We stood on the beach skipping stones into Lake Michigan, the Beach House Blowout at our backs. A steady wind in our faces, rolling waves singing across the pebbled apron at Indiana Dunes State Park.
A timeless and irreplaceable jewel, this day stretched out in lazy solitude under a white-blue sky. Across the lake, at 10 o’clock, silhouette stalks of the Loop on the horizon.
But then a disorienting sound – faint but closing fast and now exploding everywhere all at once. The heavy thwap of helicopter rotors, dozens of them, the swelling, deafening sounds of violins, trumpets, French horns!
From behind the dunes they burst over the trees – ancient, olive drab Hueys – so close we could see the faces of the door gunners, the glint off pilots’ aviators.
This howling swarm moved in a menacing, floating dance around the boss chopper, the one with the giant speakers – machines and music at full throttle, heading west.
It was incredible. Stupefying.
And then they were gone, disappeared into the sun’s blinding rays. Ghostriders in the sky.
“What in the world?” asked my wife.
“Air Cav,” I said. “Chipocalypse Now.”
“What’s that?” asked my son.
“It’s a meme about a movie,” I said.
“What’s the movie about?” he asked.
“Psychopathy and violence,” I said.
***
Our route to the Dunes took us past the New Carlisle data farms on Highway 2. They’re really coming along.
From the road, between the giant, slabby gray barns, you can see the back-up generators all painted white. These will run on natural gas, as will I&M plants powering the buildings with enough electricity for something like 1 million homes, which is the size of Austin, Texas.
Despite earlier confusion about this issue for many decades, the EPA in May clarified that greenhouse gasses from power plants do not contribute to global warming. So no worries here.
Still, the so-called Hyperscale Data Centers will siphon millions of gallons of water per year from local aquifers, and I suppose eventually from Lake Michigan. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Nobody’s even talking about that.
Economic development officials remain bullish. An IBEW billboard says, “Be a part of the mega projects.”
Take the money while there are still jobs. Put it in crypto.
Behold the dawning of a new machine age.
Chatbot, explain what’s happening. Make it a video for my future grandchildren who cannot read. Put me in it, and take off 30 pounds.
***
In Michigan City, we drove past the state prison. It’s 165 years young and officials will keep its traditions alive and its doors open to house ICE captives.
ISP joins other Hoosier hoosegows in a pivot toward mass deportation, including the prison at the old Grissom Air Force base and a brand new penal colony at Camp Atterbury south of Indy.
Perhaps there will be more. Let’s hope so. These are good jobs – jailer, arresting agent – and don’t require a college degree. For the time being, they are also pretty AI-proof.
Of course, these locks turn on tax dollars so somebody’s got to punch a clock. Which is why Amazon also builds fulfillment centers. Our son is roller skating and, you know, that’s a traditional job skill in warehousing.
We drove past a plasma center on the way out of town, over by the Dollar General. There are still options for the future.
I turned toward the car seat behind me.
I said, “Son, what do you know about phlebotomy?”
