Last year my 1995 Chevvy Tahoe succumbed to the ravages of old age. The brake lines rotted away. I replaced two only to expose weakness elsewhere. It had been a good set of wheels, but its time had come. The price at the pump was still hovering up around the four dollar mark so I should be looking for one of the gas sipping little toys that you put on with a shoe horn and zip up the back, right? Not me. I came of age in the '50s when the coolest cars had fins that knifed through the sky like the tail of an F-16. Four barrel carbs and dual exhausts were the mark of a man. Cars that actually allowed rear seat passengers to have feet. I did, however, downsize a mite to a low mileage 2003 Ford Explorer. A V-6 instead of the Tahoe's V-8. Mind you my gas mileage improved from 16.5 mpg all the way to about 18. For that I had to give up the ability to tow my 24 foot travel trailer cross-country. In reality we haven't done any traveling with in the last few years, but now the dreams are gone too.
Even though I downsized my carbon footprint somewhat I still gets those looks. The looks that acuse me of destroying the planet with my gas guzzler. Every time I fill up at the pump I'm snatching an ice floe from the grasp of some fuzzy little polar bear somewhere. Now I normally drive less than 4000 miles per year, mind you, using about 200 gallons of fuel. Still I can imagine Mr. Gore scolding me from behind the tinted windows of his Escalade as he races to the airport on his way to another planet rescue meeting in some far away exclusive resort hotel complex. Maybe Dubai with its indoor ski hill on man made snow. Shit!
Now I'm not necessarily a global warming skeptic. I know the Earth is warmer now than a century or so ago when it was still coming out of the mini ice age. I also know it was warmer than today during the medieval warm period when the Vikings were growing crops and playing football in Greenland. What I am skeptical of is the hysteria and media hyperbole surrounding the anthropological contribution to climate change. I see the social and political elite telling the huddled masses they must huddle closer to save on heating fuel. Huddle tighter to fit into public transportation. Lose weight to fit into ever shrinking airline seats. Whether it's print media or television news they don't feel their job complete until we're filled with feelings of anxiety and guilt about what we're doing to planet Earth.
Consider for a moment the profit motive behind such hyperbole. Government research grants to study the "problem" and develop new methods to combat it. New industries to develop products to assuage the guilt ridden public. New opportunities to levy taxes and pass laws to control our lifestyle. That's a lot of incentive to keep this ball rolling. It's every futuristic science fiction movie all rolled into one big nightmare.
And then someone pulls back the curtain exposing the mighty Oz. Hackers broke into the computer system at Britain's University of East Anglia Climate Research Unit (CRU) and downloaded a potful of emails going back for years. Now from what I've been able to glean from the excerpts posted online the emails are no smoking gun of a deceitful plot to promote the myth of global climate change. They do, however, shed some light on conflict among scientists and how they work behind the scenes to discredit opposing views. Climate skeptic bloggers are having a hay-day with the news.
Now I'm no advocate of illegal computer hacking and cyber-theft in general, but maybe it's time that the public gets a look at how scientific consensus is built and promoted. I'm waiting to see how it all shakes out in the public spotlight. The scientists at the CRU are in damage control mode right now. The steps they take in that effort may tell a lot about comfortable they are with their dirty laundry. Personally I would like to see the paper trail behind the funding of much of the climate research done by both sides. I imagine it would be about as easy to decipher as the health care reform bill.
I think someone should tell Al Gore that the debate over climate change may be open again and it's still a long time before the fat lady sings.
11/28/09 Update:
Boy it didn't take long to hit the fan. The blogoshpere is tingling with electricity and the established media is finding it difficult to ignore. I look for the pendulum to swing the other way while some prominent researchers purge their computers and maybe freshen up their resumes. The whole climate change issue has become such a political football that the truth won't surface until the non-scientists have grown tired of kicking it around.
Note that I've added to the list of blogs that I follow.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sorry officer...
Returning from an evening in the city the other night we were tooling east along the New York State Thruway when my co-pilot asked if I realized how fast I was going. I guess it was the scolding tone that got to me. Since she was sitting right beside me I stated that I was traveling the same speed as she was. Didn't win any points for that one. A lengthy period of silence ensued. After all I was only driving a tad over 65. Well, maybe more like a hair under 70, but I think my speedometer is off by a few miles per hour.
During the following quiet period I conducted a thought experiment about how fast we were actually traveling. Let's see, driving east at 68 mph we get a boost from the Earth's rotational speed. At our latitude of 42 deg. (Albany) the longitudinal degrees are just over 51 miles apart. With the Earth rotating at 15 degrees per hour I'm getting a 766 mph tail wind. No wonder NASA always launches orbiters to the East. Now my actual speed is 834 mph. Whee! Wait there's more.
The Earth is orbiting the Sun at once per year. That seems slow, but consider the distance it covers. With a mean radius of 93 million miles times 2 times pi we get a path of around 584,337,600 miles. This all comes out to 66625 mph. Since it's approaching midnight we can add that to our forward velocity. Now we're doing 67,459 mph. That'll blow your hair back. But wait...
We're approaching the Winter solstice when I believe the Earth lies on the opposite side of the Sun as the galactic center. This means we're traveling in roughly the same direction as the Sun's orbit around the Milky Way's core. Ok, so now we add another 491,040 mph. (1) Now my husky six banger SUV is tooling along at 558,499 mph. I know the critics will say that the plane of the solar system is tilted with respect to the galactic disk so I should be calculating vectors instead. Come on, we're having some fun here. NASCAR eat my dust.
Oh oh, I almost forgot. The whole Milky Way is also moving through space. Some say it's being sucked toward "The Great Attractor" at a respectable 1,339,200 mph. I have no idea what that direction is from our perspective. Just for grins let's pretend for a minute it's just over the eastern horizon giving a final kick in the pants. Now we're red-lining at around 1,830,240 mph.
"Sorry officer I didn't realize I was over the speed limit." (chalk it up to a rounding error)
(1) Another source - Astronomy Magazine Sept. 2011 page 31 puts the orbital speed at 537,000 mph. Stay tuned for further updates.
