The sky was mostly overcast this morning, except for one little “hole” in the northeast, through which I could see the Pleiades and Aldebaran. If I were trying to navigate by the stars, it would be just barely enough to get my bearings.
The dogs, of course, couldn't have cared less about the little window in the sky. Race found a new pine cone and consequently nearly lost his mind in his delerious joy. The three field spaniels conducted their usual urgent morning business. Nearby I heard a fox yipping, just downhill from me (I'd guess within a couple hundred feet). In the distance, to my west, a band of coyotes was yowling away – probably celebrating a catch of some kind. Close by, some kind of bird was making a fuss in the chaparral duff. The morning was cold (around 50°F) and felt crisp because the humidity is high (near 100%). This is the height of the fire season, though you'd never know it from the weather this year. We haven't had a severe Santa Ana yet, and though we could get one at any time somehow it seems unlikely this year. The forecast for the next week is more like this – and if that keeps up, this will be the “gentlest” fire season I can remember...
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Via my brother Mark. I don't know the source:
Unless something totally unforeseen occurs, Democrats are poised to take a real beating in November. Their response to the impending disaster has run the gamut. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is in denial: "One thing I know for sure is that Democrats will retain their majority in the House of Representatives." Massachusetts Senator John Kerry is condescending: "We have an electorate that doesn't always pay that much attention to what's going on, so people are influenced by a simple slogan rather than the facts or the truth or what's happening." President Obama is angry: "It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election." Why is the electorate ready to kick Democrats to the curb? Here's why:
* An "unstimulated" economy. The original Mother of All Stimulus packages, $787 billion dollars, quickly grew to an astounding $865 billion. It wasn't enough. Congress pumped out another $26 billion in "supplemental" stimulus in August. The results? Unemployment in the private sector remains well above the eight percent Democrats promised, even as public sector workers who support Democrats were rewarded; our Democratically-controlled Congress has amassed more debt in the last four years than nearly the previous two hundred and thirty combined; the Keynesian economic model Democrats stand by is a colossal failure; the Summer of Recovery was a propaganda fiasco.
* The health care bill. The absolute epitome of ideological, public-be-damned arrogance. A horrendous compendium of bribes, exploding bureaucracy, runaway costs, written in secret and unread by those who passed it. It includes a mandate, likely un-Constitutional, forcing people to buy health insurance or pay a fine. The same administration which originally claimed the commerce clause of the Constitution made such a fine possible is now saying that the federal governments's "power to tax" justifies it. Irrelevant. 60% of Americans want this monstrosity repealed, ASAP.
* The federal lawsuit against the state of Arizona. Again, it's the arrogance, stupid. Despite all the hectoring from Democrats and the Obama administration about racist this, and xenophobic that, fair-minded Americans recognized four things: people have a right to protect their life and property, and if the federal government can't or won't do it, they have a right to do it themselves; the idea that anyone opposing the "rights" of illegal aliens is a bigot is nonsense on stilts; the ruling class in Washington, D.C. is holding genuine border control hostage to "comprehensive reform;" the glaring double-standard of suing Arizona for violating federal immigration statues, even as the feds turn a blind eye to hundreds of "sanctuary cities" with illegal protection directives unquestionably in conflict with federal law.
* The demonization of the Tea Party movement. Take your pick: teabaggers, racists, angry white men, fringe elements, bigots, Astro-turfers, etc. etc. Democrats and the media have tried every one, and every one has been a miserable failure for one overwhelmingly simple reason: decent Americans know they're decent, and getting insulted by Democrats running the country into the ground has only stiffened their resolve. Progressives want to demonize people who believe in smaller government, fiscal responsibility and a desire to return to Constitutional principles? Why not attack people who believe in guns, and religion too? Oh wait. The president already did that as well.
