We’ve had this week some of the nastiest, rawest weather I can remember in Sonoma County — four days of consecutively colder wet, windy, blustery, raw days. Yesterday while driving to work in a wind-whipped downpour (big drops that seemed to have semi-solid cores), the temperature gauge in my car said 34 degrees. Now I know Midwesterners and Easterners may laugh at that, but having lived both places, I can […]
The Sunday NY Times editorial pages had a large number of graphs, showing the changes in the American publics’ attitudes and habits over the last 25 years or so. Most the the graphs were mildly interesting, but one was striking: The number of Americans who say they read a newspaper daily has declined over that time from about 70% to about 40%. As someone who reads not one but two […]
Following an effective appearance on national television last week, the Socialist Party candidate, Segolene Royal, has pulled even in the polls with the center-right (Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, or UMP) candidate, Nicolas Sarkozy, according to this article in Le Figaro. Sarkozy had previously held a solid 8% to 10% lead before the appearance. Royal came across on TV as more likable than Sarkozy according to this article, although Sarkozy […]
My youngest son Andrew’s CYO team plays in the championship of their division next weekend. In a first-ever for me, here’s some video highlights of his game this weekend. He’s number 5. Two jump shots, an almost-drawn charge, a steal and a knock-down, and an assist: A pretty good little player, but I’m biased.
My kids’ school is big into History Day. History Day is a national competition in which students are given a theme and have to do projects related to that theme. The projects can be things like a paper, a poster, a web site, or a presentation. In our kids’ school, even numbered grades beginning in Grade 4 have to do a history day project. Since our boys are in 6th […]
Reflecting on my earlier post here, I decided to do some quick research on criticisms of the report that claimed that the “all in” or “dust to dust” energy cost of a Hummer was less than a Prius. Here’s some of what I found: 1. An interview with the President of the company that conducted the report said that the report assumed that trucks and SUVs would have much longer […]
An article today in the Independent quotes a report for the British Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, which suggests that raising food organically may have, in some instances, more adverse impacts on the environment than traditional methods. One example given was the production of organic milk: [T]he researchers singled out milk as a particular example of the environmental challenges presented by organic farming. Organic milk requires 80 per […]
This post may convince you that the Blogosphere has become too accessible, but there is, I think, a point here, although to get to it you have to read about big socks. I have big feet: Size 12 American. For all my life, I’ve bought socks that say they are sized for shoe sizes 6 – 12, but are always too small — too small when you wear them the […]
The first stage of the French presidential election is in April, and so far the moderate-right candidate Nicholas Sarokzy has a growing lead over the Socialist candidate Segolene Royal. Although Ms. Royal is perhaps the most photogenic politician in the history of the world, she has stumbled in her campaign several times by making ill-considered remarks that mark her as, perhaps, not-ready-for-prime-time. Mr. Sarokzy, surprisingly, seems to be doing well […]
Suzie and I, a little behind the times, recently watched (for the first time) the entire seven seasons of the excellent TV show The West Wing in a period of about 2 months. We even managed to get the boys interested in it. The article below, in my old college-town newspaper, reminded me of the last season, when the Jimmy Smits character (Matt Sanchez) started his campaign for the Presidency. […]