It tickles my ears and my mind.
One stoic's look at living in the Upper Midwest, mostly about time spent outdoors, dogs, and food.
27 June, 2014
26 June, 2014
25 June, 2014
24 June, 2014
23 June, 2014
Nature Bats Last
If there is one duality I can embrace, it is the distinction between the world as it is in our heads and how it is, well, in the world, as it is naturally.
The greatest virtue or benefit of working with things, soil, steel, engines, or anything else in the world, is that it can teach the observant that the distinction is real and pernicious.
No matter how wedded we become to them, the world cares not about our ideas about how it is, or less yet, how it should be. Many, however, fail to appreciate the distinction. When things do not work "as they should" blame must be cast on enemies of one sort or another.
This is the life within our own heads and it is not real. Maybe they reflect reality, maybe not. The feedback we get is the result. If an idea does not work, it is because the idea does not adequately reflect reality.
The greatest virtue or benefit of working with things, soil, steel, engines, or anything else in the world, is that it can teach the observant that the distinction is real and pernicious.
No matter how wedded we become to them, the world cares not about our ideas about how it is, or less yet, how it should be. Many, however, fail to appreciate the distinction. When things do not work "as they should" blame must be cast on enemies of one sort or another.
This is the life within our own heads and it is not real. Maybe they reflect reality, maybe not. The feedback we get is the result. If an idea does not work, it is because the idea does not adequately reflect reality.
There will Come Soft Rains
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools, singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn,
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
Argos
When Odysseus left home for Troy he left behind a pup.
Twenty-years later Odysseus returns, disguised as a beggar, but faithful Argos recognizes his voice. After a prick of the ear and a wag of the tail, Argos fades into death. While the Argos element of the story adds sentiment and flavor to the story he also serves as a symbol of all the opportunities lost in the struggles between sailing off to war and returning from it.
Colleen Myers attempts to catch aspects of this relationship in some of her work.
Twenty-years later Odysseus returns, disguised as a beggar, but faithful Argos recognizes his voice. After a prick of the ear and a wag of the tail, Argos fades into death. While the Argos element of the story adds sentiment and flavor to the story he also serves as a symbol of all the opportunities lost in the struggles between sailing off to war and returning from it.
Colleen Myers attempts to catch aspects of this relationship in some of her work.
 |
| Argos chases the departing fleet |
 |
| Faithfully Awaiting his Master's Return |
 |
| Argos' life departs |
21 June, 2014
It Will not Last
Happy Solstice, enjoy the weather while you can.
It will not last.
Winter is Coming.
20 June, 2014
The Rawhide Market
This is a sign that market forces plus consumer education is working.
First Fleet Farm gave their customers a choice between North American and Chinese rawhide. Now we see the impact of that choice, they have to cut prices to get rid of the Asian sourced chews.
No new bureaucracy had to be created.
No government funds had to be expended.
No new agency looking for expanded powers or another mission to justify it's budget.
No debt passed off to my children.
No government funds had to be expended.
No new agency looking for expanded powers or another mission to justify it's budget.
No debt passed off to my children.
19 June, 2014
In Baseball as in Life
"In the end it comes down to throwing one pitch after another and seeing what happens."
Grandpa Tooley
I didn't inherit the hair
or his sense of style,
but I hope I caught a touch
of that genuine smile.
18 June, 2014
Commitment Issues
I only have room in my life for so much commitment. Every year I pick up a few commitment points and I save them up for some big purchase.
In my twenties, I used all I had getting married.
In my thirties, I used it all having children.
So I've never had any commitment to spare for a tattoo but, for the first time ever, I have come across a tattoo design I might be able to scrounge up the commitment to have done.
In my twenties, I used all I had getting married.
In my thirties, I used it all having children.
So I've never had any commitment to spare for a tattoo but, for the first time ever, I have come across a tattoo design I might be able to scrounge up the commitment to have done.
 |
| Want |
 |
| Want More |
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| If one could be designed with Thomas Jefferson, want will morph into need. |
Rabid: A Cultural History
To my surprise there was, before Louis Pasteur, a way to treat a bite from a rabid animal: cauterization.