* A hopelessly compromised media. Air America tanked, CNN is tanking, and ABC, NBC and CBS news programs have been shedding viewers at historically unprecedented rates-even as Fox and the Wall Street Journal prosper. Americans don't mind people in the media expressing their opinions, as long as they're characterized as opinions, but they seethe when such opinions are portrayed as "hard news." They get even angrier when certain stories are "omitted" by those same organizations, especially when Americans recognize such omissions are calculated to protect the progressive agenda. I wonder if it occurs to either Democrats or their media water-carriers that a majority Americans may savor whacking both groups in November. Depressed looks on the faces of Nancy Pelosi and Katie Couric? In theater circles, that's known as a "two-fer."
* The Ground Zero mosque. Yet another reminder of the contempt progressives and their media enablers have for ordinary Americans who had the "temerity" to allow their feelings to be known. Despite every attempt to characterize these Americans as Islamo-phobic bigots, the public wasn't buying, again for one overwhelmingly simple reason: decent Americans once again demonstrated their decency by separating the legality of the project from the appropriateness of it.
* The complete disconnect between the First Family and ordinary Americans. The golfing, the soirees, and the high-priced vacations have created the perception that we are living through another "let them eat cake" moment in history. On Tuesday, the president called the public schools in Washington, D.C. a "'struggling' system that doesn't measure up to the needs of first daughters, Sasha and Malia." Those would be the same public schools Congressional Democrats tossed 3,300 low-income kids back into when they killed funding for vouchers that had freed those kids from D.C.'s educational ghetto. The First Lady is hectoring Americans to eat healthier. Perhaps more Americans would if they could afford to: the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated in their Producer Price Index that the price of food increased 2.4% for March 2010. That's the biggest increase in almost 30 years.
* The war on terror. A politically correct contingency operation against unnamed insurgents with a specific draw-down date? Democrats once again prove that all the talk about Afghanistan being the "good war" was complete rubbish. They want out, and victory-along with the heroic efforts of our men and women in harm's way-be damned. Once again: has America ever fought another war where they knew the exact location of the enemy, had the ability to inflict possibly irreparable damage on them-and decided to split the difference instead? If you answered "Vietnam," another progressively-instigated catastrophe resulting in the deaths of fifty-eight thousand American soldiers and three million innocent Asians, go to the head of the class. And when is that civilian trial of the 9/11 perpetrators scheduled to begin?
* Czars and nationalization. The Obama administration and Congressional Democrats may bristle when Americans call them socialists, but the nationalization of banks, car and insurance companies, student loans and healthcare sure isn't free-market capitalism. Neither is wiping out oil jobs in Louisiana with a government-mandated ban on offshore drilling-after the feds completely bungled their role in cleaning up the spill which engendered it. Unelected czars who answer to no one but the president, along with out-of-control government agencies such as the EPA have made it clear to many Americans that this administration often considers Congress a completely unnecessary component of governance, especially if they don't kowtow to the president's agenda.
* "Unexceptional" America. Progressive contempt for the values and traditions which make this the greatest country on earth can no longer be disguised. An American president who "believe(s) in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism" has made it plain that this is not a great nation which needs tweaking, but a fundamentally flawed one needing a complete progressive make-over. Once one understands this basic premise, everything this administration and Democratically-controlled Congress does makes sense. All of it centers around the ridiculous premise that America owes the world an apology for any number of shortcomings, many of which can only be alleviated by government-mandated "social justice." That would be the same social justice which demanded-and still demands-that Americans manifestly unqualified to own homes be given mortgages, regardless.
Unknown to the majority of Americans, this precise mindset was part of the financial "reform" bill which also requires banks to lend a certain percentage of capital to minority-owned businesses, even if it means lowering their lending standards. Apparently progressives won't be satisfied with their odious social-engineering schemes until every sector of the American economy bears a striking resemblance to the housing sector. So far, Americans support financial reform because it's been framed as "Main Street versus "Wall Street." It's not. Like every other initiative undertaken by this Congress and this administration, it's the elevation of irresponsible and dishonest Americans over those willing to accept the consequences of their own behavior.
