I get a moderate amount of smack-talk for not having the comments section on my blog enabled. Most of the smack comes from THIS GUY:

Who, let's face it, might as well be the poster-child for why you SHOULD NOT have the comments section enabled on your blog . . .

That being said, I am not against having a comments section, I just can't get it to work.

So after a few beers and a couple glasses of wine the other night, THIS GUY

Loudly protested that I must be the only person in the blogosphere who cannot work his comments section. And a challenge like that, dear readers, cannot remain unanswered.

I have set up a new password that has been forwarded to the above pictured offender to see of he can make my comments section work.

Now, I realize that giving out my account information to this guy is like handing your car keys to an inebriated friend who "jush wans to go to da stor for a couble more beeers . . ." but the wife and I plan on celebrating New Year's at his house tonight and if there is any blog-desecration, a swift kick to the yarbles will be administered forth-with.

Have at it, my friend.

Somewhere in the world someone is training when you are not. When you race him, he will win.

- Tom Fleming's Boston Marathon sign

by Robert Phillips

She was a girl
no one ever chose
for teams or clubs,
dances or dates,

so she chose the instrument
no one else wanted;
the tuba. Big as herself,
heavy as her heart,

its golden tubes
and coils encircled her
like a lover's embrace.
Its body pressed on hers.

Into its mouthpiece she blew
life, its deep-throated
oompahs, oompahs sounding,
almost, like mating cries.

2.58 Miles / 43:09 Min / 16:40 mpm

Walked 30 min, ran 5 min, walked the rest of the way. I had intended to go one hour total but at the 43 min mark, we reached the dawg park and the dawg was jones-ing for some face-chewing action so we called it.

The photo above is of the Cabrillo Bridge, named for San Diego's European Discoverer. It formed the ceremonial entrance to the 1915 Exposition. Frankin Delano Roosevelt was in the first car to drive across the structure during it's dedication ceremony in 1914.

It is 450 feet long and 120 feet high, modeled after a Romam aqueduct. While highway 163 currently runs underneath, originally the bridge spanned a lagoon.

193 lbs - 6' 1" - okay, not a porker but no paparazzi at the beach either.

Canterbury Tales by Chaucer - written 1390 AD

"To understand where the English language comes from" - The Hugh Hewitt Show

There is no room for frills when you're fighting the lone battle against yourself. It's something only a runner would understand.

- Saucony

3.45 Miles / 68 min / 19:46 mpm

What do you call a runner that does a 19:46 mile? A walker.

That's right. It has been so long since my last run and I am seemingly so prone to injuries that we decided to walk Florida canyon today.

You are supposed to leash your dawg but I never do, of course, unless we are crossing the road or something.

Today, we passed by another dawg owner who's pooch was a-runnin' free. He warned us that a park ranger was "on the prowl" and handing out warnings to people with unleashed dawgs.

I harnessed the dawg as we headed into the militarized zone. About 30 seconds up the hill we ran into the MAN.

"Morning" I said.

He saw that the pooch was properly restrained, smiled and said, "Good morning".

I took the picture above just as the ranger was moving out of sight. Seconds later the dawg was runnin' free again.

Later on, we passed by an older woman with two unleashed dawgs and gave her the same warning. She was very grateful and leashed her dawgs as she went on down the trail.

So often, when I am driving on the freeway, all the traffic inexplicably slows to 55 or 60 and then I see the police cruiser who is the cause of it all. It is like there is this bubble of a 1/4 mile around him doing the speed limit and I wonder, "Do they have any idea what the real world is like?"

Of course they do. They have their own civilian cars that they drive on their own time. It must really burn some of them up to see the difference between traffic when they are on duty and traffic when they are off duty.

I wonder if the ranger we met today has a dawg . . .

Anyway, the walk went fine. My ankle started to hurt towards the end as did my right IT band.

c'est la vie

From Elizabeth: Kyrgyzstan touted as ideal delivery hub for Santa

Key Graphs:

"Seeking a novel remedy to revive its rickety economy, the tiny ex-Soviet state of Kyrgyzstan has declared itself the new home of Santa Claus.

"They named a mountain peak after Santa, to join Mounts Lenin, and Yeltsin, and declared 2008 "The Year of Santa Claus".

"A group of professional mountain-climbers will pitch the country's flag at the newly renamed peak, Kyrgyzstan's tourism authority said, while a world festival of Santa's is planned for the capital's main square."

