A groundhog was sighted a quarter-mile from the house.
One stoic's look at living in the Upper Midwest, mostly about time spent outdoors, dogs, and food.
15 June, 2014
14 June, 2014
Bike Ride
My lawn is, to be kind, ragged.
We have not owned a lawn mower in a few years but we make use of the sheep to keep the grass down. This makes it difficult to landscape; sheep enjoy the leaves of my perennials as much as the clover and grass I provide for them.
It also makes for an uneven trim. Sheep prefer tender young grass. If it gets tall in June, it will stay tall. At least until I go out with the scythe and cut it down.
I started to think recently that I might break down and buy a bona fide internal combustion engine lawn mower. I haven't really budgeted for it but we could make it happen. I was starting to think how I could keep an eye out in the coming winter for an off-season purchase.
Then I took the oldest kids for a bike ride. They're young so we don't go far. We went far enough, however, to pass a neighbor spending a lovely Saturday afternoon working on his garden tractor.
That's right, I thought. If I add another internal combustion engine, I will have to maintain it. The better deal I get on a lawn mower, the more likely it is I will be paying with the "sweat equity" of repair work.
I think I'd rather spend my lovely afternoons taking bike rides with the kids.
We have not owned a lawn mower in a few years but we make use of the sheep to keep the grass down. This makes it difficult to landscape; sheep enjoy the leaves of my perennials as much as the clover and grass I provide for them.
It also makes for an uneven trim. Sheep prefer tender young grass. If it gets tall in June, it will stay tall. At least until I go out with the scythe and cut it down.
I started to think recently that I might break down and buy a bona fide internal combustion engine lawn mower. I haven't really budgeted for it but we could make it happen. I was starting to think how I could keep an eye out in the coming winter for an off-season purchase.
Then I took the oldest kids for a bike ride. They're young so we don't go far. We went far enough, however, to pass a neighbor spending a lovely Saturday afternoon working on his garden tractor.
That's right, I thought. If I add another internal combustion engine, I will have to maintain it. The better deal I get on a lawn mower, the more likely it is I will be paying with the "sweat equity" of repair work.
I think I'd rather spend my lovely afternoons taking bike rides with the kids.
13 June, 2014
Two shootings, two responders
The two found themselves in very different situations.
In the unsuccessful intervention the civilian responder did not know that the primary shooter had an armed accomplice. In addition to that disadvantage, the shooters appear to have been right-wing nutcases. They were probably more familiar and better trained with their firearms than a majority of the American police force.
In the successful response, the shooter was wielding a shotgun, which takes longer to reload, and reloading gave the civilian the opportunity to act. He used the tools at hand and got the job done. Still, he was fortunate. The shooter he drew was mentally ill and suffering from delusions, not a well-prepared radical weary of waiting for the revolution.
The odds are that no one of us will be caught up in an act of violence that we cannot escape. The truth is someone will be. Not everyone will respond by seeking cover. They were not born that way.
The question arises, should law abiding citizens who have imagined themselves caught up in violence not of their own and believe themselves to be responders, should they be allowed to arm themselves for the possibility? Or should we leave them with bottles of pepper spray? Some states severely restrict even that form of self-defense.
The it will never happen to me, duck, cover, and wait for a white knight in a police uniform crowd would say "no."
A free people who recognize the variety of human experience, that knights come dressed in all colors and few carry a badge, and that trust their fellow citizens say "yes."
12 June, 2014
Regretful Rats?
At least they were when they found out the farm the moved onto had a terrier.
Or maybe that was dread?
11 June, 2014
Sugar = Drug?
I want to dissect a provocative little article on one of my favorite punching bags, sugar.
It demonstrates, in my reading, the distance between basic fact and effective massaging of cultural values.
When it comes to sugar, a simple and highly refined carbohydrate, I agree that Americans eat too much of it.
I'd be more than happy to support a tax on sugar in order to reduce consumption.
I'll even agree that it works on the body in the same way as a drug.
How we talk about sugar, however, is important as is how we talk should seek to further the goal of decreasing consumption and increasing health. I doubt beginning the conversation by talking about sugar as a drug will further that goal.