During the following quiet period I conducted a thought experiment about how fast we were actually traveling. Let's see, driving east at 68 mph we get a boost from the Earth's rotational speed. At our latitude of 42 deg. (Albany) the longitudinal degrees are just over 51 miles apart. With the Earth rotating at 15 degrees per hour I'm getting a 766 mph tail wind. No wonder NASA always launches orbiters to the East. Now my actual speed is 834 mph. Whee! Wait there's more.
The Earth is orbiting the Sun at once per year. That seems slow, but consider the distance it covers. With a mean radius of 93 million miles times 2 times pi we get a path of around 584,337,600 miles. This all comes out to 66625 mph. Since it's approaching midnight we can add that to our forward velocity. Now we're doing 67,459 mph. That'll blow your hair back. But wait...
We're approaching the Winter solstice when I believe the Earth lies on the opposite side of the Sun as the galactic center. This means we're traveling in roughly the same direction as the Sun's orbit around the Milky Way's core. Ok, so now we add another 491,040 mph. (1) Now my husky six banger SUV is tooling along at 558,499 mph. I know the critics will say that the plane of the solar system is tilted with respect to the galactic disk so I should be calculating vectors instead. Come on, we're having some fun here. NASCAR eat my dust.
Oh oh, I almost forgot. The whole Milky Way is also moving through space. Some say it's being sucked toward "The Great Attractor" at a respectable 1,339,200 mph. I have no idea what that direction is from our perspective. Just for grins let's pretend for a minute it's just over the eastern horizon giving a final kick in the pants. Now we're red-lining at around 1,830,240 mph.
"Sorry officer I didn't realize I was over the speed limit." (chalk it up to a rounding error)
(1) Another source - Astronomy Magazine Sept. 2011 page 31 puts the orbital speed at 537,000 mph. Stay tuned for further updates.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Killing Fields
There's a slaughter underway in our front yard. It's a brutal annual event that gets worse every August. No it's not my continuing campaign against invading moles or or my fierce destruction of encroaching crab grass. Instead it's the return of the "cicada killer wasp" (Sphecius speciosus).
These critters like to excavate underground dens in the lawn. These tunnels are not insignificant. The females which are as big as my little finger dig out a one inch diameter hole generating a mound of soil that would put any self respecting mole to shame.
Once the burrow is complete she will hunt down a cicada and paralyze it with a sting. It's quite a sight to see her struggling move an inert body of equal size from who knows how far away over a jungle-like terrain and into the hole. With the zombie cicada safely stowed she lays an egg in it and seals it in a chamber and continues the hunt. The larvae will emerge in a couple of weeks to feed on the zombie cicada and turn into a pupa to emerge the following summer. The females only live for about a month before succumbing to exhaustion.
With the females doing all the heavy lifting apparently the only function males perform is to stake out a territory and attempt to mate with anything that flies by. Hey ladies don't blame us, it's Nature's plan.
Next month I'll fill in the burrows and scatter some grass seed on the bare spots to cover up the evidence. I'd better plan for next year though. Last year there was only a half dozen burrows compared to twenty this year. Next year it could be fifty or more. Time to get proactive here.
These critters like to excavate underground dens in the lawn. These tunnels are not insignificant. The females which are as big as my little finger dig out a one inch diameter hole generating a mound of soil that would put any self respecting mole to shame.
Once the burrow is complete she will hunt down a cicada and paralyze it with a sting. It's quite a sight to see her struggling move an inert body of equal size from who knows how far away over a jungle-like terrain and into the hole. With the zombie cicada safely stowed she lays an egg in it and seals it in a chamber and continues the hunt. The larvae will emerge in a couple of weeks to feed on the zombie cicada and turn into a pupa to emerge the following summer. The females only live for about a month before succumbing to exhaustion.
With the females doing all the heavy lifting apparently the only function males perform is to stake out a territory and attempt to mate with anything that flies by. Hey ladies don't blame us, it's Nature's plan.
Next month I'll fill in the burrows and scatter some grass seed on the bare spots to cover up the evidence. I'd better plan for next year though. Last year there was only a half dozen burrows compared to twenty this year. Next year it could be fifty or more. Time to get proactive here.
...to be continued.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
My warranty has expired!
Who hasn't received countless notices in the mail that the warranty on their car has expired and they need to extend it immediately before it goes up in smoke like a "Mission Impossible" tape? Worse yet are the phone calls -- always at supper time or during an exciting episode of Jeopardy -- with a recorded message breathlessly telling me it's their final notice. I should be so lucky. My car is a 2003 model and has been out of warranty for some time now. Since the mailings mention the model and year they know that too. One harassed fellow citizen pretty much lost it over one of these scams.Though threatening to touch a match to the offender's place of business seems a might harsh, I can't say similar thoughts haven't occasionally crossed my mind. Now the poor soul is in the slammer on a terrorism charge. If there was ever a time for the court to show some mercy this is it.
It's difficult to imagine that enough people fall for this pitch too cover the marketing expenses. It's even harder to imagine any subscriber actually recovering even a small portion of covered repair costs. It might be interesting to request a sample contract and peruse the fine print.
I recall a news item a few years back exposing the fact that our DMV sold auto registration data lists to marketing firms. Who on Earth would think that was a good idea? Public servants my foot. Then they set up a state "Do not call list" to stem the barrage of telemarketing calls. Geez!
Many of these hucksters have given up on the car owners and moved on to helping people suffering from mortgage and credit card stress. They are implying that they have Federal stimulus money to pass around. At least we can't accuse these bottom feeders of lazing around sucking up unemployment money. But then maybe they are. Sitting at home dialing the phone while collecting unemployment compensation and food stamps, etc.
Sadly these lowlifes tend to target senior citizens that are often overly trusting and easily coerced. Even eager to avoid offending the caller. Think of that the next time the phone rings. Maybe even make a list of things to say AND NOT SAY during the call. The best thing to do is just hang up. Don't worry about the caller feeling rejected. They'll get over it.
It's difficult to imagine that enough people fall for this pitch too cover the marketing expenses. It's even harder to imagine any subscriber actually recovering even a small portion of covered repair costs. It might be interesting to request a sample contract and peruse the fine print.
I recall a news item a few years back exposing the fact that our DMV sold auto registration data lists to marketing firms. Who on Earth would think that was a good idea? Public servants my foot. Then they set up a state "Do not call list" to stem the barrage of telemarketing calls. Geez!