There you have it. Democratic control for four years in Congress, and two in the White House has been exactly what many predicted: an ideologically-driven disaster of epic proportions. For years, progressives obfuscated their true intentions, because even they knew most Americans couldn't stomach them. The elections of 2006 and 2008 changed everything. Progressives bought into their own hype, believing they had pulled off a multi-generational transformation of the American mindset. As a result, they showed Americans their true colors: unbridled arrogance, utter contempt for the average citizen's intellect, and a ham-fisted, never let a crisis go to waste determination to bend the electorate to their will, using government as a club.
That's why they're going down in November. And the most satisfying aspect of the whole scenario is this: despite every attempt they've made to blame anyone and everyone else for their problems, they brought it on themselves.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Foggy Morning Walk...
The dogs and I were out as usual at 3 am, but this morning we could only see a few feet, as we were encased in a thick, wet fog. Race acted as if he didn't notice. He played with his pine cone exactly as if it had been a sunny afternoon. That dog is focused! The three field spaniels immediately went into sniff-everything-quickly-while-conditions-remain-ideal mode. I could hear all three noses chuffing away like made, extracting every bit of odorant from the moist air. They were doing important work, classifying all the animals that had passed by during the night.
It was strangely quiet this morning. No frogs, no crickets, and not even any coyotes or dogs baying in the distance. The sky was completely blacked out by the fog. My world was restricted to that little bit that my tiny one-LED flashlight could illuminate – a cone of light with zillions of particles drifting through it. It was so quiet that I noticed the sounds from the dog's paws, something I can't recall noticing before.
When I came back into the house, my beard and moustache were heavy with water deposited from the fog. I never noticed it accumulating, but by the time I got back inside I had several teaspoons of water on my face...
It was strangely quiet this morning. No frogs, no crickets, and not even any coyotes or dogs baying in the distance. The sky was completely blacked out by the fog. My world was restricted to that little bit that my tiny one-LED flashlight could illuminate – a cone of light with zillions of particles drifting through it. It was so quiet that I noticed the sounds from the dog's paws, something I can't recall noticing before.
When I came back into the house, my beard and moustache were heavy with water deposited from the fog. I never noticed it accumulating, but by the time I got back inside I had several teaspoons of water on my face...
Where Your Tax Dollars are Going...
Here and here are two web sites that do a great job personalizing the way your tax dollars are spent. They are both taking the budget and showing how much of the taxes you actually pay get spent on each category of spending. I know that many of my friends will be surprised how little money is spent on one of their favorite hobby-horses, such as foreign aid or the war on terror. Me, I remain shocked at just how much of my money the government steals overall, and how much goes for entitlement programs that I believe should just go away...
I wish everyone got a receipt like this. Better yet, I wish we all had to write a check to the government for our taxes, rather than have it so cleverly “hidden” by the trick of withholding...
I wish everyone got a receipt like this. Better yet, I wish we all had to write a check to the government for our taxes, rather than have it so cleverly “hidden” by the trick of withholding...
Counter-Intuitive Statistics...
Best example I've seen in a long time:
Go read all about it.
Back during World War II, the RAF lost a lot of planes to German anti-aircraft fire. So they decided to armor them up. But where to put the armor? The obvious answer was to look at planes that returned from missions, count up all the bullet holes in various places, and then put extra armor in the areas that attracted the most fire.
Obvious but wrong.
Go read all about it.
Friday, October 1, 2010
All Your Housez Be Ourz...
The Senate numbers are still strongly favoring the Democrats to retain control. The trend we saw moving the other way a few weeks ago was completely derailed by Christine O'Donnell's win in Delaware, which conventional wisdom says will cause a seat that was a surefire Republican win to go to a Democrat. Recent poll results, though, show some interesting trends the other way, wherein candidates like Blumenthal, formerly thought to be an impossible-to-shake Democratic win, are starting to look a bit, well, shaky.