We can talk about it as a health risk. We can talk about obesity as a threat to national security. We can talk about lots of things in order to build a degree of taboo to sugar's over use. Describing sugar as a drug, however, just makes us sound like a bunch of chicken-little fundamentalists screaming about fire and brimstone.
It doesn't matter if it is true, if you do not deliver your message in believable fashion. Going full-
fundamentalist on the public hurts your cause because people stop listening to you. If you act like a nut, people will assume you are a nut. First impressions are difficult to overcome.
I am just old enough to remember when drunk driving was not considered a serious offense but something to be laughed about. Public education and the stigma that came to be associated with the practice did more to reduce it prevalence than locking up drunk drivers. And the stigma was built up slowly with small doses of emotion and the education of children, who then took the message back home to their parents.
I also remember when nurses smoked on the hospital floor. I'm sure that the increased taxes on tobacco have played a major role in reducing smoking in America but the shaping of values that changed our perception of smoking so that it was seen as dirty and polluting did even more good in the battle against nicotine. That change of perception began slowly. It is good to remember how the change began and not assume the current state happened with one quick blitzkrieg.
John Wayne did not need to attack cigerette smoking to get people to think about reducing their consumption of it.
John Wayne did not have to criticize anyone for not getting a regular physical to make it more acceptable to get one.
The ad does not need to call nicotine a drug to encourage people to smoke less.
We are closer to the beginning of the campaign than the end. Many parents have not yet heard the harder critiques of sugar and its impact on health. If your first message to parents is that they are bad parents poisoning their children with sugar, you won't get very far. If you start, however, by pointing out the effect of "too much" sugar and go from there, you will have a greater likelihood of success.
It demonstrates, in my reading, the distance between basic fact and effective massaging of cultural values.
When it comes to sugar, a simple and highly refined carbohydrate, I agree that Americans eat too much of it.
I'd be more than happy to support a tax on sugar in order to reduce consumption.
I'll even agree that it works on the body in the same way as a drug.
 |
| Start with this message and get parent's attention. |
We can talk about it as a health risk. We can talk about obesity as a threat to national security. We can talk about lots of things in order to build a degree of taboo to sugar's over use. Describing sugar as a drug, however, just makes us sound like a bunch of chicken-little fundamentalists screaming about fire and brimstone.
It doesn't matter if it is true, if you do not deliver your message in believable fashion. Going full-
fundamentalist on the public hurts your cause because people stop listening to you. If you act like a nut, people will assume you are a nut. First impressions are difficult to overcome.
 |
| Run with this message and turn people off. |
I also remember when nurses smoked on the hospital floor. I'm sure that the increased taxes on tobacco have played a major role in reducing smoking in America but the shaping of values that changed our perception of smoking so that it was seen as dirty and polluting did even more good in the battle against nicotine. That change of perception began slowly. It is good to remember how the change began and not assume the current state happened with one quick blitzkrieg.
John Wayne did not need to attack cigerette smoking to get people to think about reducing their consumption of it.
John Wayne did not have to criticize anyone for not getting a regular physical to make it more acceptable to get one.
The ad does not need to call nicotine a drug to encourage people to smoke less.
We are closer to the beginning of the campaign than the end. Many parents have not yet heard the harder critiques of sugar and its impact on health. If your first message to parents is that they are bad parents poisoning their children with sugar, you won't get very far. If you start, however, by pointing out the effect of "too much" sugar and go from there, you will have a greater likelihood of success.
10 June, 2014
Because it is my right
We do not all have the same religious views; we do share a commitment to defend the right for each person to have their own.
We do not all have the same opinions, still we share a commitment to defend freedom of speech.
The thing is, we gun owners, do not have to defend why we own a gun to those who choose not to own one. No more than my Christian wife needs to defend her faith nor do I need to defend my atheism, nor does the Wall Street Journal need to defend its right to publish.
Actually, those things do need to be defended because there are always righteous do-gooders out there of one strip or another who feel threatened by someone else's faith, speech, or willingness to bear arms for the common good.