Many of these hucksters have given up on the car owners and moved on to helping people suffering from mortgage and credit card stress. They are implying that they have Federal stimulus money to pass around. At least we can't accuse these bottom feeders of lazing around sucking up unemployment money. But then maybe they are. Sitting at home dialing the phone while collecting unemployment compensation and food stamps, etc.
Sadly these lowlifes tend to target senior citizens that are often overly trusting and easily coerced. Even eager to avoid offending the caller. Think of that the next time the phone rings. Maybe even make a list of things to say AND NOT SAY during the call. The best thing to do is just hang up. Don't worry about the caller feeling rejected. They'll get over it.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Blogging with alacrity
Drudge briefly ran a piece on recent cyber attacks on treasury dept. and secret service web sites. The article quoted DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano as saying something like "agents are meeting the challenges of cyberwarfare defense with alacrity." Alacrity. ALACRITY! alacrity. In the context of the article it means, "looking to kick butt!" It's a nice word I like it. It feels good on the tongue. I think I'll find a way to use it in conversation at the coffee shop today. Watch it bouce from forehead to forehead causing wrinkles and expressions that say, "What the hell kind of a high brow word is that?"
I just went back to the Drudge Report to re read the article and get a better fix on this new (for me) word and it's gone!. The Napolitano quote I mean. They took away my word! It's like it was never there. Why would they do that? Was it a misquote? Did Janet call up and say, "I didn't say that. Hell I don't even know what alacrity means" (erronously pronouncing it with a soft cee). Or maybe she meant to say they were on hold with the Microsoft help desk to deal with the problem. Did Drudge decide it is too much of a liberal sounding word for its pages? Did cyber attackers hack the site and ice my word? Web content is constantly changing unlike a print issue of the New York Times where you can circle a word and slap it down on the table prove to those skeptical coffee swillers it's legit word. They'll think I stay up nights searching through the dictionary for arcane words to drop on them. They're tough crowd.
Ah ha! Plugged alacrity into news.google.com and came up with 195 hits. Topmost is the BBC article that Drudge first cited and later switched to Yahoo News. So it's a Brit word. Use it and I'll sound like a Limey. I'd better rethink this whole thing. Wait there it is again. The BBC used the exact same quote in a June 30, 2009 piece on a related but different subject. So they liked the word too. Couldn't wait to throw it out there again. I wonder if it will catch on and gain common usage? I remember back to the 2004 (I think) election campaign when the tv talking heads learned the word 'gravitas'. Mostly in referring to John Kerry they beat that poor little word to death. It tore through the media like a wild fire through dry brush. I haven't heard it since. Don't miss it either.
I hope they don't do that to alacrity. It's too cool a word.
I just went back to the Drudge Report to re read the article and get a better fix on this new (for me) word and it's gone!. The Napolitano quote I mean. They took away my word! It's like it was never there. Why would they do that? Was it a misquote? Did Janet call up and say, "I didn't say that. Hell I don't even know what alacrity means" (erronously pronouncing it with a soft cee). Or maybe she meant to say they were on hold with the Microsoft help desk to deal with the problem. Did Drudge decide it is too much of a liberal sounding word for its pages? Did cyber attackers hack the site and ice my word? Web content is constantly changing unlike a print issue of the New York Times where you can circle a word and slap it down on the table prove to those skeptical coffee swillers it's legit word. They'll think I stay up nights searching through the dictionary for arcane words to drop on them. They're tough crowd.
Ah ha! Plugged alacrity into news.google.com and came up with 195 hits. Topmost is the BBC article that Drudge first cited and later switched to Yahoo News. So it's a Brit word. Use it and I'll sound like a Limey. I'd better rethink this whole thing. Wait there it is again. The BBC used the exact same quote in a June 30, 2009 piece on a related but different subject. So they liked the word too. Couldn't wait to throw it out there again. I wonder if it will catch on and gain common usage? I remember back to the 2004 (I think) election campaign when the tv talking heads learned the word 'gravitas'. Mostly in referring to John Kerry they beat that poor little word to death. It tore through the media like a wild fire through dry brush. I haven't heard it since. Don't miss it either.
I hope they don't do that to alacrity. It's too cool a word.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Another pet peave
I've been online since about 1979. There wasn't an internet back then. We had bulletin board services (BBS) where local computer enthusiasts kept their computers turned on 24/7 and connected to a dial up modem. Dial their number and the machine would answer allowing you to upload or down load files and leave comments on a discussion board. Pretty rudimentary, but it was a new and exiting way to converse with others and exchange idea. Interesting or fun posts where copied and posted on other BBS thus working their way around the country.
Fast forward through the era of Compuserve and AOL to the internet explosion. With it came an email system allowing us to communicate with anyone with an online account. Cheaper than long distance telephone we could keep in touch with friends and family at almost no cost. Easier and faster than snail mail. Better yet you could send to same message to a number of your friends and relatives. What a deal! For the recipient running low on original thoughts to share it was just a matter of forwarding fun or informative stuff one to a new list of contacts. Spam was born. Some of the more popular ones would find its way back to you every so often.
Some individuals who I suspect lacked meaningful goals in their life developed a hobby of creating such spam in the form of chain letters for the sole purpose of seeing how long before it came back. News that the federal income tax is illegal and you don't need to pay it or forty pound New York rats that stole babies from their cribs. Some of these are just tongue-in-cheek fun while others are nothing more than slanderous gossip with harmful intentions. Remember Procter and Gamble having to publicly refute the notion that their logo is in fact a satanic symbol? I personally hate gossip, malicious or otherwise, and refuse to participate. I won't embarrass myself by forwarding this trash to ten of my friends as instructed.
For a long time I simply ignored such alerts as Mars will soon be closer to the Earth than any time in the past 30,000 years or so and appear bigger than the full moon. Lately it's become more of a personal campaign to fight email pollution. I respond to the Forward-button-pusher by gently (or not) pointing out the error of their ways including links to informational sites that logically refute these nonsensical chain letters. As I polish my reputation as a curmudgeon I have started to use the 'reply all' feature to publicly refute and hopefully embarrass the forwarder. Here's why.