There are reliable historical examples and cultural practices that include the practice. The most famous institutionalized version of this treatment was the use of St. Hubert's Key, a piece of metal heated to glowing and then applied to the bite wounds. The action at work is plain to see (in retrospect). The heated metal killed the virus before it had a chance to migrate up the neuron train toward the brain.
The real miracle is how the practice came about and spread in the first place. Three cheers for emergent order I suppose.
 |
| Worth a trip to your local library. |
I picked this up this tidbit in Rabid (A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus). While I found some of the books assertions a bit speculative (rabies as the source of our vampire and werewolf legends), I enjoyed giving it a quick read none-the-less.
It reminded me that before Sparta and I begin our terrier work in earnest, I probably should spring for a set of vaccinations.
17 June, 2014
Canine Jobs Program
Anthropomorphic thinking needs to be avoided but their is a baby in the bath water: we too are animals so there is room for some overlap of experience.
That being said as a life-long observer of dogs, I am not surprised to learn that a study has found evidence that dogs derive greater satisfaction from earning their treats rather than just receiving a handout. It is the difference between earning a million dollars and being given a million dollars. Sure you'll take it but one is more rewarding than the other, for different reasons. If Paris Hilton had earned her fortune, she probably would not feel the need to seek validation through conspicuous behavior, but I digress.
Dogs thrive when they have a job and can languor from the same kind of listlessness as humans when they find themselves without purpose. Set your preconceptions aside, there is a job out there for any dog in any home. It only takes a little imagination to find it.
Our oldest, Maybelle, is the perfect "Nana" dog. She loves babies and it matters not the species. When my wife was pregnant, or any pregnant woman comes to visit, she follows her around the house. If we sit at the kitchen table, around the fire ring or in the living room, she then takes up a protective stance of the woman.
Up until each child was three years old, she would accompany the oldest child when they went outside to play. The only time she has been really threatening to a person is when my father was playing pirate with my oldest son and my son's foam sword flew out of his hand. As soon as grandpa yelled, "Aha, now I've got you Peter Pan!" Maybelle jumped between them, hackles raised, and growled. When my Dad tells the story he adds, "At that moment, I loved her."
She adores it when newborn lambs are brought into the house. She licks them clean and takes up a similar guardian role. She returns to the house and sulks when the mother ewes, predictably, do not welcome her around their lambs.
As the children grew and my wife and I stopped having new ones, she was starting to show signs of anxiety and depression. I've been surprised at the wag evident since we brought home the puppy. She isn't an active dog but she spends about ninety-minutes a day playing with that puppy. Good dog.
My mother's Golden Doodle is a wonderful companion animal and that too is a job. The neighbor's had a great mutt which protected the chickens from raccoon and every other form of land predator. Since they lived next to a little creek, that was a full-time job.
Musket, our middle dog, is a wonderful companion, hiking buddy and there are many jobs he preforms depending upon the season and circumstances.
He learned one job by accident. When the boys were younger anytime they would see a hawk fly over they would yell, "Go away hawk! The lunch counter is closed." Musket put together the chain of events and now anytime a soaring bird (hawk, eagle, vulture) flies over the yard he barks and chases it until he reaches the property line. We haven't lost a chicken to a hawk since.
If we do not, as responsible owners, find jobs for our dogs, they will find jobs for themselves. They will attempt to protect the house from the mailman. They will scavenge the food in the trash bin. They will attempt to beat their high score at "catch the cat." The more driven your dog is, the more important it is that they have a job to perform on a regular basis.
Many problem behaviors are little more than a job the dog has learned to do in absence of better guidance. When a behavior emerges from the the genetics of the animal, they need to be given an outlet for that behavior. Musket does not molest our chickens, even though he will catch them on command, or the wife's cat but he does attack mice, rats, chipmunks, groundhogs, raccoon and, yes, skunks. His instinct has an outlet, and that has made all the difference.
The best time to consider what kind of work your dog is going to do is before you bring one home. If you think through your life and activities, you can start to judge how the dog will be integrated into your life. Then you can look for a dog whose instincts and energy level are going to make for the best match.