It's gonna be an interesting night on November 2...
Rain!
Sixteen hundredths – just over an eighth of an inch – of H2O fell out of the sky onto our chaparral yesterday. We had thunderstorms and intermittent showers all day long. When I came home yesterday afternoon, the rain was sheeting off our brandy-new bright red roof. Yay!
This fire season just got a little dampened. By no means does this remove our risk for the year – we'd need more rain and no Santa Anas to perform that trick. But it does tamp the risk down a notch, and I'll take that anytime I can get it...
This fire season just got a little dampened. By no means does this remove our risk for the year – we'd need more rain and no Santa Anas to perform that trick. But it does tamp the risk down a notch, and I'll take that anytime I can get it...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Walking the Dogs...
What a simple delight it was, this morning, to stumble out to our front door, leash up the three field spaniels, and then wander outside with all four dogs (Race, our border collie, was loose). I've missed my little four-pawed friends, and I think they may have missed me.
The field spaniels acted as always; nothing special about this morning as far as they were concerned. Nope, just important work to do, smelling every possible thing that could be smelled. Race, on the other hand, acted as though he'd just received the very best present that any dog, ever, could possibly receive – he bounded at fantastic speeds all around the yard, the very image of pure canine joy. Eventually he found a stick – perfectly sized and shaped for throwing – and brought it to me. After that, the rest of our walk was punctuated regularly by the clatter of the stick as he threw it on the ground right in front of me, followed by the “whoosh” as I threw it for him to chase yet again. In the distant north, regular (and big) lightning flashes played across big cumulus clouds – an odd sight in the early morning. Overhead it was quite clear, and I could see a half-moon just above Orion's head, high in the eastern sky. Jupiter still shines brightly, but now lower down in the southern sky.
After finishing with the dogs, I decided to see if my truck would start. It's been unused for two and a half weeks, the longest in its three year life. Hopped in, turned the key, and the engine instantly roared to life, as though I'd just shut it off a few minutes before. I'm still amazed by how reliable modern automobiles are, and such feats still catch me by surprise. Actually, our whole house survived two-and-a-half weeks without trouble. Generally after such a trip I'd come home to a short list of deficiencies that needed to be rectified. Not this time. Everything worked just fine while I was gone, and continues to work now. Amazing!
I came back into the house to find all four dogs arrayed just inside the door, waiting for me, tails wagging and tongues dragging. Much sloppy wet greeting and dogly happiness ensued. Human happiness, too...
The field spaniels acted as always; nothing special about this morning as far as they were concerned. Nope, just important work to do, smelling every possible thing that could be smelled. Race, on the other hand, acted as though he'd just received the very best present that any dog, ever, could possibly receive – he bounded at fantastic speeds all around the yard, the very image of pure canine joy. Eventually he found a stick – perfectly sized and shaped for throwing – and brought it to me. After that, the rest of our walk was punctuated regularly by the clatter of the stick as he threw it on the ground right in front of me, followed by the “whoosh” as I threw it for him to chase yet again. In the distant north, regular (and big) lightning flashes played across big cumulus clouds – an odd sight in the early morning. Overhead it was quite clear, and I could see a half-moon just above Orion's head, high in the eastern sky. Jupiter still shines brightly, but now lower down in the southern sky.
After finishing with the dogs, I decided to see if my truck would start. It's been unused for two and a half weeks, the longest in its three year life. Hopped in, turned the key, and the engine instantly roared to life, as though I'd just shut it off a few minutes before. I'm still amazed by how reliable modern automobiles are, and such feats still catch me by surprise. Actually, our whole house survived two-and-a-half weeks without trouble. Generally after such a trip I'd come home to a short list of deficiencies that needed to be rectified. Not this time. Everything worked just fine while I was gone, and continues to work now. Amazing!