We can talk about regulation for any and all of those freedoms. Your right to swing your fist ends in some close vicinity of my nose. If you attempt to advocate sharia law (Islam), take multiple wives and bill the social welfare system for it (fundamentalist Mormons), if you attempt to foster panic or call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, if misuse your firearm even by brandishing it, all of these will get you in trouble, and rightfully so.
The truth is, all of our freedoms are intertwined. The pen is only mightier than the sword when the sword is restrained. The truth is the only thing that stops a bad guy with a sword is a good guy with a sword.
Those of us who carry firearms need to be vocal to one another about the need for civility and neighborliness. We should work to reign in our own who need lessons in manners.
Two reasons I am not a member of the NRA: the spend too much money attempting to recruit me as a member and their inability to stand up to the impolite minority among us.
Let's discuss what measures are appropriate, but let's talk in good faith. Gun owners have not always been treated very respectfully in the public square. Some public figures have even been willing to break the law in attempts to embarress gun owners.
Because our rights have been defended by the courts, there are political forces that would love to re-write the constitution in order to "fix" the "problem" of the Second Amendment.
That topic is not up for discussion.
We do not all have the same opinions, still we share a commitment to defend freedom of speech.
 |
| The rights of the press and the sword are intertwined. |
The thing is, we gun owners, do not have to defend why we own a gun to those who choose not to own one. No more than my Christian wife needs to defend her faith nor do I need to defend my atheism, nor does the Wall Street Journal need to defend its right to publish.
Actually, those things do need to be defended because there are always righteous do-gooders out there of one strip or another who feel threatened by someone else's faith, speech, or willingness to bear arms for the common good.
We can talk about regulation for any and all of those freedoms. Your right to swing your fist ends in some close vicinity of my nose. If you attempt to advocate sharia law (Islam), take multiple wives and bill the social welfare system for it (fundamentalist Mormons), if you attempt to foster panic or call for the overthrow of the constitutional order, if misuse your firearm even by brandishing it, all of these will get you in trouble, and rightfully so.
The truth is, all of our freedoms are intertwined. The pen is only mightier than the sword when the sword is restrained. The truth is the only thing that stops a bad guy with a sword is a good guy with a sword.
Those of us who carry firearms need to be vocal to one another about the need for civility and neighborliness. We should work to reign in our own who need lessons in manners.
Two reasons I am not a member of the NRA: the spend too much money attempting to recruit me as a member and their inability to stand up to the impolite minority among us.
Let's discuss what measures are appropriate, but let's talk in good faith. Gun owners have not always been treated very respectfully in the public square. Some public figures have even been willing to break the law in attempts to embarress gun owners.
Because our rights have been defended by the courts, there are political forces that would love to re-write the constitution in order to "fix" the "problem" of the Second Amendment.
That topic is not up for discussion.
Walking Minneapolis
I've been exploring Minneapolis since the spring. I've really enjoyed the outings and the dogs have benefited from the expanded set of experiences. As I walk I find my mind flooded with questions.Was the genesis of the dirt paths along the river central planing or an example of emergent order? In other words did the city decide it was a good idea to have them or did people make them and was the city forced to maintain them in order to make them safe?
Why is it when combined use (walking and cycling) paths split for short lengths (usually > 100 yards) why is it that the walkers get the less direct, and therefore longer, path? Come on planners! We're walking over here.
I am also realizing that as I take the two oldest kids out and about this summer to discuss ecology and ecosystems in the area, we should make time to discuss urban ecosystems and the choices cities make. What are the impacts over time? What is sustainable? What adds to human thriving?
I like what Minneapolis has done. It is within the power of the people of that city to keep it. If they make that choice.
 |
| Tired Puppy |
09 June, 2014
Dress the Part
I've been writing about the notecard in my wallet. It contains a few short phrases that serve as philosophical reminders about how to live life in the day to day.
The third reads, "Know thyself and then dress the part."
I lifted it directly from Epictetus' Discourses (3.1.25).
Both the literal and metaphorical readings are found in the original text.
