just “getting away from the city”. The pigs hang out on these places and then raid crop lands nearby. (Ever seen what wild hogs can do to a field of peanuts? It ain’t pretty.)
The government has special units that go out and shoot the critters. They even hunt them from the air. I am not making this up. They go out in a little Piper Cub with a pilot and a shooter. They fly real low and real slow. Using shotguns loaded with buckshot they can kill a lot of pigs. There is also a year round open hunting season on pigs, so recreational hunters kill a bunch. But it’s a losing battle. A sow can have two litters a year and the population will just keep growing until they run out of space and food. But the problem is more than just crop destruction. There is a serious concern that this ever increasing BPP will eventually be the spawning ground for an H1N1 virus mutation that will cause a pandemic event in the human population.

So what does this have to do with your career, or the economy, or terrorism, or global warming, or any of the other stuff we are constantly told to worry about? Just this, don’t worry so much. There’s probably something out there waiting to get us that we haven’t even thought about yet.

T.S. Eliot wrote:

“This is the way the world will end,
Not with a bang but a whimper”

Perhaps we should add: Or maybe with a snort and an oink-oink.