The other day I received an informative email from a close friend telling me how I could survive a heart attack with no one around to help. It went on to describe how by coughing energetically during an infarction one can massage the heart enough to keep the blood flowing. The text cited medical establishments that discovered this method, etc. to give it street cred. Coughing CPR! Something everyone over forty should practice, right? I've already had one infarction and this could save my life some day. It was pretty well crafted and almost had me until the last sentence. "BE A FRIEND AND PLEASE SEND THIS ARTICLE TO AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE". The tip off. A quick jump to a couple of my favorite web sites, snopes.com and hoax-slayer.com brought me back to reality. Just enough science fact to hook the non-skeptic, but otherwise total B.S. Stuff like this could be dangerous. Sooner or later there will be a spam letter circulating that will contribute to someone's injury or even death. How will the innocent forwarder feel then?
Fighting this junk email is a lonely battle. Would you like to join me? We could start a new grass roots movement.
Fast forward through the era of Compuserve and AOL to the internet explosion. With it came an email system allowing us to communicate with anyone with an online account. Cheaper than long distance telephone we could keep in touch with friends and family at almost no cost. Easier and faster than snail mail. Better yet you could send to same message to a number of your friends and relatives. What a deal! For the recipient running low on original thoughts to share it was just a matter of forwarding fun or informative stuff one to a new list of contacts. Spam was born. Some of the more popular ones would find its way back to you every so often.
Some individuals who I suspect lacked meaningful goals in their life developed a hobby of creating such spam in the form of chain letters for the sole purpose of seeing how long before it came back. News that the federal income tax is illegal and you don't need to pay it or forty pound New York rats that stole babies from their cribs. Some of these are just tongue-in-cheek fun while others are nothing more than slanderous gossip with harmful intentions. Remember Procter and Gamble having to publicly refute the notion that their logo is in fact a satanic symbol? I personally hate gossip, malicious or otherwise, and refuse to participate. I won't embarrass myself by forwarding this trash to ten of my friends as instructed.
For a long time I simply ignored such alerts as Mars will soon be closer to the Earth than any time in the past 30,000 years or so and appear bigger than the full moon. Lately it's become more of a personal campaign to fight email pollution. I respond to the Forward-button-pusher by gently (or not) pointing out the error of their ways including links to informational sites that logically refute these nonsensical chain letters. As I polish my reputation as a curmudgeon I have started to use the 'reply all' feature to publicly refute and hopefully embarrass the forwarder. Here's why.
The other day I received an informative email from a close friend telling me how I could survive a heart attack with no one around to help. It went on to describe how by coughing energetically during an infarction one can massage the heart enough to keep the blood flowing. The text cited medical establishments that discovered this method, etc. to give it street cred. Coughing CPR! Something everyone over forty should practice, right? I've already had one infarction and this could save my life some day. It was pretty well crafted and almost had me until the last sentence. "BE A FRIEND AND PLEASE SEND THIS ARTICLE TO AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE". The tip off. A quick jump to a couple of my favorite web sites, snopes.com and hoax-slayer.com brought me back to reality. Just enough science fact to hook the non-skeptic, but otherwise total B.S. Stuff like this could be dangerous. Sooner or later there will be a spam letter circulating that will contribute to someone's injury or even death. How will the innocent forwarder feel then?
Fighting this junk email is a lonely battle. Would you like to join me? We could start a new grass roots movement.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Garlic: C&F
Growing up in Minnesota I was raised on Finnish/Scandinavian cuisine. Certainly a root cause for adolescent rebellion. Mom's spices and seasonings consisted of salt, black pepper, onions and maybe chili powder. Dill and mustard seed were only for pickles. Oh yes and cardamom for pulla bread. According to history the vikings invaded the British Isles and replaced the Roman (Italian) cooking style with their own as an eternal punishment for the natives.
In early adulthood I was lured to the dark side by oregano, thyme, tarragon, rosemary. And mostly that addictive garlic. I can't name a dish that wouldn't be enhanced by the addition of a clove or two of this glorious bulb. Well, maybe quiche. But then real men don't eat quiche anyway.
Through the years I've attempted growing some of my own garlic with less than satisfactory results. A few years ago my daughter and I took in an area garlic festival. A great preview of Heaven in my book. Chatting it up with some local growers I learned a few of the finer points about cultivating this member of the family Alliaceae. I was doing it all wrong. You plant garlic in the Fall of the year after the first frost, like tulips and other bulbs. The plants grow a bit before freeze-up and then die back. The young roots will continue to develop through the Winter. Garlic is hungry and requires ample fertilizer. I use about 2 pounds of 5-10-10 for my 100 plant bed at planting time. I tried a couple of types of seed from that local grower and settled on a stiff necked variety that seemed best suited for my garden conditions.
Seeing those bright green spearlike leaves appear soon after Spring thaw kind of jump starts my gardening activities each year. Now in mid June it's better than waist high and sending up blossom stalks. Interesting things that form a loop near the top. The blossoms themselves are nothing to look at and the resulting seeds while drawing on plant strength won't produce a desirable crop. So off with their heads! The stalks are quit tender and flavorful making them a delightful ingredient for soups,salads, omelets, etc.
Sometime in late July or August the leaves will turn brown and die back. That's the time to dig up the bulbs and lay them out in the sun for a few days to form that characteristic parchment covering. Then I gently bush off remaining soil and cut off the roots and stems. Since I only grow the stiff necked variety now braiding them for display isn't an option. The largest bulbs are set aside for the next planting. The remainder will spend the Winter in a net onion sack hanging in the breezeway. An inviting potpourri to welcome holiday guests.
I can taste that December pot of spaghetti sauce already.
In early adulthood I was lured to the dark side by oregano, thyme, tarragon, rosemary. And mostly that addictive garlic. I can't name a dish that wouldn't be enhanced by the addition of a clove or two of this glorious bulb. Well, maybe quiche. But then real men don't eat quiche anyway.
Through the years I've attempted growing some of my own garlic with less than satisfactory results. A few years ago my daughter and I took in an area garlic festival. A great preview of Heaven in my book. Chatting it up with some local growers I learned a few of the finer points about cultivating this member of the family Alliaceae. I was doing it all wrong. You plant garlic in the Fall of the year after the first frost, like tulips and other bulbs. The plants grow a bit before freeze-up and then die back. The young roots will continue to develop through the Winter. Garlic is hungry and requires ample fertilizer. I use about 2 pounds of 5-10-10 for my 100 plant bed at planting time. I tried a couple of types of seed from that local grower and settled on a stiff necked variety that seemed best suited for my garden conditions.