I came back into the house to find all four dogs arrayed just inside the door, waiting for me, tails wagging and tongues dragging. Much sloppy wet greeting and dogly happiness ensued. Human happiness, too...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Now That's a Fungus!
Hummer Feeding Refinement...
Longtime readers know that we feed lots of hummingbirds out here in the chaparral. During the height of the season (July through September), we'll go through as much as 3 to 4 gallons of hummer juice (a 4::1 water::sugar mixture by volume) every day. For several years now I've been making the hummer juice in 5 gallon batches, storing it inside a potable water container designed for camping. This has worked great, especially for me – but for Debbie, lifting close to 50 lbs of hummer juice plus container is more of a challenge.
I had another idea, which we've just proved out. It's superior in several ways to the 5 gallon batch approach. The basic idea is to make a gallon of “hummer juice concentrate”, and mix that as needed. Here's what I did:
I'm going to try one more thing: measuring the concentrate directly into the feeders and simply filling them with hot water. That just might be even easier...
I had another idea, which we've just proved out. It's superior in several ways to the 5 gallon batch approach. The basic idea is to make a gallon of “hummer juice concentrate”, and mix that as needed. Here's what I did:
- Found a nice, sturdy, tightly-closing gallon pitcher, rectangular in cross-section for efficient storage in the refrigerator.
- Filled the pitcher to the brim with sugar.
- Put in food coloring (orange to attract the orioles), the same amount as for a five gallon batch of hummer juice.
- Fill the pitcher with hot water, stirring. The sugar will all dissolve nicely; you'll be surprised how much water you have to add.
- Refrigerate.
I'm going to try one more thing: measuring the concentrate directly into the feeders and simply filling them with hot water. That just might be even easier...
Back Home...
I'm back from my trip to the U.K. and Virginia. What little remains of today is a “day of rest”, and then it's back to the salt mines for me...
There are so many things that are nice about coming home, especially for a gray-bearded introvert like me. My wife's smile and kiss. My dogs, each with their individually-styled, but equally frantic, greeting. Little Maka Lea, who came trotting in to see me when I called him from the door. My bed. The comfort of surroundings and things being where you expect them to be. Quiet, calm. The delight of favorite and familiar foods. Ah, so very nice...
There are so many things that are nice about coming home, especially for a gray-bearded introvert like me. My wife's smile and kiss. My dogs, each with their individually-styled, but equally frantic, greeting. Little Maka Lea, who came trotting in to see me when I called him from the door. My bed. The comfort of surroundings and things being where you expect them to be. Quiet, calm. The delight of favorite and familiar foods. Ah, so very nice...
Book Review of the Day...
From one of my favorite bloggers, TJIC (aka Travis J. I. Corcoran), who just read a book and really didn't like it all that much. His review's conclusion:
I demand that this man (Editor: i.e., the author) be dragged to my quarters, be stripped to his shorts, and be staked out over an ant hive…But you'll definitely want to read the whole thing (if only so that you don't accidentally read the book being reviewed!)...
…at which point I will kick him in the balls over and over and over until I’m so tired that I’ve forgotten that this book exists.
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Comedians are Homing In...
Via reader Doug W., from his wife Dee W.:
You know the honeymoon is over when the comedians start....
The liberals are asking us to give Obama time. We agree . . . and think 25 to life would be appropriate.
--Jay Leno
America needs Obama-care like Nancy Pelosi needs a Halloween mask.
--Jay Leno
Q: Have you heard about McDonald's' new Obama Value Meal?
A: Order anything you like and the guy behind you has to pay for it.
--Conan O'Brien
Q: What does Barack Obama call lunch with a convicted felon?
A: A fund raiser.
--Jay Leno
Q: What's the difference between Obama's cabinet and a penitentiary?
A: One is filled with tax evaders, blackmailers, and threats to society. The other is for housing prisoners.