This sounds suspiciously like "I would like to be a Lion Tamer . . . I have a hat!"

The Divine Comedy by Dante - written 1360 AD
"The world's greatest poetry, the best science of his time, some of the best theology ever written." - The Hugh Hewitt Show

by Mary Leader

There was a time her door was never closed.
Her music box played "Fur Elise" in plinks.
Her crib new-bought - I drew her sleeping there.

The little drawing sits beside my chair.
These days, she ornaments her hands with rings.
She's seventeen. Her door is one I knock.

There was a time I daily brushed her hair
By window light - I bathed her, in the sink
In sunny water, in the kitchen, there.

I've bought her several thousand things to wear,
And now this boy buys her silver rings.
He goes inside her room and shuts the door.

Those days, to rock her was a form of prayer.
She'd gaze at me, and blink, and I would sing
Of bees and horses, in the pasture, there.

The drawing sits as still as nap-time air -
Her curled-up hand - that precious line, her cheek . . .
Next year her door will stand, again, ajar
But she herself will not be living there.

Blondie's Blah Blog has a funny video about being from Delaware.

That's funny, I always thought she was from Jersey . . .

"A very rich and creamy version of macaroni and cheese. This can be made any time of the year. My whole family loves it."

Recipe Here

Ok, seeing as how the New Year is fast approaching, this is the first installment of the Weakly Sherpa - a reading plan that will get me through the Bible in one year.

As you may know, the Bible is not really one book but a collection of 66 books. The 66 books of the Bible are not laid out chronologically cover to cover and many of them overlap giving you different viewpoints on the same time period. Some are even carbon copies of each other in places.

All this means that trying to read the Bible cover to cover from page one on through is like reading a novel where the chapters are all jumbled. You can do it but I don't think it is as enjoyable and it certainly makes it harder to follow.

For that reason, I have chosen a chronological reading plan that will take me through the books of the Bible in the order that the events occurred (as far as we can tell).

The reading plan (and others) is here but I will also be posting the plan in weakly segments on the ol' blog.

Oh, and I am using the New International Version (NIV) for no reason other than its the one I am used to.

So without further ado - here is what I (and hopefully some of you) will be reading this next week:

January 01 --- Genesis 1-3
January 02--- Genesis 4-7
January 03 --- Genesis 8-11
January 04 --- Job 1-5
January 05 --- Job 6-9
January 06 --- Job 10-13

I am a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Actually, I am a big believer in making resolutions whenever the need arises. But there is something about a new year that brings the need for resolutions into focus.

Much of 2007 felt like being "drug through a knothole backwards" as my father-in-law would say and I spent most of last year rope-a-doping.

Many of the things that made last year difficult have not changed but I get the sense that the forces of darkness have reached the bottom of their bag of tricks and are out of surprises for now.

Time to shake it off, regroup and take stock.

Resolution #1: Physical Health

Seeing as how I can't afford to buy all new pants and the grocery bill keeps climbing - it's time to lose some weight.

I figure 10-15 lbs ought to do it although I am more concerned with my appearance and the way my pants fit than the actual number on the scale. Which is a good thing since I don't trust the old-busted scale we bought ten years ago for about $5. I suppose my first resolution should be to buy a scale just to try and track some progress . . .

Resolution #2: Physical, Mental and Emotional Health

Ruuuuun! The Great Upheaval put a kink in my get-along and then I rolled my ankle on Halloween. Well, it's time to get after it again.

Seeing as how I am now entering into year three of my 6-month marathon training program, here's hoping that I will be running my first marathon next fall. . . .

Resolution #3: Mental and Spiritual Health

Read more betterer books. I have been posting a list of must-read books over the past few weeks and number one on the list is THE BOOK itself - the Bible.

I have actually intentionally read through the Bible cover to cover three or four times. If you add up all the reading of pieces here and there, I have probably read it five or six times. I haven't read it cover to cover in a while and its time to do it again.

Regardless of your persuasion, I think we can all agree that the Bible is the most influential piece of writing in history. For that reason alone, we all should read it at least once. For "believers" its not just a good idea - its basically mandatory.

So . . . to try and stay on track, I will be posting progress reports.

"On The Run" postings will return as soon as I - well - start running.

The Bible thing can be handled by reading 15 minutes a day - everyday. In an effort to encourage all of you to read along, I will post my "Weakly Sherpa" reading schedule once a week and post some "Soul Food" - a verse or two from my daily reading each day.