Seeing those bright green spearlike leaves appear soon after Spring thaw kind of jump starts my gardening activities each year. Now in mid June it's better than waist high and sending up blossom stalks. Interesting things that form a loop near the top. The blossoms themselves are nothing to look at and the resulting seeds while drawing on plant strength won't produce a desirable crop. So off with their heads! The stalks are quit tender and flavorful making them a delightful ingredient for soups,salads, omelets, etc.
Sometime in late July or August the leaves will turn brown and die back. That's the time to dig up the bulbs and lay them out in the sun for a few days to form that characteristic parchment covering. Then I gently bush off remaining soil and cut off the roots and stems. Since I only grow the stiff necked variety now braiding them for display isn't an option. The largest bulbs are set aside for the next planting. The remainder will spend the Winter in a net onion sack hanging in the breezeway. An inviting potpourri to welcome holiday guests.
I can taste that December pot of spaghetti sauce already.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Gardening Time cont'd
It must have been a busy month. I haven't found time to post for quite awhile. May is always a fun filled month for we gardeners with seeds to start and plants to put in the ground. Of course there is grass to mow about every other day as well.
The tulips and daffodils put on beautiful show again this spring though it's getting time to dig them up and separate them again. During a shopping trip I picked up a batch of seeds at the local Walmart. What a disappointment. I got two viable cucumber plants from the whole package. Nothing recognizable from the two packages of pepper seeds. The Big Boy tomatoes had about 30% germination. Pretty grim for the few seeds you get for that $1.00 per packet. I figure it comes out to about a nickel per seed. The summer and winter squash did very well, however, so all was not lost. I set the green bean seeds to soak earlier this week before the monsoon settled in. They're getting lengthy sprouts on them so I must get them in the ground this weekend. I will definitely rely on the local garden store for my seeds again next year. Running too late to reseed, it was off to the nursery for some replacement seedlings to populate the waiting garden. It's still raining so they're in the garage getting even leggier. Sunshine predicted for tomorrow (Saturday) so I'll be busy again this weekend. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and some morning glories for the fence. Oh yes, and the beans. And mow the %$&@ grass.
This morning's batch of Italian bread is about ready for the oven so it's time to spindle this one.
The tulips and daffodils put on beautiful show again this spring though it's getting time to dig them up and separate them again. During a shopping trip I picked up a batch of seeds at the local Walmart. What a disappointment. I got two viable cucumber plants from the whole package. Nothing recognizable from the two packages of pepper seeds. The Big Boy tomatoes had about 30% germination. Pretty grim for the few seeds you get for that $1.00 per packet. I figure it comes out to about a nickel per seed. The summer and winter squash did very well, however, so all was not lost. I set the green bean seeds to soak earlier this week before the monsoon settled in. They're getting lengthy sprouts on them so I must get them in the ground this weekend. I will definitely rely on the local garden store for my seeds again next year. Running too late to reseed, it was off to the nursery for some replacement seedlings to populate the waiting garden. It's still raining so they're in the garage getting even leggier. Sunshine predicted for tomorrow (Saturday) so I'll be busy again this weekend. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers and some morning glories for the fence. Oh yes, and the beans. And mow the %$&@ grass.
This morning's batch of Italian bread is about ready for the oven so it's time to spindle this one.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Gardening time
I've enjoyed growing vegetables since I was a young lad. There's nothing like eating peas right off the vine or wiping a carrot clean (?) on your pant leg before enjoying it. Today I bring the produce into the kitchen to be prepared properly. Most of the time. While enjoying those tasty BLT's is still a few months off, it's time to get started. I tilled up the gardens last weekend. I say gardens because our wooded surroundings provide only scattered areas of adequate sun exposure.
The garden where I prefer planting cucumbers and squash was only recently reclaimed from the wild. Weeds and even brush are still more than a minor annoyance. Pulling weeds is not my favorite pass-time during those hot summer days. Especially when they are entangled with the vines. Being a bit on the lazy side I figured there should be a way around this thankless task. So instead of sending the newspapers off to recycle during the winter I stack them in the basement. Now the town collects all the fallen and pruned branches from local residents and chips them up for composting. Locals can haul away compost or raw chips free of charge. Getting the picture?
After tilling and raking the soil I drag out the newspapers and cover the ground two to four layers thick. Overlapping the layers for good coverage. Since this garden is on a slope I start at the top so the lapped layers won't form a watershed. Then I weight down the paper with a sprinkling of wood chips. I doesn't take many to hold things in place. Keep in mind that choosing a calm day for this allows me to keep my language at a PG rating. During frequent rests from this back breaker it's fun to read last year's news.
It's amusing to read how those now forgotten controversies stirred up the populace. Well, at least the reporters got excited about it. Today the color of Michelle's inauguration day gloves doesn't seem all that critical. Whatever happened to the bird flu pandemic? Migrating song birds with a skull and cross bones on their backs never showed up. Oh yes, all those banks crapped the bed and it's not over yet, but I'll read all about it next spring.
Fast forward to mid-summer. A chair in my favorite shady spot and a can of my favorite brew... Vwallah, no weeds! By autumn the newspaper will be pretty well deteriorated. Any leaves that won't fit into my three composting bins will get dumped on top of this garden. Next spring the whole works gets tilled into the soil and it starts all over again. This will be the fourth season using the paper mulch method on this garden and the soil has become unbelievably rich and loose. The earthworm population has increased dramatically. They love those leaves with paper.
Other garden areas for tomatoes and peppers get the shredded junk mail and grass clippings treatment. Maybe I'll return to that a different time. Or not.
The garden where I prefer planting cucumbers and squash was only recently reclaimed from the wild. Weeds and even brush are still more than a minor annoyance. Pulling weeds is not my favorite pass-time during those hot summer days. Especially when they are entangled with the vines. Being a bit on the lazy side I figured there should be a way around this thankless task. So instead of sending the newspapers off to recycle during the winter I stack them in the basement. Now the town collects all the fallen and pruned branches from local residents and chips them up for composting. Locals can haul away compost or raw chips free of charge. Getting the picture?