--David Letterman
Q: If Nancy Pelosi and Obama were on a boat in the middle of the ocean and it started to sink, who would be saved?
A: America!
--Jimmy Fallon
Q: What's the difference between Obama and his dog, Bo?
A: Bo has papers.
--Jimmy Kimmel
Q: What was the most positive result of the "Cash for Clunkers" program?
A: It took 95% of the Obama bumper stickers off the road.
--David Letterman
When You've got a Hammer...
I'm no Country & Western fan (Debbie is, though). But despite that, this is one Country & Western song I rather like...
Back in the U.S.A...
...but not yet in California. I'm visiting for a few days with my parents, near Charlottesville, Virginia. It's pouring rain here, and they need it badly. I picked up a bit of a cold on the flight back, and the first few days I was home I was pretty badly under the weather. I'm much better today!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Kew Gardens...
Then I entered Kew Gardens, grumbling a bit to myself about the price of the ticket (£13.50, or about $21). At the end of the day, I was feeling that the ticket was a bargain, and I didn't mind a bit paying it again tomorrow – as I've decided not to go to the British Museum, as originally planned, but to instead spend a second day at the Kew Gardens. They are just too beautiful to miss.
I spent a little over 6 hours today wandering around about a third of the Kew Gardens' area (though I did hit most of the “highlights” called out on the map). It was simply awesome. In almost every case, for any individual collection on display, it's the equal or better of any arborteum or garden I've ever seen. Just about the only exceptions I can think of are Wrigley's succulent collection and Quail Gardens South African collection. Now I certainly haven't been to every arboretum and garden in America, so I could be missing some other great ones. But I also haven't seen all of the Kew Gardens collection on display – and that's just the collection on display. They have much more, their literature says, in their propagation and nursery facilities. But here's the real point to consider: every collection I've seen at Kew is world class. They're not just specializing, like the Wrigley Gardens on Catalina Island. They do this across the board.
And in some cases, what they do I'm pretty sure isn't equalled anywhere else. For example, they have an awesome collection of arctic and sub-arctic dwarf plants. How do they manage to do that in London, which is about 10 inches above sea level? Why, they build a refrigerated and dehumidified glasshouse! I'm not kidding, they really did! Another example: they have a collection of tree ferns (Australian and Pacific) that makes you think you're walking around in one of the tree fern forests of Hawai'i. Some of the tree ferns are 30 feet high. How'd they do that in London? You guessed it – a glasshouse that is heated and humidified to make the tree ferns happy. I've visited three glasshouses so far. One of them is a collection of glasshouses all adjacent to one another, each with a different climate inside. In the space of a few minutes, you walk from tropical rainforest to temperate desert.
My favorite part so far is their rock garden. Saying it like that evokes an image of a wall or two, nicely planted. Uh, no. Try two to three acres of immaculately laid out rock gardens, planted and labeled in loving detail, complete with lovely paths, water features, etc. I could easily spend an entire day in that rock garden (and I may just do so tomorrow!). It is simply gorgeous; a magnificent feat of horticultural art and a display of science at the same time. A not-to-be-missed tour de force.
And there's so much more, too much to describe in detail here. Some highlights, though. There are benches and picnic tables located in attractive spots all over the grounds. There is an elevated walkway in a patch of forest; you climb a spiral staircase and then you're in the treetops – and you can walk around amongst them. Two of the glasshouses have an elevated walk high up. Again, you take a spiral staircase to get up there, then you're walking around in the canopy of a tropical rainforest. There's a beautiful small lake, landscaped all round, surrounded by an expansive park with beautiful large tree specimens and grassy prospects. Birds are abundant throughout the park, including geese, swans, many songbirds, and (most unexpectedly) green parrots. Oh, I could go on and on, but I'll stop. Here's the photos. Please forgive the technical crappiness – I don't have my real camera with me; these were all taken with a crackberry's primitive claims-to-be-camera. Click to enlarge, as usual...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)