On the skinny-down front, I may even post the dreaded "Weight and See" numbers once a week (provided I pick up a scale that I trust).

So you are probably sitting there in your PJ's hitting the bottom of that first cup of coffee and saying, "Yeah, right - when will you find the time?"

Well, I don't feel like I have a choice.

We all need to watch our weight - it's not really optional. Some of us have it easier than others but we all need to mind our bodies.

We all need regular exercise and goodness knows the dawg needs it too. Again - not optional.

For me, I fall into the reading-the-Bible-is-mandatory category - once again, not optional.

And the postings? I don't see how I will carry it all through without some accountability - so that may be optional but I feel it is very very necessary.

So that's the plan. We are going to get off the ropes and come out swinging in 2008.

Nana-korohi, ya-oki !

by Robert Lax

if you were an ally violinist

and they threw you money
from three windows

and the first note contained
a nickle and said:
when you play, we dance and
sing, signed
a very poor family

and the second one contained
a dime and said:
I like your playing very much,
signed
a sick old lady

and the last one contained
a dollar and said:
beat it,

would you:
stand there and play?

beat it?

walk away playing your fiddle?

"I came up with this sandwich on my own. My husband wanted a plain grilled ham and cheese sandwich and I decided to experiment with some ingredients from the fridge. He absolutely loved it! Try using a chipotle mayonnaise to spice it up a bit."

Recipe Here

To win without risk is to triumph without glory.

- Pierre Cornielle

VFTW has a great example of what I mean by going green / making green. Starbucks probably saves .15 - they pass .10 on to the consumer and the whole enterprise is easier on the environment.

While I am at it, he also has a great suggestion for a new year's tradition.

"A great combination of flavors. Serve with some mashed garlic red potatoes and sweetened green beans for a fabulous special occasion meal. Don't forget to serve a bottle of Cabernet or Zinfandel."

Recipe Here

The View From Two Wheels has a post containing his new favorite Christmas song. Good stuff I think seeing as how a I have a number of friends from all different persuasions.

I was flipping the channel in the car the other day and came across Dr. Laura. I don't usually listen to her show but in this case a woman was asking how she is supposed to manage gathering together with members of her family who have very different worldviews etc etc.

The caller wanted to know how she should tactfully address every ones differences at the holiday table a la the "Festivus airing of grievances" :



Dr. Laura's answer was typically short, "Keep your mouth shut".

Feast days are a time for people to gather together and celebrate the common ground they share. For people who hold a given holiday with strong religious, symbolic, historical etc meaning, this can be a bit rough.

But I will say this, I would rather gather at a rowdy table surrounded by scores of saints and sinners alike than spend a holiday with just those few who imbue the day with the exact same meaning I do (that is - assuming they don't consider me one of the un-washed masses and turn me away at the door).

"While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"

"On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

- Matthew 9:10-13

After the wife turned in on Christmas Eve, I stayed up to read and watch the fire in the fireplace burn itself out when "out in the yard there arose such a clatter". Around 11:30pm I heard the unmistakable "Screech! Boom! Rattle Rattle Rattle" of a car accident.

I grabbed my car keys, wallet and cel phone and headed towards what sounded like a car crash a few blocks away. Unfortunately, I was right. Luckily, no one was seriously injured and everything turned out about as well as a major accident on Christmas Eve can turn out.

By the time I got home again, I was too wired to sleep so I stayed up a little while more before turning in.

The wife and I got up Christmas morning, poured each other a cuppa joe, lit a fire in the fireplace and commenced the gift opening.

The Dawg actually opened his own gift this year. I shot some video of the affair but I shot it sideways and can't figure out how to turn it right-side-up. It is also apparently to large a file to upload anywhere and after futzing with it for about an hour yesterday, I decided to move on.

It is always a challenge to buy gifts for the Dawg because he is just so big. Any toy that is not made of tempered steel seems to get destroyed. This time I drove to a shwanky pet boutique and picked out a large dawg-friendly soccer ball with a nylon strap attached. The sales sign proudly exclaimed that it was "Perfect for Large Dogs".

It was fun watching him roll the gift around the living room floor tearing at the gift wrapping. Once he got the paper off, he immediately dragged the ball to his bed by the fire.

