In the News

Favorite Quote of the Day

“It sounds as though the telecoms believe it when the FBI says the warrant is in the mail, but not when they say the check is in the mail.”

A comment made by Michael German, former FBI agent and national security policy counsel for the ACLU responding to an FBI report that says several of the big telecommunication companies cut off the bureau’s wiretaps of suspected terrorist and criminals when the agency failed to pay its bill on time.


Celebrity Pitchman of the Day

Dr. Robert Jarvik has recently been seen all over network TV promoting Pfizer’s top selling drug Lipitor. It seems a committee of Congress investigating celebrity endorsement of drugs has sent Pfizer a letter asking for some clarification.

Some of the questions? Does Dr. J really take Lipitor as he claims in the commercials? Also it seems the good Dr. may have never actually practiced medicine and doesn’t have a license to do so. Anybody need a good artificial heart? Like new, only used just over a 100 days.

A Sand County Almanac

The New Year started off cold and snowy with temperatures in the single digits. Two days later all the snow had melted and we were enjoying sunny days in the 60’s. Now only a week later we are back to a snowy afternoon.

No matter the weather this time of year after January 1st. my thoughts begin to turn to spring. One of my favorite books to read and re-read is Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac. Leopold follows the year, starting in January, in a journal type fashion as he works in his spare time to convert an old worn-out Wisconsin farm to a weekend retreat for his family. A place where he can enjoy the seasons of nature and indulge in his curiosity in ecology and biology.

Recently I inherited part of my family’s original homestead. It also is a worn out old farm. So it is with anticipation and delight that I recently dug out my battered copy of A Sand County Almanac. I’ll reread it once again, this year I hope to add to the fun as I keep a journal of my own journey back to the Ozarks and the restoration of a place that was the scene of some of my best childhood memories.

War and Peace

This is the first week of January and it is frigid cold outside. The temperature tonight is in the single digits. What snow that is left is crunchy and iced. Geese were circling overhead earlier this evening looking for open, unfrozen water in which to land on the nearby lakes.

This is the time of year to put on extra blankets at night. Burn the fireplace. Let the dog and the cats sleep with you. Stay indoors out of the biting cold wind. A time to go to bed early and read.

Several years ago a German exchange student spent a year with us. During the cold January winter she spent many evenings snuggled up in her duvet reading Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. That spring when she returned to Germany she left her copy inscribed to me daring me to read the whole book.

Recently an author on NPR was talking how everyone should have a time in their life that the take the time to read War and Peace. This cold winter I am going to do it. I started reading the week between Christmas and New Years.