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.
The only way to finance a big European-style state is to have it paid for by massive taxation of everyone, mostly the middle class. Right now, we are avoiding honest debate on this fact.
There will be large tax increases on the middle class. There is no getting around it, if people want so many government benefits. Those Obamacare taxes are just the beginning. With that will come ever-slowing growth of jobs and income.
Pic: We ain't taking sides, because, for one thing, we have Alabama relatives. For another, we believe that rooting for teams is rooting for laundry - in Seinfeld's immortal words. I just liked this photo. But what the heck, it's all about money and fun and athletic talent, which are all good things. But "Brian Kelly" - sheesh. Irish enuf? Are you kidding me?
A dear church brother died Christmas week, an older guy and friend of over 20 years. A fellow who embodied the notion that Christianity is caught, not taught, because his joy, peace, manly innocence of heart, and love, were contagious.
As far as he was concerned, whoever he met was a child of God. Even me. Did not care about your flaws. This is not funeral exaggeration. I have never known a man quite like him. Some people are selected to be the "angels" - the messengers - not by preaching but by being what and who they are. Coffee hour will never be the same for me.
Church packed to the rafters, violating all fire laws, with all of the people Christ touched through this humble, gentle man who also, but secondarily, happened to be a very successful corporate exec and the author of at least ten books. Even when ill unto death, he only wanted to make you feel better. He knew about loss. In his medical travails, he only wanted to be the comforter.
We sang his favorite hymn at his memorial service yesterday. The story behind that hymn is on this Youtube. Lyrics here.
The Mrs. recently reported a conversation she had had with a tennis friend who had a rotator cuff repair, and had prematurely discontinued her physical therapy because the insurance coverage cut off after the predetermined number of sessions for that surgery.
This friend of hers drives a new Mercedes every year, owns three houses in various vacation spots, and spends three months/year traveling around the world. However, the notion of actually paying (pocket change) for her own physical well-being eluded her imagination. And her shoulder still hurts.
People have been well-trained to expect to get what they need "for free." And somehow have been trained to imagine that, if insurance doesn't cover it, it must not matter very much. A childlike, entitlement culture.
Who wants a statistician for a doctor?
As I have mentioned before, I have inexpensive major medical insurance with a $10,000 two-year deductible for my family. (Some other Maggie's folks have similar.) After that, it's unlimited. If anybody (God forbid) gets very ill or injured, I will keep my humble abode.
When I see a doctor, I enjoy the look of surprise on the faces of the office staff when I pull out my checkbook. I like to pay doctors. What better use of money is there (other than buying cigars)?
A word to the wise: If you tell them you are paying out of pocket, most docs will give you a discount because it's no staff time, it's instant payment, and because it just seems right to pay for a service - same as an electrician or plumber or lawyer.
If you are on Medicare or Medicaid, or if some insurance pays your bills, what do you do personallyfor your doctor to let him or her know that you appreciate their care for you?
PS: My Internist tells me that a couple of wines and two or three cigars daily is just about right for a guy like me. Like most Americans of my middle age, I take Lipitor and BP meds, and I always take care to use extra salt. The occasional Viagra? I'm not saying. He is a good, sane, practical doc who individualizes things, and thinks it's narcissistic for people to obsess about their health. "Get the most out of life, while you have it" is his motto. "You can't save life for later because 'later' is just a theory."
Feel like a fun research project? This actually might end up being a fairly informative endeavor, not to mention elusive and challenging.
As far as I've seen, the best Google Earth site out there is my Google Earth Project. Nothing else even compares.
The video tours are divided into categories, such as "Animals", "Designs", "Geometric", "Ancient UFO Landing Sites", etc. The usual stuff Google Earth stuff, in other words.
On each tour's database page is a small pic of each site, its GoogleMaps and Google Earth link, and the GPS coordinates. Some of the entries have a 'More Info' link which leads to an article on that particular odd/strange/bizarre/probably-alien location.
That's where you come in. The 'more info' part, I mean, not the bizarre alien part — although I'm willing to make exceptions.
If you want to test your search skills and contribute to this fun project, the basic premise is simple. Find an odd/strange/bizarre/proof-that-aliens-once-visited-us spot and dig up the background info on it. Somewhere out there, somebody knows what's going on and has written about it — probably in Chinese or Norwegian — so finding it is the goal. Leave the name of the location and the 'More Info' link in the comments and I'll have it on the site within minutes.
If we get enough entries, I'll collate the best of them, include small pics with the links and make a whole post out of it.
Below the fold I'll lay out some search tips, and thanks from both me and any future viewers of the site. A gal from the Google Personnel department emailed me about a year ago and said they all loved it.