After tilling and raking the soil I drag out the newspapers and cover the ground two to four layers thick. Overlapping the layers for good coverage. Since this garden is on a slope I start at the top so the lapped layers won't form a watershed. Then I weight down the paper with a sprinkling of wood chips. I doesn't take many to hold things in place. Keep in mind that choosing a calm day for this allows me to keep my language at a PG rating. During frequent rests from this back breaker it's fun to read last year's news.
It's amusing to read how those now forgotten controversies stirred up the populace. Well, at least the reporters got excited about it. Today the color of Michelle's inauguration day gloves doesn't seem all that critical. Whatever happened to the bird flu pandemic? Migrating song birds with a skull and cross bones on their backs never showed up. Oh yes, all those banks crapped the bed and it's not over yet, but I'll read all about it next spring.
Fast forward to mid-summer. A chair in my favorite shady spot and a can of my favorite brew... Vwallah, no weeds! By autumn the newspaper will be pretty well deteriorated. Any leaves that won't fit into my three composting bins will get dumped on top of this garden. Next spring the whole works gets tilled into the soil and it starts all over again. This will be the fourth season using the paper mulch method on this garden and the soil has become unbelievably rich and loose. The earthworm population has increased dramatically. They love those leaves with paper.
Other garden areas for tomatoes and peppers get the shredded junk mail and grass clippings treatment. Maybe I'll return to that a different time. Or not.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Global Warming?
Oops, I guess climate change is the politically correct term these days. Whatever you want to call it the thermometer hit 88 this afternoon. That's a record for this date in our neck of the woods. I know one day doesn't confirm true climate change, but it give us old codgers something to talk about while sitting in the shade nursing an iced tea.
This morning I cranked up the chain saw and cleaned up some dead wood left over from last winter's ice storm and before. It made a nice addition to the wood pile. This fall we'll spend an evening or two by the fire pit while it turns to ashes. A radio turn to some soft music and a companion for a little quiet conversation. You remember conversation. It was that past time we had before tv and the internet. By noon it was getting too hot to attack any more outdoor chores.
So I escaped to the basement. I'm a computer hobbyist and somewhat of a packrat. The accumulation of cast off computers is starting to get out of hand. Next Saturday is hazardous waste disposal day at the town garage. You know, that day when we all load our old televisions, computers, cell phones, microwave ovens, old cans of paint and used motor oil into the back of the car and spend 45 minutes creeping along with a line of neighbors bent on doing their part to save the planet. It's hard to fight the urge to walk up and down the waiting line to see what goodies others might be throwing out. A few things that I might find useful some day. But no, I must focus on the task at hand. Stern orders on the home front to clear out some of that (maybe useful some day) junk. Sigh.
Good bye to a couple of Dell Pentium IIIs and a Digital PII sans hard drives and memory chips of course. Also several dead mother boards and power supplies. I'm still saving a few cases that will accomodate standard ATX or micro ATX mohter boards that can be found frequently at bargain prices. It's always nice too have an extra computer or two in the wings in case one of those that I'm using dies. I use the Debian Linux operating system on most of mine. I only resort to Windows when I don't have a choice. I'll leave further discussion of my passion for Linux for another day.
Now to load up the car.
This morning I cranked up the chain saw and cleaned up some dead wood left over from last winter's ice storm and before. It made a nice addition to the wood pile. This fall we'll spend an evening or two by the fire pit while it turns to ashes. A radio turn to some soft music and a companion for a little quiet conversation. You remember conversation. It was that past time we had before tv and the internet. By noon it was getting too hot to attack any more outdoor chores.
So I escaped to the basement. I'm a computer hobbyist and somewhat of a packrat. The accumulation of cast off computers is starting to get out of hand. Next Saturday is hazardous waste disposal day at the town garage. You know, that day when we all load our old televisions, computers, cell phones, microwave ovens, old cans of paint and used motor oil into the back of the car and spend 45 minutes creeping along with a line of neighbors bent on doing their part to save the planet. It's hard to fight the urge to walk up and down the waiting line to see what goodies others might be throwing out. A few things that I might find useful some day. But no, I must focus on the task at hand. Stern orders on the home front to clear out some of that (maybe useful some day) junk. Sigh.
Good bye to a couple of Dell Pentium IIIs and a Digital PII sans hard drives and memory chips of course. Also several dead mother boards and power supplies. I'm still saving a few cases that will accomodate standard ATX or micro ATX mohter boards that can be found frequently at bargain prices. It's always nice too have an extra computer or two in the wings in case one of those that I'm using dies. I use the Debian Linux operating system on most of mine. I only resort to Windows when I don't have a choice. I'll leave further discussion of my passion for Linux for another day.
Now to load up the car.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Times, they are a changin'
Oh yes, things are way different than when I was in knee pants. I missed watching the broadcast of the Miss USA contest the other night. My cardiologist forbids me to watch the swim suit competition so I just skipped the whole thing. I did manage to sneak a peek at some of the news photos though. Nice.
Back in my day beauty contests were different. Besides Bert Parks there was the evening gown event and the talent competition where the young ladies would show their skills at handling a baton or maybe sing a little ditty. The major attraction was the swim suit competition where they could show off their physical attributes and poise while being ogled by a kajillion male eyes. Lastly they were required to answer some inane question like, "How would you like to change the world?" The stock answer being "Feed hungry children in Sudan" or something like that. If she could deliver in fifteen words or more without repeating herself or replacing a comma with "Y' know?" she was home free.
This year was different, however. Miss California, a first place contender, draws a question from judge Perez Hilton. I had to Goggle that name to find out who he/she/it was. Hilton's an openly gay in your face celebrity wannabe internet blogger. No doubt he chose the handle for maximum associative shock value. Anyway Hilton asked Miss CA, 'Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?' What they hell kind of question is that for a freekin' beauty contest? Whoever thought a person with such an overt political and social agenda would be a suitable judge for the pageant anyway?
Well Carrie Prejean, from California answered from her heart, and I think rather diplomatically, considering. She said something like, 'We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be - between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.' Watch it for yourself on youtube. Listen to the cheers from the audience.