Here is what the scene looked like about two minutes later (sorry about the sideways video):



This is where the soccer ball ended up:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" - John 3:16

"In him was life, and that life was the light of men." - John 1:4

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - John 10:10b

"Suddenly, a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'" - John 2:13-14


Who Comes This Night by James Taylor

Who comes this night, this wintry night,
As to the lowly manger?
The Shepards and the Kings did come
To welcome in the stranger.

Who sends this song upon the air,
To ease the soul that's aching?
To still the cry of deep despair
And heal the heart that's breaking.

Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading.
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger's waiting?

Who comes this night, with humble heart,
To give the fullest measure
A gift of purest love to bring
What good and worthy treasure.

Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

For those who would the stranger greet
Must lay their heart before him
And raise their song in voices sweet
To worship and adore him

Brother Joseph bring the light
Fast, the night is fading
And who will come this wintry night
To where the stranger's waiting

Brother Joseph bring the lamb
For they are asking for him.
The children come this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

Pure of heart this starry night
To lay their hearts before him.

From The Most Significant Thing this morning:

"This may be my favorite Christmas album, not that I have a lot of favorite Christmas albums, mind you, I'm referring to the cover. I mean, come on Ray, where does he think he's going?

"I can just picture the record company talking Ray into it: "No, man, no -you look great! Okay, hold this. Good! Smile, Ray!" And the look on his face is priceless. It's like he's saying, "Hey, uh, what am I holding again? Fellas? Hello?" You can just hear the entourage snickering in the background, out there in the forest. It's like the cover of a comedy album. The thought of a blind guy in a blue tux behind the reins of a big-ass, one-horse sleigh dashing through the snow across the countryside makes me laugh all day long."

Read the whole thing.

Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas written 1252 AD

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When I was thinking of naming this thing, I wanted the name to include some of the items I would be writing about as well as have a little twist if possible. Knowing I would not be creating the sine qua non of the blogosphere, I thought it should include a little bit of self-derision as well.

So, "The Dawg Run" it is. Why? Well, I write a lot about my dawg and a lot about running. Why "d-a-w-g" instead of "d-o-g"? Because "d-o-g" was taken.

Also, a dawg run is usually a crummy place on the side of the house where you corral your dawg when you aren't home. Most dawg runs are gravel, devoid of all life other than the dawg itself and smell strongly of urine. By the way - watch where you step!

Incidentally, "Watch where you step!" was my original subtitle which I thought would nicely fit with the caliber of the content but I decided it was a little too "in your face" or should I say "on your shoe".

Why spell this all out? Only because I am truly struck by the name of another blog by a good friend of mine.

And let me also say, that I understand by offering some gentle ribbing about another person's blog, I am unleashing a Pandora's box of bad-blog-ju-ju upon myself. Fortunately for me, I can't figure out how to enable the comments section on my blog so I have little to lose . . .

It's this blog right here.

One post from December 7th? "Simply Never Give Up"?

C'mon man! Throw us a blogbone once a week at least!

This blog belongs to a friend of mine and more than anything, I am dying to read what is in this guy's head. But "Simply Never Give Up" seems to have applied to finishing the ONE-AND-ONLY posting that's there.

Or maybe I am missing it, maybe I am the one who should "Simply Never Give Up" hoping that another posting will be coming out aaaannny minute . . . . WAIT!

Still nothing.

I will persevere! I will not give up! I will keep checking and checking and . . . .

still nothing.

Man, this really is good for me. I am learning all sorts of things about myself. I am learning patience, I am learning to cling to hope, and am learning to put my faith in miracles . . . .

nothing.

SIMPLY NEVER GIVE UP!

aw crep - still nothing. Maybe he isn't awake yet . . .

The Christmas shopping actually hasn't been too bad this year for a couple of reasons:

A) Due to the Great Upheaval, we are buying gifts for about 1/3 the number of people as we have in years past and truth-be-known, we don't miss it. I think we have finally reached the age where (for the most part) the gifts are for the children in our lives. The only gift I want from my friends and family is a relaxing afternoon spent together over a hot grill and some cold drinks.

2) What gifts we did buy this year were mostly handled by my dear wife.

So I awoke Saturday morning tasked with gifts for the immediate family: Wife, Kat, Dawg.

I re-hashed the Xmes budget one more time and then commenced the annual emptying of what was left of the bank account.

First stop? Amazon.com, of course. Moderate success - gifts shipped to the office to avoid prying eyes.