That's how I do ribeyes - crusty on the outside, rare inside. A grill does not do justice to good Costco ribeyes. One per person, please. A real treat.
It's termed "Liberal fascism." They are certain that they are wiser than us humble, feckless, ignorant citizens masses who can barely tie our own shoes. Harry Reid?!?!?
We live in a world that has lost touch with the very idea of hard choices. That even in the richest and most prosperous country in the world, you still have to choose one or the other. That you can't have you cake and eat it too. But as the hard edges of reason have blurred into the haze of wishful thinking, the idea of mutually incompatible choices also fades away. Soon there are no choices, only options.
Road Song of The Ban-Dar-Log (from The Jungle Books. h/t, reader. The Bandur-log are Langur monkeys)
Here we go in a flung festoon, Half-way up to the jealous moon! Don’t you envy our pranceful bands? Don’t you wish you had extra hands? Wouldn’t you like if your tails were–so– Curved in the shape of a Cupid’s bow?
Now you’re angry, but–never mind, Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
Here we sit in a branchy row, Thinking of beautiful things we know; Dreaming of deeds that we mean to do, All complete, in a minute or two– Something noble and wise and good, Done by merely wishing we could.
We’ve forgotten, but–never mind, Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
All the talk we ever have heard Uttered by bat or beast or bird– Hide or fin or scale or feather– Jabber it quickly and all together! Excellent! Wonderful! Once again! Now we are talking just like men!
Let’s pretend we are ... never mind, Brother, thy tail hangs down behind!
This is the way of the Monkey-kind. Then join our leaping lines that scumfish through the pines, That rocket by where, light and high, the wild grape swings. By the rubbish in our wake, and the noble noise we make, Be sure, be sure, we’re going to do some splendid things!
Why "Shepherd's"? Because it is traditionally made with ground lamb or mutton. That's how Alton Brown makes it.
Americans use ground beef, usually. Ground mutton is not a typical supermarket item. Go ahead and use instant mashed potato if you must - the recipe don't care.
I am hoping some Mom will try each of the recipes in this series, and report back on family response.
Readers know my interest in the workings of the human conscience and the structures of human morals. The (our) devils are relentless in pursuit of the low-life, the dark side.
Krauthammer: Return of the Real Obama - The president is dedicated to the expansion of the welfare state:
Now he’s won. The old Obama is back. He must not be underestimated. He has deftly leveraged his class-war-themed election victory (a) to secure a source of funding (albeit still small) for the bloated welfare state, (b) to carry out an admirably candid bit of income redistribution, and (c) to fracture the one remaining institutional obstacle to the rest of his ideological agenda.
The Mommys of America commonly made winter casseroles using cans of Campbell's soups. Mushroom soup, especially. We're getting into Hotdish territory here.
In the good old days, eating in restaurants was not routine as it is now, but instead was a special treat for birthdays and anniversaries. Take-out Chinese, much less Thai or sushi, did not exist. Moms used to have food budgets, but no more because good food has, blessedly, become such a small component of an American family budget.
I sure hope moms still make stuff like this: Easy Creamy Chicken Casserole because it is good, and heart-warming. Ritz cracker topping. Wow. Put it on white rice.
Then home-made chocolate pudding for dessert with Jiffy Whip or Cool Whip on top. Perfection. Thanks, Moms of America!
How's that for a catchy end-of-holiday-season header? (Metazoans is the new name for the Animalia Kingdom - those creatures with differentiated tissues like sponges, earthworms, and people.)
I have been attempting to familiarize myself a little with the rapidly-expanding science of Epigenetics lately. When I took pre-med Genetics, it was a marginal topic. Now that the fundamental workings of DNA are fairly well understood, epigenetics has become a hot field ("epi" because it's the things - heritable things - that effect cell-differentiation, growth and development, etc. on top of the basic DNA template, but are affected by the environment). Shades of Lamarck.
Epigenetics is interesting partly because it's one of the ways that a metazoan species can be affected by environmental influences during growth and development. Molecular tools for shaping the final product. The complexity of metazoans (as contrasted with fungi, bacteria, and protozoans, for example) requires complex epigenetic processes. Heritable things which switch on or switch off gene expression.
Here's the simplest short piece I could find: What Is Epigenetics? Easy to follow if you ever took intro Bio.
The wiki entry is actually a good intro, but tough sledding unless you had a decent college education or are a bio reader.
Al Gore may not have invented the internet or Global Warming, but his name will be forever associated with both. He certainly found ways to profit from these themes.
Now he's found a way to profit from TV, which he never claimed to invent, but hoped to 're-invent' with his Current TV network. An unwatched network airing questionable programming, pursuing a bizarre agenda that was mildly anti-American to most of us. Well, now he's out of the TV business and turning the reins over to another crowd of potentially anti-American broadcasters.