Now Hilton gets some wonderful self-promoting spin in the media by calling her a 'Dumb bitch' and implying that it cost her first place. What if she had put a lid on her feelings and deferred to the judge's prejudicial position and favored gay marriage? Would the world have afforded her a brighter spotlight? I'm glad we didn't find out. I didn't bother to measure the column inches awarded each in Monday's circus act, but I'm guessing good old fashioned down-to-Earth values lost out again.
I've known a number of gay and lesbian people throughout my life and my heart goes out to those that have suffered at the hands of hardline homophobes. They deserve a better shake than they've had since the door got ripped of the closet, but dammit marriage is a human institution that predates history. It is woven into our society in ways that mean a change like this could result in a much larger unravelling. I think it's high time we stop kowtowing to every minority faction that manages to whip the media into a frenzy and stand our ground. I say three cheers for Ms. Prejean. She's too intelligent to waste her time with such trivial pursuits anyway.
Bert Parks, rest your soul, I miss you.
Time to drop my state assemblyman an email.
Back in my day beauty contests were different. Besides Bert Parks there was the evening gown event and the talent competition where the young ladies would show their skills at handling a baton or maybe sing a little ditty. The major attraction was the swim suit competition where they could show off their physical attributes and poise while being ogled by a kajillion male eyes. Lastly they were required to answer some inane question like, "How would you like to change the world?" The stock answer being "Feed hungry children in Sudan" or something like that. If she could deliver in fifteen words or more without repeating herself or replacing a comma with "Y' know?" she was home free.
This year was different, however. Miss California, a first place contender, draws a question from judge Perez Hilton. I had to Goggle that name to find out who he/she/it was. Hilton's an openly gay in your face celebrity wannabe internet blogger. No doubt he chose the handle for maximum associative shock value. Anyway Hilton asked Miss CA, 'Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?' What they hell kind of question is that for a freekin' beauty contest? Whoever thought a person with such an overt political and social agenda would be a suitable judge for the pageant anyway?
Well Carrie Prejean, from California answered from her heart, and I think rather diplomatically, considering. She said something like, 'We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.
No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be - between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.' Watch it for yourself on youtube. Listen to the cheers from the audience.
Now Hilton gets some wonderful self-promoting spin in the media by calling her a 'Dumb bitch' and implying that it cost her first place. What if she had put a lid on her feelings and deferred to the judge's prejudicial position and favored gay marriage? Would the world have afforded her a brighter spotlight? I'm glad we didn't find out. I didn't bother to measure the column inches awarded each in Monday's circus act, but I'm guessing good old fashioned down-to-Earth values lost out again.
I've known a number of gay and lesbian people throughout my life and my heart goes out to those that have suffered at the hands of hardline homophobes. They deserve a better shake than they've had since the door got ripped of the closet, but dammit marriage is a human institution that predates history. It is woven into our society in ways that mean a change like this could result in a much larger unravelling. I think it's high time we stop kowtowing to every minority faction that manages to whip the media into a frenzy and stand our ground. I say three cheers for Ms. Prejean. She's too intelligent to waste her time with such trivial pursuits anyway.
Bert Parks, rest your soul, I miss you.
Time to drop my state assemblyman an email.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Man's best friend
Here's a photo of my helper, confidant and all around good buddy. Odin came into my life back in the Fall of 2000. While on a consulting job in Boise I accompanied a colleague to the local shelter to pick out a surprise pet for her family. Now acquiring a puppy at a time when my life was rather chaotic was the last thing on my mind. One look at that little ball of fluff with a tail curled up over his back bounding away from a freshly deposited puddle and I was a goner. He just melted my heart. Part border collie and part whatever came over the fence last, this little fellow had nearly perfect color and markings.
Now border collies and blue heelers are popular breeds in that part of the country. Bred as working dogs rather than house pets the less fit pups are winnowed out and disposed of in some manner. "Odie" still tends to run for cover at the slightest sound of gunfire or fireworks so I guess that rendered him unfit for a home on the range. Instead a volunteer found him with a dead litter-mate in a bullet riddled cardboard box along the roadside in rural Idaho. Whether that was the truth or a scripted story to play on my emotions doesn't matter. I had found a buddy and a few days later, my job completed, we started a long mid-winter road trek back home to northern Wisconsin. Of course he wasn't quite house broken yet and it was too cold to drive with the windows down so you can imagine what that trip was like. An ice storm in Nebraska added additional excitement to the trip. That gave us an extra day in a motel room to get to know each other better.
Fast forward to the present. Odin and I now live in upstate New York with significant other and her two cats. Working dog that he is, he sees to the exercise regimen of any local squirrel or rabbit that ventures into the yard and frequently attempts herding cats. One day last week we returned to a favorite pastime of grubbing out some brush at the rear of the property. I'll get a root exposed and tell him to go to work. With an impressive show of growling and snarling he'll work at it until he pulls it loose. Then it's time for a break while we play a game of 'stick'.
Odin has been a good dog. Loves the neighborhood kids and never chases cars. Airplanes and low flying Canada geese, however, are another matter, but that's a story for later. Like most dogs he loves going for walks and rides in the car. Front seat of course. Special friends include the mail lady, drive-in bank tellers and toll booth operators bearing milk bones. His favorite tv channel is the Animal Planet, but he also enjoys any cartoon or commercial featuring animals. He's eight and a half now and starting to slow down just a bit. Like me. Hopefully he'll be around for a few more years and I intend to savor our time left together.
Here boy, let's go for a walk.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
What conservatism means to me
As I look back I can see that I've led a pretty conservative lifestyle. Born of depression era parents I developed a strong work ethic. One where good ethics were as important as good earnings. I learned to live within my means and pay my debts. I've always driven second hand cars because I felt it more important to stow away a little cash for that inevitable rainy day. And there have been a few of those along the way. I was an avid practitioner of "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" long before it became trendy. I never wore loud ties or a ponytail. I felt my government owed me protection from criminals, good roads to drive on and successful execution of our nation's wars when needed. Nothing else. That's my definition of conservative.
I was a fan of J.F.K. ("Ask not what your country can do for you..."), but soured on L.B.J. I voted for Nixon because he was Republican, but he brought shame to the party. I was pretty apolitical until Regan came along. He described political conservatism in a way I could understand and identify with. I was proud of my life and my country once again.