Then I loaded up the dawg, kissed the wife, took a deep breath, and plunged into consumerdom.

And I must say - even though it was the shortest day of the year, it certainly was one of the most beautiful. Clear blue skies and a crispness to the air.

We stopped at shopping destination #1 and walked the entire thing - nothing.

Feeling demoralized, I turned the Jeep towards PetsMart knowing I was virtually guaranteed success. Got the Dawg mostly cared for.

After that, some In-N-Out and then off to shopping district #2 - Wife mostly cared for, Dawg finished.

All I needed now was to finish out the wife and take care of the Kat - three more stops and BINGO! Done! We were home by 4:30pm.

(Incidentally, you may be wondering how I navigate a mall with a 90lb Dawg in tow. It's easy, I assume that he is accepted everywhere I go that doesn't serve or sell food. Macy's? Cruise on in. Barnes and Noble? In we go. And so on. I figure he is better behaved that just about all children and some adults. If we get kicked out, I simply shrug, apologize, and head for the nearest exit. If I really need something in the store, I will leash him out front and go back in. If not, we carry on. I can probably count on one hand the number of places we have been thrown out of.)

While the wife made dinner, I cued up some Christmas tunes, grabbed my pipe, a libation, an armful of Christmas wrapping and sequestered myself in the guest room.

Because of some pet concerns with the 1 year-old Dawg and the 16 year-old Kat, we have decided not to leave gifts under the tree this year. Instead, we have piled them on the dining room table along with most of the Christmas cards we have received.

Xmes is here.


Christmas is coming . . .

Song of Roland - author unknown - written approx. 1099 AD


An excellent Battle Poem and character study - The Hugh Hewitt show

Garmin nüvi 660 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator

(aside: I finally learned how to link to Instapundit!)

" . . . drinking 8 to 14 glasses of wine per week, particularly red wine, was linked to as much as a 60 percent reduction in the risk of developing a cold."

Based on that, you may also need this . . .

Pasta hangover cure.

Man, those Italians have it figured out . . .

J. Russell Coffey was America's last living vetran of World War 1.

He passed away Thursday at the age of 109.

The wind howls, because it knows it has to chase me. Just do it.

- NIKE

HT: Rita and Heather who both sent this in yesterday

On my way to work yesterday, I heard this story on NPR. (Listen to the audio before you read the article).

It really made an impression on me.

I remember growing up wearing hand-made clothes, drinking powdered milk and eating hot-dog pizza all in the name of saving money. And I do not remember ever feeling disadvantaged.

It seems that children really don't need all that much in the way of material things in order to be happy. Food, shelter, clothing and a loving home.

A good thing to remember this time of year.

This is it.

Oh I know, you feel like it's been winter for the past month or so. But it hasn't. Today is officially the last day of Fall, 2007.

Best to throw another log on the fire, another blanket on the bed and set out the long johns for tomorrow because ol' man winter is a-commin.

Tomorrow is also the shortest day of the year in terms of sunlight so take a deep breath and hunker down - we will all get through this together.

The great a glorious news is that come Sunday (The LORD's day) the days start getting longer and it is a wonderful stairway to heavenly summer days for the next six months.

If I sound like a winter-basher, I'm not. In fact, San Diego arguably does not have a winter - we get four months of Spring (Feb-May), four months of Summer (June-Sept), four months of Fall (Oct-Jan) and then slide right back into spring again.

Its the darkness. I don't like the darkness.

Leaving home in the dark - coming home in the dark. Going for days at a stretch without seeing the backyard.

I would rather it rained, sleeted and snowed all day long if I could just have blessed light until 7pm.

So meteorlogically speaking, tomorrow is the low point for me.


Oh. And I haven't started Christmas shopping yet.

It's long johns, checkbook, car keys and a headlamp for me tomorrow. . .

"Sliced ham is layered in a casserole with pineapple and brown sugar then baked in ginger ale. My family does this every year with our Christmas Eve ham and it never fails to be anything but delicious!"

Recipe here.

Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius written 524 AD

"To understand God's relationship to fate and how to handle difficult times" - The Hugh Hewitt show

I have heard the rumors as well as you have: You should not leave beverages in plastic bottles in the sun or heat as the chemicals from the plastic leech into the drink and cause a maelstrom of problems. "This public service announcement brought to you by the ACME glass bottle company."

Like you, I am never too sure how much of what to believe because next week they will all be saying something else.