I can see the conspiracy theorists lining up behind this one.
If Al-Jazeera somehow turns the U.S. into a Muslim nation, will Al Gore take credit for being the founding father of Islamic U.S.A.?
Nearly half a century ago, I dropped out of graduate school and enlisted as a foot soldier in America’s War on Poverty. Today, I’m still on the front lines, working to move people out of dependency and into employment. But with an important difference: I’ve become fed up with the useless policies that I once supported, and I’m trying to change the strategy of our bogged-down army...
As a small side note, if you've been thinking about checking out the great Google Earth program, do so now. This Saturday we're going to hold a little GE 'easter egg hunt' which should be both informative and fun. It should, in turn, spawn an interesting post of the collected results. If you want to join in, it'll be helpful if you already know how to use this most intriguing of programs.
I'm surprised I haven't blundered across this before now, but check out this cool Firefox update page. I needed pretty much everything on the list.
Along with Adobe Reader for PDF files and the ubiquitous Flash, I recommend the QuickTime plugin for the occasional QT video and Java for older sites that are using Java instead of Flash for various special effects.
As far as Firefox's various problems with Flash, it appears some of it's been ironed out recently. Both have come out with updates since my post on it a month ago and I haven't seen any snags since then. If you've been having problems, I suggest running the Flash uninstall program before updating.
On the subject, the other common Flash problem is running into a 'Currently unavailable' message when trying to play a YouTube video either from the main site or from a page with an embedded YouTube video. This is YouTube making a little experiment with selected members using a new viewing protocol called 'HTML5', and apparently they don't like you using that old, hackneyed Flash player on their precious videos. The solution is to go here and click on the link at the bottom to opt out of the program.
Our pal Sipp crawled into his well-air-conditioned office in Maine to offer this thought about the blue house pics I posted on Tuesday night:
That's a beautiful house. Front-gabled Greek Revival. Mid-1800s. It was so common it was called the "National Style" back then. After the War of 1812, Americans didn't want to build their houses in the Adam (British) style anymore. They were captivated by the Greek War of Independence from the Ottomans, and got interested in everything ancient Greek because it was considered a chaste, proto-Roman civilization. I can't see all that much in the pictures for evidence of what's going on, but the house in the front is original. The big thing in the back was probably a barn at first. That huge chimney on the barn is pretty modern. It was probably attached to the main house by the ell you see between them. (In Maine, they called something similar Little House, Big House, Back House, Barn, with the little house being the "ell" and being built first) The ell might have been one-story at first. When horses and servants went out of fashion, the barn was turned into more house, most likely, and a second floor added to the ell to have unfettered access back and forth. The wart on the side might have been an open porch, or been missing entirely at first. Nobody ganged windows like that back then.
I doubt that big house in back was ever a barn, but I get the point.
How good is this little patch, up high above the Connecticut river? You have several of your basic old-timey styles, and I'd bet they were all built by the same family on the same lot over time and generations (no estate taxes and no zoning then), middle one first - I'd guess around 1750-1780:
Income inequality, if it is a problem (I do not see why it is) it is easy to fix. Just tax all income over $40,000 at 100% (except for politicians and bureaucrats).
Then confiscate all private assets over $100,000. (except for politicians and bureaucrats), because assets are really more important in life than income. Let's make it fair. Why focus on income? Some people have huge houses and apartments, and small families. The government can provide the manna. It worked great in China and the Soviet Union, so why not here?
Income and asset inequalities are fine with me. Money provides choices. Many people are highly motivated by such things, and they make good things happen. My job, for example, which pays me enough to afford ski trips to Whistler which, in turn, provides jobs for Canucks.
Mom shoots intruder, saves kids
Pic: We ain't taking sides, because, for one thing, we have Alabama relatives. For another, we believe that rooting for teams is rooting for laundry - in Seinfeld's immortal words. I just liked this photo. But what the heck, it's all about money and fun and athletic talent, which are all good things. But "Brian Kelly" - sheesh. Irish enuf? Are you kidding me?
Feel like a fun research project? This actually might end up being a fairly informative endeavor, not to mention elusive and challenging.
Report: 
Road Song of The Ban-Dar-Log (from The Jungle Books. h/t, reader. The Bandur-log are Langur monkeys)
The Brits and Aussies call it "Cottage Pie." 
Readers know my interest in the workings of the human conscience and the structures of human morals. The (our) devils are relentless in pursuit of the low-life, the dark side.
The Mommys of America commonly made winter casseroles using cans of Campbell's soups. Mushroom soup, especially. We're getting into Hotdish territory here.
I'm surprised I haven't blundered across this before now, but check out 
Between the woods and frozen lake, on Tuesday