In my literal interpretation I go in a different direction than Epictetus but one that agrees in spirit. Times, as they say have changed.
I think there is something to be learned from those workmen, from surgeons to carpenters, who
chose to clothe themselves according to the practical considerations of their occupation. Know thyself, know what your day will look like, and dress for the practical execution of the day's work.
I'm not against diversity of color or design but, for myself, color, design and basic construction should serve the my function in the human community that day. The human community is not served by my attempt to impress with expensive jeans. It is served when I am able to do my job more efficiently. In my line of work, black is a very efficient color because it will hide so many stains, including the coffee I am prone to spill on myself.
My pay job includes interacting with the public so I must present a certain facade of professionalism in addition to doing my work professionally. Still, the clothes must first serve the function of the job. Secondly they must not deter members of the public who will see appearance before function. Personal style is, at most, a third consideration.
Philosophical advice should always pragmatic advice; know thyself; then dress the part.
This is not self-evident. From yoga pants worn by nursing home staff, open sandals in hospitals, neckties worn by factory middle management as they tour machinery, high heels worn, well, anywhere and any occasion. In terms of fashion we are often driven by our passions and if your work exists within the physical world, it impacts your ability to do that work.
Reading the first chapter of book three of the Discourses it is evident that Epictetus is concerned with metaphorical concept of how we choose to clothe ourselves. Just as the apostle Paul encouraged his students to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," Epictetus is encouraging the recipient of his instruction to clothe themselves with excellence or virtue, namely justice, temperance, and self-control.
Know thyself as a homo sapien; and what is it that makes a human being lovely? Is it not their character more than the label on their pants? Is it not their ability to serve the community according to their ability more than their ability to consume according to their means?
Of course the corollary is also true, we should just as stringently avoid judging a man or woman by their clothes, car, or other consumables they clothe themselves. Instead we should "look through the dirt and judge a man by his work."
Part Four: Expect the Expected
The third reads, "Know thyself and then dress the part."
I lifted it directly from Epictetus' Discourses (3.1.25).
Both the literal and metaphorical readings are found in the original text.
In my literal interpretation I go in a different direction than Epictetus but one that agrees in spirit. Times, as they say have changed.
I think there is something to be learned from those workmen, from surgeons to carpenters, who
 |
| Does the function reflect or serve your identity? |
I'm not against diversity of color or design but, for myself, color, design and basic construction should serve the my function in the human community that day. The human community is not served by my attempt to impress with expensive jeans. It is served when I am able to do my job more efficiently. In my line of work, black is a very efficient color because it will hide so many stains, including the coffee I am prone to spill on myself.
My pay job includes interacting with the public so I must present a certain facade of professionalism in addition to doing my work professionally. Still, the clothes must first serve the function of the job. Secondly they must not deter members of the public who will see appearance before function. Personal style is, at most, a third consideration.
Philosophical advice should always pragmatic advice; know thyself; then dress the part.
This is not self-evident. From yoga pants worn by nursing home staff, open sandals in hospitals, neckties worn by factory middle management as they tour machinery, high heels worn, well, anywhere and any occasion. In terms of fashion we are often driven by our passions and if your work exists within the physical world, it impacts your ability to do that work.
Reading the first chapter of book three of the Discourses it is evident that Epictetus is concerned with metaphorical concept of how we choose to clothe ourselves. Just as the apostle Paul encouraged his students to "clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience," Epictetus is encouraging the recipient of his instruction to clothe themselves with excellence or virtue, namely justice, temperance, and self-control.
 |
| Judge me by my clothes do you? |
Of course the corollary is also true, we should just as stringently avoid judging a man or woman by their clothes, car, or other consumables they clothe themselves. Instead we should "look through the dirt and judge a man by his work."
Part Four: Expect the Expected
Pasture diversity
Here is the fruit of some forgotten experiment. I don't remember what they are but I am glad to see them taking over a part of the yard that is too steep to mow. We'll wait for the seeds to develop and spread and then let the herbivores in to clean up everything else.
08 June, 2014
07 June, 2014
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