I will say that I don't leave the dawg's water in the car for more than 24 hours. Every time we head out, I fill a poisonous plastic bottle with fresh water. I have been considering buying a Nalgene bottle as I remember hearing somewhere that the plastic they use is of a higher grade and therefore less harmful.

Then I see this:

"The Canadian outdoor apparel store, Mountain Equipment Co-op, pulled Nalgene bottles and other polycarbonate plastic containers from their shelves, and is telling consumers to return old bottles for a refund. The reason? Recent studies have shown a link between a compound in the plastic, called bisphenol A, and a variety of cancers (including breast and prostate cancer), premature puberty, and lowered testosterone levels in animals."

Read the whole thing.

Its a good thing beer comes in glass bottles . . .

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

- Booker T. Washington

"Sweet orange marmalade enhances the flavor of the tart cranberries in this wonderful dish. For a more intense flavor, use 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries and do not chop."

Recipe Here.

This is the Symbol for Peace:

I have always liked getting out in the fresh air but in the past couple of years I have really begun to enjoy it. Now that we have a dawg, I am more interested than ever in local hikes and nature trails.

As far as I am concerned, a hike that involves water (along a stream or to a waterfall) is twice as good as a hike without.

So imagine my pleasure to discover this map of all the waterfalls in California.

I also discovered this archive of a regular article in the San Diego Reader highlighting local trail and nature paths.

Happy hiking!

Confessions by Saint Augustine written 386 AD


"To see how you fall short of a great Christian leader" - Hugh Hewitt show

I do not run now and I do not like to run. I can walk forever, but running seems rather needless unless a giant Martian tripod has just burst through the pavement and is using a death ray to level your neighborhood. Even then I would prefer to saunter, because they’re going to go after the guys who are running away, just to prove a point.

- James Lileks

Aeneid by Virgil written approx 30BC

"There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people."

Bill Bowerman

Link Here.

Elizabeth pointed me to this article in the NY Times on Eco-friendly Fashion:

"No matter how sincere fashion designers may be in their efforts to embrace the green movement this season, consumers may find themselves perplexed by how to gauge the environmental impact of the many products that claim to be eco-friendly. . .

“'When you only look at the raw materials to ask if something is really green, you are like the blind person holding the tail of the elephant,' said Chris Van Dyke, chief executive of Nau, a three-year-old outdoor clothing line founded on the principle of sustainable practices throughout its production cycle, including the ecological costs of shipping and caring for garments. 'There’s a whole lot of other factors you need to assess.' . .

"Some designs marketed as environment-friendly might include only a fraction of organic cotton, or a tag made of recycled paper. And some so-called green fashion may be downright silly, like the Goyard canvas shopping tote shown in the Barneys “Have a Green Holiday” catalog: the bag is $1,065, plus $310 for painted monogramming of a triangular recycle symbol in gold. The canvas, the catalog says, is “100% recyclable.” . .

"Sorry, does canvas go with paper, plastic or glass? . . .

"And there are still other factors for the concerned consumer to consider. . .

"Some argue that the greenest clothes — the ones least likely to adversely affect the earth and its climate — are the ones you already own. No new resources will be depleted to make them, and if they need infrequent washing and can be drip-dried, all the better. . ."

Check out this slide show of "Green" clothing along with the Pros and Cons. My personal favorite:

"ORGANIC COTTON JEANS:

"PRO Loomstate jeans, $295, are made domestically (Kentucky) from unwashed, untreated organic-cotton denim; the paper label is impregnated with seeds so you can plant it and grow flowers.

"CON Subject to unpredictable shrinkage; the care tag suggests washing with shampoo while wearing them in the shower and drying in the sun."

Let's see . . . the paper care instruction tag is impregnated with seeds that will sprout when wet . . . Anyone see a problem here?

I am a "conveniently green" person. As long as it is convenient and someone isn't in my face about it, I will do my best to do the so-called eco-responsible thing.

But tell me I have to schlep my trash from the office to my home to recycle it. Uh, no.

Tell me my deodorant is killing the universe and we were all meant to smell the way we smell. Step away from me.

Stand over my desk and "tsk tsk" as I throw my soda bottle away and you can bet I will be taking the long way home spewing whatever evil my suv spews the whole way.

You want people to be more green? Then make it more convenient - put recycle cans next to trash cans on the streets. And figure out a way to recycle more than one thing in the same container because I shant be separating the white paper from the colored paper in some sort of eco-cultural-throwback to segregation.

