We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
Connecticut has already been driving business and employers away for years, but government greed never ends until they kill the golden goose which CT has historically had. Until after WW2, Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury were wealthy industrial powerhouses. Today, remarkably, even New York is a better tax deal for business.
One by one, my prosperous friends who are among the 5-10,000 people in CT who pay the bulk of the state income taxes are establishing residence in Florida. It's not that they want to. It's because they feel it's stupid not to. They come back home for the summer.
Now even the huge employer, GE, is considering leaving CT and another big one, Sikorsky Aircraft, is cutting back local jobs.
For the first time ever a computer has managed to develop a new scientific theory using only its artificial intelligence, and with no help from human beings.
For
the first time ever a computer has managed to develop a new scientific
theory using only its artificial intelligence, and with no help from
human beings. - See more at:
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2015/06/ai-darwin.html#sthash.lhV1gdVX.dpuf
Boat out from Fernandina, Florida to the island, along St Mary's River, up to Georgia. A famous place, but not too easy to visit so I'll give you a little tour.
3:8 They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
3:9 But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"
3:10 He said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself."
3:11 He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"
3:12 The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate."
3:13 Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."
3:14 The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.
3:15 I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."
Mountains are gorgeous! Not used to Spring greenery out here in the Sierras. Some rain, which is blessing - the Pacific currents re now favoring us!
The photo is the largest clump we have seen in many decades of the rare Snow Plant (Sarcodes sanguinea) which grows in the thick humus of coniferous forests between 4,000-8,000 feet after the snow melts. We saw these at 7,100 feet on the road to our cabin. It is a root parasite, fleshy and nonphotosynthetic!
“Few plants attract the attention of visitors as much as the fabled snow plant does. Can anyone with a camera resist taking a photo? This root parasite has specialized roots that invade other species through associated mycorrhizal fungi and obtains its nutrients from them.” - Wildflowers of California
The Nature Conservancy's Pine Butte Ranch. Hiking, riding, fishing, swimming, nature-watching, fossil-finding. It's sort of a Grizzly Bear preserve but you'd be lucky to see one - at a comfortable distance. Grizzlies do not like mountains - they like river bottoms and damp meadows best,
Even in summer, you can find snow and ice on the high hikes. June best for the wildflower bloom. That is like Eden. It's real America and, yes, there are firearms around. Europeans come there to experience the American West. My lad once got trapped in the outhouse by a Black Bear. Fire a couple of magnum rounds in the air and the bears run away.
The ranch lands abut the 1 million-acre Bob Marshall Wilderness. We all own that. They will give you a day-long trip to Glacier National Park too, if you want. Another astonishing wild place which we Americans own.
The art of losing isn't hard to master; so many things seem filled with the intent to be lost that their loss is no disaster,
Lose something every day. Accept the fluster of lost door keys, the hour badly spent. The art of losing isn't hard to master.
Then practice losing farther, losing faster: places, and names, and where it was you meant to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or next-to-last, of three loved houses went. The art of losing isn't hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster, some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent. I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.
- Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident the art of losing's not too hard to master though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
I will have my Cumberland Island travelogue photos ready soon, but somebody mentioned Little Saint Simons Island to me at a big social event last night, so I thought it might be time for a plug for them. Not that they need it. I posted my own pics etc, previously. LSS does have skeeters, sometimes to an unpleasant extent but not as bad as the Everglades. Bugs there are insane.
You may have heard the recent news that the owners of Little St. Simons Island donated a conservation easement to The Nature Conservancy on the entire 11,000 + acre island. For you, our longtime guests and supporters, we're happy to report that you will be unlikely to notice any changes, but we hope you'll celebrate with us knowing that one of the most significant natural areas on the southeastern coast has been preserved for perpetuity.
Yes, that would be the prosperous Mr. Paulson who just gave a half-billion to Harvard. It's my kind of rustic place with Southern food. These two pics are their own photos.
Ask a farmer about work hours. During my career-building years, I worked 12-14 hour days. I have never regretted that, and I learned a lot in doing so. Oftentimes in my NYC days, I needed to work 24-hour days and all weekend too, and you would never hear any bitchin from me about that. Glad to have the work. Many times caught with my unconscious face planted on desk.
In my current self-employed era, I work just as hard and long as I choose to. Rarely less than 11 hours/day, and in spare time on weekends. Work is good. Mrs. Barrister values my effort enormously, which encourages me and cheers me on. She rewards me by being sweet to me and by making me a nice life. I am productive, useful, and I make money.
What else would I do, anyway? I like to read books at night, not during daytime. I surf the web when I need a short break from concentration and writing. I hate the boob tube.
It has been a great pleasure for me to provide Mrs. B with the ladylike, genteel life she aspired to. Raising kids, playing sports, seeing friends, volunteering, gardening, cooking, reading littacher and studying art history, messing with the horses. Just like her Mom. Fine with me because it all enriches my gracious Connecticut life.
Weekends I mainly structure around manual labor around the Barrister Estate, church, and socializing in evenings. We are constantly making new friends, sometimes more than we can handle. It all does me good. Life is short.
I intend to work until I drop, or until nobody needs or wants me. I guess that's my Calvinist culture and upbringing which requires being useful and productive. It works for me. Vacations and trips, however interesting, make me restless. Except for Thailand, India, and the Midi. Camera? Never, ever. After the kids got bigger, I threw it away. For me, it interferes.
...the entire notion of academic freedom was boosted mostly to protect campus communists. Once lefties were fully in charge, their commitment to academic freedom evaporated. If lefties find themselves in the crosshairs again, I predict a newfound movement in favor of free speech and free thought.
Review:
Getting King John 
5 Things You
Work Culture: Up or Down?
