Family Calendar Update

I thought I'd post a shot of all the birds and at the same time a larger image of the cover page.

The images here can't begin to show the quality of the photos. All the photos are 6.5 X 9.5 and have a resolution between 200 and 300 pixels per inch and are printed on 8.5 X 11 Kodak photo paper.
The photos were shot with either the Nikon D50 or the Nikon D70s cameras. The lens was either an AF-S Nikkor 300 mm, f2.8 with Vibration Reduction or an AF-D Nikkor 80-400 mm, f4.5 - 5.6 also withVibration Reduction.

Family Calendar Cover Page

I'll be posting our 2009 family calendar in segments throughout the year. There are several people who don't get a copy so I thought this was a good way to make it more available.


The first post will be the photo for the cover page alone and near the end of December I'll post the photo for January as well as the calendar page.

The theme this year is backyard birds and this little guy is a Wilson's Warbler, Wilsonia pusilla. I can't help but think of flowers when I see the colors of the many species of warblers who stop over in our yard on their Spring migration to breeding grounds. Often, like the Wilson's, they may fly much farther north. If we are lucky they will stay a few days before continuing on.

All the photos, thirteen in all, were taken in our backyard. Hope you enjoy them.

TIME Magazine's Person of the Year

What a shocker!
Has TIME Magazine changed the definition of their "Person of the Year".
Let me see if I can locate the official (or what used to be the official) definition of their P.O.T.Y.
"TIME's Person of the Year is the man, woman, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that for better or for worse, has done the most to influence the events of the year."
Hmmm, did I miss something?...nope, it's still December 2008.
Well, how would one characterise his influence on 2008? He spent a lot of money making grand promises and he convinced more voters to believe his promises than McCain did. Can't think of anything else. Even if he had a real connection to Blago's Belly-flop it's a pathetic list of "influence (on) events".
(Insert oath), I can think of a few people who, "for better or worse", are on the top of MY list.
Richard Syron, CEO of Freddie Mac from 2003 to 2008 is near the top. As is Daniel Mudd, Fannie Mae’s CEO from 2005 to 2008. Or, SEC Chairman Christopher Cox.
Even TIME's runner-ups are weak compared to my candidates: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Gov. Sarah Palin and Chinese director...wait, did I see Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin? Are you kidding me? I would have listed her somewhere down there near Ralph Nader. Go figure!
Oh well. Come to think of it, I stopped subscribing to TIME nearly twenty years ago when their resemblance to a news magazine fell off the charts.

Some Negative Thoughts

How did Proposition 8 manage to pass? And in California of all places!

Even though a lot of monetary support came from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, citizens of California cast the votes. What was it? Apathy?

"In Germany, they came first for the Communists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
And then . . . they came for me . . . And by that time there was no one left to speak up."

Martin Niemöller

One last thought: What would Jesus do?

Responsibility and Expectations

"The economy is going to get worse before it gets better,”


According to David Espo, AP Special Correspondent, this is a direct quote from President-Elect Obama. Maybe it’s a sign he will take the responsibility and tell the American public what they don’t want to hear. The public wants to hear that everything will go back to what it was like before the recession. Americans want their “house-of-cards” back.

I truly believe our economy was a house-of-cards. It stopped being a market driven economy when market manipulation became commonplace. An extreme example of market manipulation is the recent rapid rise and nearly instant collapse of the price of oil. I defy anyone to explain it in terms of supply and demand. Real estate “bubble”? Give me a break. Bubble is too cute a word for the government-encouraged manipulation of market demand.

The biggest line of bullshit handed the American public is that we don’t need to take responsibility for anything anymore.

You tripped on the sidewalk in front of Wal-Mart? Sue them. Not your fault you don’t know how to walk in those outrageous shoes.

The storeowner hit you over the head with a baseball bat when you were trying to hold-up her store and now you’re permanently disabled? Sue her ass for using unreasonable force.

Can’t afford to fill the tank of your Hummer, Escalade, or Denali with $4 a gallon gas? Not your fault you didn’t think of that when you bought the behemoth. Demand that the government do something! Drill more oil wells, force the Saudis to pump more, drop the gas tax…

Can’t pay the mortgage on your half-million dollar house ‘cause you only make $20 thousand a year? No one else is taking responsibility so why would you even consider it?

Drove your company to the brink of bankruptcy because you need to fake solvency in order to justify your king’s-ransom-size salary? You know better than to take responsibility for the mess someone else created.

Bailout! Bailout!... Bush? Paulson? Obama? Congress? Somebody? Do something, a bailout, or anything, but fix it now; just prop up that house-of-cards.

Responsibility time; I want to see bloated corporations file for bankruptcy. I want to see some egomaniacal CEO’s get what they deserve. I want to see some perp-walks. I want to see a real market driven economy functioning without bailouts and without manipulation.

Most of all I want our government to start telling the truth. I know it’s a tall order but that is where responsibility must start if we are to avoid something worse than the current depression.

What are the chances of that?

Outdoor Lights - Bah Humbug

Does anyone make outdoor lights that actually work and don't have to be replaced every year?

Didn't think so.

Best wife spent nearly 2 hours today trying to get last year's lights to work. Usually the string will work until she has them carfully attached to the 25 feet of garland. Then zilch! It was touch and go there for a while when I tried to make a little joke about the progress. I escaped with only minor injuries.

Oh Ye of Little Faith

So Martin Sheen says that Faith Must Cost Something. Well that must be true for the Magicians of Bailout. The democrats in congress must have "some" faith in the auto industry's Wunderkind Trio to put $17 billion on the table.

Wait, my crystal ball is starting to focus... yes, and I hear a voice coming from Detroit. "...if four months ago you'd given us the 25 - 'er the ah 34 billion then we wouldn't need the $100 billion now!"


Maybe they just don't have enough Faith.

Gee, Mr. Wagoner...