In short, make a better / more convenient product at a cheaper price. Heck, with all the guilt people are carrying around concerning the environment, it doesn't even have to be better or cheaper - people are actually willing to pay a little more for enviro-friendly products that are of slightly inferior quality. The key words here are "a little more" for "slightly inferior".

But tell me I have to wear my $295 jeans in the shower and wash them with shampoo while wild flowers sprout where wild flowers most certainly do not belong? Be serious.

"Baked spaghetti with ground beef and pepperoni topped with shredded cheese."

Recipe Here.

On Duties by Cicero - written approx 46 BC


To understand the meaning of duty - The Hugh Hewitt Show

Link Here.

I drink coffee just about every day - and by coffee, I mean brownish-black, flavored water, poured from a glass tub that sits on a burner all day long.

To me coffee is the morning version of the martini. Martini's are made with Gin (or Vodka) period. You may want to add an olive, perhaps a twist (or if your over 70, an onion) a mist of vermouth is acceptable. But when you start adding fluorescent-colored schnapps and fruit juice, you may have a perfectly delightful drink - but don't call it a martini. "Appletini" is an oxy-moron.

What started me on this tirade this morning? Lileks:

"I took (G)Nat to the Convention Grill tonight, something we’d been putting off for a long time. I begged the waitress for some coffee, and she said it might be a while; they had to make some. I wanted to bring out my copy of the National American Restaurant Charter, an important document written in 1912, which states, without preamble, codicils, amendments or secret protocols that there shall always be coffee available to succor the needy and enbrisken the spirits. One could say that the assertion of immediate coffee as a right, not a boon to be granted at the owner’s whims, was one of the founding concepts of American restaurants, and one of the things that made this country great. If a bit jittery. We’ve gotten away from the idea, what with the Starbucks paradigm and the general acceptance of standing and waiting for your coffee drink to be assembled from raw materials. It’s a bad sign. A nation that always has a hot pot on the Bunn-o-Matic burner is a nation that can deal with Hitler."

Well said. Which leads me to my beef with Starbucks.

I have no problem with the corporate behemoth gobbling up all the "coffeetini" market share in any given market. After all, Starbucks started as a mom and pop in Seattle and I suspect most mom and pop's would give their eye-teeth to build their single store into a world-wide empire. You want to compete? Build a better "coffeetini" for less in a more pleasing environment.

My problem with Starbucks is the "medium (or whatever they call it) half-calf, half-decalf, caramel macchiato, with extra foam on the side, extra hot, in a large cup, with an extra heat sleeve, handed to my left hand by your right hand. Oh, and I am in a hurry".

AND THEY MAKE IT WITH A SMILE.

Anyone that steps up to the counter and spouts out such self-absorbed nonsense ought to be backhanded and sent packing (which is probably why most mom and pops can't compete).

"If you don't like it - just don't go there" I can hear you sigh.

I will confess that I do go there about 4 or 5 times a year. Usually to order a Latte to calm my stomach after a night of abusing my digestive system. It's not what goes on at the counter that is the problem. It is how it effects MY JOB AT THE OFFICE.

It used to be sufficient for us to do good work, expeditiously, and then mail or fax the required documents to the appropriate parties. Thanks to Starbucks, I now have grown adults telling me that it is not good enough that they received the required documents, they want them e-mailed as well. To five different parties. And then a hard copy messengered but to someone else's address. And if I overnight something - use UPS, not Fedex, as three years ago the Fedex man heaved a heavy sigh when I asked him to place the packages right-side up with the colored lines perpendicular to my ego . . .

Not a big deal, I suppose. IF YOU ONLY HAVE ONE PIN-HEADED CLIENT TO DEAL WITH. But multiply that by 50 or 60 - all with different preferences. I actually had someone complain yesterday that I had e-mailed all the correct documents to her but not to her assistant as well. Presumably because she is incapable of forwarding e-mails within her own organization.

These are the same people who call up and need urgent action on the "Smith" file. "No, I don't have the file order number . . . No, I don't know the property address . . . No, I can't remember their first name or mine, for that matter . . . Can't you just look it up?"

"Sure, but right now I am forwarding an e-mail to your assistant . . ." I reply.

*sigh*

I blame Starbucks.