Today the Department of Homeland Security released a warning of right wing extremists that may be planning terrorist activity. Here's the link. It describes these extremist as opposed to gun control. I own a shot gun for bird hunting and a small caliber rifle for vermin and I aim to keep them by golly. Right wingers "are stockpiling weapons and ammunition in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country." That reminds me to pick up a few more boxes of shells before it becomes any more of a hassle. These extremists are upset about illegal immigration. Non-taxpayers loading up our school classrooms and hospital emergency rooms. Darn straight I'm upset. It seems these right wingers fear or "anticipate a cataclysmic economic collapse of the United States". Hmm. A recent advisory by the state of Missouri told law enforcement to take special note of cars bearing Ron Paul bumper stickers as well as those of other third party candidates or political movements. Didn't mention moveon.org though. I wasn't a Ron Paul supporter though I liked some of his ideas. I think it's strange how the media pretty much sidelined his campaign. We keep our pantry well stocked with food due to the harsh winters around here. Another warning sign.
I might be just a harmless old curmudgeon, but it seems I've turned into a right wing extremist almost over night. Now I'm starting to get nervous. Some citizens are organizing a tax protest "Tea Party" rally in the city tomorrow (April 15). If I go will I be further branded as one of the usual suspects?
It has been said that Americans won't lose their freedoms by a revolution or armed invasion. Instead we will give them up freely one at a time. Looking around I think we're well on our way down that slippery slope already. And I don't like it much.
Damn it I'm going to that rally tomorrow. Maybe DHS will even take my picture for their files. My freedom of speech won't die with a whimper.
I was a fan of J.F.K. ("Ask not what your country can do for you..."), but soured on L.B.J. I voted for Nixon because he was Republican, but he brought shame to the party. I was pretty apolitical until Regan came along. He described political conservatism in a way I could understand and identify with. I was proud of my life and my country once again.
Today the Department of Homeland Security released a warning of right wing extremists that may be planning terrorist activity. Here's the link. It describes these extremist as opposed to gun control. I own a shot gun for bird hunting and a small caliber rifle for vermin and I aim to keep them by golly. Right wingers "are stockpiling weapons and ammunition in anticipation of restrictions and bans in some parts of the country." That reminds me to pick up a few more boxes of shells before it becomes any more of a hassle. These extremists are upset about illegal immigration. Non-taxpayers loading up our school classrooms and hospital emergency rooms. Darn straight I'm upset. It seems these right wingers fear or "anticipate a cataclysmic economic collapse of the United States". Hmm. A recent advisory by the state of Missouri told law enforcement to take special note of cars bearing Ron Paul bumper stickers as well as those of other third party candidates or political movements. Didn't mention moveon.org though. I wasn't a Ron Paul supporter though I liked some of his ideas. I think it's strange how the media pretty much sidelined his campaign. We keep our pantry well stocked with food due to the harsh winters around here. Another warning sign.
I might be just a harmless old curmudgeon, but it seems I've turned into a right wing extremist almost over night. Now I'm starting to get nervous. Some citizens are organizing a tax protest "Tea Party" rally in the city tomorrow (April 15). If I go will I be further branded as one of the usual suspects?
It has been said that Americans won't lose their freedoms by a revolution or armed invasion. Instead we will give them up freely one at a time. Looking around I think we're well on our way down that slippery slope already. And I don't like it much.
Damn it I'm going to that rally tomorrow. Maybe DHS will even take my picture for their files. My freedom of speech won't die with a whimper.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Give us this day...
It's nearly lunchtime and the aroma of baking bread is wafting through the house. Twice I've stepped outside for a few minutes just to catch that wonderful smell as I came back in. The oven timer is due to buzz in about four minutes. The hardest part is waiting for the loaves to cool enough for slicing.
I bought a bread machine as a Christmas present for Maggie and me. Okay, mostly for me. I gave up baking bread years ago because I really hated kneading the dough by hand. It's messy and boring. The bread machine makes all of that go away. We baked the first loaf right in the machine like the manual says. Italian bread that looks like it was baked in a square flower pot doesn't taste much like Italian bread from the bakery. Since then I've used the machine only for mixing and kneading and the first rising. From that point I continue the process by hand.
There are tons of recipes out there on the web so I won't go into that. Except for one little hint that I found on only one obscure site. If you like to bake your bread on a hearth stone like I do you know that the loaves tend to collapse or deflate no matter how carefully you transfer them to the stone in the oven. To avoid this I pulverize one half of a 500 mg. vitamin C pill and add it to the mix. Try it yourself. It works.
Oh, it surely must be cool enough to slice by now.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Starting off
Blogging is sort of like thinking out loud except people don't think you're going nuts. So I started this blog to wean myself off muttering to myself while walking my dog in public. Next I'm going to get one of those BlueTooth headsets. Mind you I don't have a BlueTooth cell phone and don't plan to get one. But stick one of those BT things in my ear and I can wander through Home Depot or the super market and chatter away about anything going through my head without getting 'that look'.
I guess that first paragraph about sets the theme for my first venture into blogging. The thing I missed most upon retiring is the old 'water cooler'. We didn't actually have one of those bubbly things with the little paper cups of course, but there was always ample opportunity to chat with coworkers about most any topic d' jur. Besides work there was politics, women, kids, cars, women, crab grass, football, tv shows and women to talk about. Oh did I mention women? I'm still interested in women, I just can't remember why and Green Bay has been kind of sucky since Favre retired. (Wonder if he's got a blog?)
So here I'd like to carry on conversations on just as wide range of topics from the perspective of those of us that have been around the block once or twice. Maybe a few others would like to throw in two cents worth from time to time.
I guess that first paragraph about sets the theme for my first venture into blogging. The thing I missed most upon retiring is the old 'water cooler'. We didn't actually have one of those bubbly things with the little paper cups of course, but there was always ample opportunity to chat with coworkers about most any topic d' jur. Besides work there was politics, women, kids, cars, women, crab grass, football, tv shows and women to talk about. Oh did I mention women? I'm still interested in women, I just can't remember why and Green Bay has been kind of sucky since Favre retired. (Wonder if he's got a blog?)
So here I'd like to carry on conversations on just as wide range of topics from the perspective of those of us that have been around the block once or twice. Maybe a few others would like to throw in two cents worth from time to time.
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