= Don't mind me - I haven't had my first cup of COFFEE yet this morning . . .=

"Anyone can run 20 miles. It's the next six that count."

Barry Magee

We went to dinner with some friends last night and the conversation turned to this. Which led to a list of things we would or would not like to do such as skydiving, hot-air ballooning etc. The usual drill.

10 years ago, I would have been up for all of it. Bungee jumping, Skydiving, the works. But not so anymore. I have no longer have the desire to have my body jerked and pulled by forces stronger than I whilst staring death in the face.

I am also not interested in doing this. But, man! It sure looks cool!

If you run 100 miles a week, you can eat anything you want -- Why?

Because:

(a) you'll burn all the calories you consume,
(b) you deserve it, and
(c) you'll be injured soon and back on a restricted diet anyway.

- Don Kardong

"Salmon fillets are brushed with a pomegranate-mustard mixture, broiled, then topped with a lemon-dill-parsley gremolada. Serve atop garlic mashed potatoes and sprinkle with pomegranate arils for a gourmet feast."

Recipe Here.

This is not good.

Check this out

Then this

It was a year ago today (okay, technically the 9th) that we brought the Dawg home. Not knowing anything about owning a dawg, we went straight to our local Petsmart and man, was that ever the right thing to do!

We bumped into one of their dawg trainers who spent the next 30 min or so leading us around the store helping us pick out everything we need.

Just in case any dear readers out there are considering their first dawg this Christmas, here is the basic rundown of what we ended up buying and the approximate cost.

- Adjustable Nylon Collar with name tag - $12
- Leash - $7
- Two Ceramic food / water bowls for inside - $30
- One ceramic water bowl for outside - $15
- Two stainless Steel food /water bowels for the car - $12
- Puppy Food $25
- Freeze-dried Liver Cubes (treats) - $15
- Milk Bones - $5
- Clean-up bags - $8
- Dawg Kennel & Dawg bed for sleeping at night and corralling during the day - $50
- Assorted toys - $25
- Non-detergent Puppy shampoo - $10
- "Zoom Groomer" - $8
- Tuition to 8-week puppy class - $100
- Health plan at Banfield - $139 up-front then $20 a month for one year

As the advertisement goes . . . "adding a best-friend to the family - priceless".

To be truthful, we did not buy all of these things on that very first trip to Petsmart - but in an ideal world, we would have. Without extolling the virtues of each item we bought, a few words are probably worth-while.

1) We are VERY glad that we did not start our 10 lb puppy in the habit of sleeping in our bed or getting on the furniture. In fact, he has never been on any piece of furniture. A decision we feel especially good about now that he has grown into a 90lb horse-dawg.

2) The Puppy class was worth every penny. It is more about training you than the dawg and for someone like me who didn't know anything about dawgs but was very willing to learn, it was great! We also enrolled in the 6-week intermediate class after that which was also very helpful.



3) The health plan at Banfield is wonderful. Many Petsmarts have a Banfield Veterinary franchise in their stores. They schedule all the shots etc for you and the cost of spaying / neutering is included. In addition, as long as you are on their plan, all your office visits are free which really helps a first-time dawg owner who just wants to know why this thing is red or that thing doesn't feel right.

4) I should also mention that anyone who walks into a serious pet store or vet during the month of December with a new puppy should probably brace themselves for a certain amount of sideways glances and muttered scorn about "Christmas Puppies". It's as if everyone who gets a puppy at Christmas takes a few photos around the tree and then "It's off to the glue factory for you!" Serious pet people get exorcised about that sort of thing because they care. If you experience it, best to chalk it up to good intentions and look forward to the day in March when you bump into the same people and they happily exclaim, "So you decided to keep him!"



It has been a wonderful experience owning our first dawg and we have asked ourselves many times why we didn't do it sooner. Something I imagine we will also be saying if / when we have children.

Our dawg has tied us closer to home and regulated our schedules a little more - no more just heading off to dinner after work or out of town on the weekend. Things need to slow down, be thought through a little more.

At the same time, the dawg has gotten us out of the house more - after all, a tired puppy makes for a happy puppy and even happier owners. Everywhere we take the dawg, we are compelled to explore the "great outdoors" a little more.

And I also think, in his own small way, he has made the world in general a happier place. Countless children's faces passing by have lit up at the sign of our dawg and many people have been reduced to smiles and mush at the opportunity to pet him.

The first year has been wonderful and we are looking forward to many, many more with our new best friend.