Forethought, however, is often born from the experience of being caught unprepared. Fret not. It might take some imaginative thought or the input of a trained professional, you can still find work for your canine friend. A dog does not differentiate between work and fun. If you can find games to play with your dog, you can find a way for him to feel he is earning his keep. And that will make for a happy dog.
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| "Nana Dog" and her youngest human baby. |
Dogs thrive when they have a job and can languor from the same kind of listlessness as humans when they find themselves without purpose. Set your preconceptions aside, there is a job out there for any dog in any home. It only takes a little imagination to find it.
Our oldest, Maybelle, is the perfect "Nana" dog. She loves babies and it matters not the species. When my wife was pregnant, or any pregnant woman comes to visit, she follows her around the house. If we sit at the kitchen table, around the fire ring or in the living room, she then takes up a protective stance of the woman.
Up until each child was three years old, she would accompany the oldest child when they went outside to play. The only time she has been really threatening to a person is when my father was playing pirate with my oldest son and my son's foam sword flew out of his hand. As soon as grandpa yelled, "Aha, now I've got you Peter Pan!" Maybelle jumped between them, hackles raised, and growled. When my Dad tells the story he adds, "At that moment, I loved her."
She adores it when newborn lambs are brought into the house. She licks them clean and takes up a similar guardian role. She returns to the house and sulks when the mother ewes, predictably, do not welcome her around their lambs.
 |
| A dogs job can include the serious |
My mother's Golden Doodle is a wonderful companion animal and that too is a job. The neighbor's had a great mutt which protected the chickens from raccoon and every other form of land predator. Since they lived next to a little creek, that was a full-time job.
 |
| and the whimsical. |
He learned one job by accident. When the boys were younger anytime they would see a hawk fly over they would yell, "Go away hawk! The lunch counter is closed." Musket put together the chain of events and now anytime a soaring bird (hawk, eagle, vulture) flies over the yard he barks and chases it until he reaches the property line. We haven't lost a chicken to a hawk since.
If we do not, as responsible owners, find jobs for our dogs, they will find jobs for themselves. They will attempt to protect the house from the mailman. They will scavenge the food in the trash bin. They will attempt to beat their high score at "catch the cat." The more driven your dog is, the more important it is that they have a job to perform on a regular basis.
Many problem behaviors are little more than a job the dog has learned to do in absence of better guidance. When a behavior emerges from the the genetics of the animal, they need to be given an outlet for that behavior. Musket does not molest our chickens, even though he will catch them on command, or the wife's cat but he does attack mice, rats, chipmunks, groundhogs, raccoon and, yes, skunks. His instinct has an outlet, and that has made all the difference.
The best time to consider what kind of work your dog is going to do is before you bring one home. If you think through your life and activities, you can start to judge how the dog will be integrated into your life. Then you can look for a dog whose instincts and energy level are going to make for the best match.
Forethought, however, is often born from the experience of being caught unprepared. Fret not. It might take some imaginative thought or the input of a trained professional, you can still find work for your canine friend. A dog does not differentiate between work and fun. If you can find games to play with your dog, you can find a way for him to feel he is earning his keep. And that will make for a happy dog.
Beware of Dog
Normally I satisfy my New Yorker habit by perusing the hospital waiting rooms and lounges. I'll make a point, however, of swinging by my local news rack to check the inspiration for this cover.
I even think I know where I could put a framed specimen on the wall, if I can convince the bride.
16 June, 2014
You're Green. Is Your Dog?
A Spanish dog gave birth to a litter of puppies and two of them were green.
No, it was not a result of gene splicing scientists but apparently is a result of an excess of biliverdin, the pigment which gives bile, as well as some bruises, their green color.
It is found in excess in humans with diseases of the liver and is one of two substances which color the skin and eyes of those suffering from jaundice.
With so few cases reported, it is hard to tell what problem is at work in these green puppies. Luckily the puppies pigmentation will return to normal in a few days. Otherwise, the AKC would be looking to breed them as the perfectstatus symbol companion for all earth loving environmentalist.
No, it was not a result of gene splicing scientists but apparently is a result of an excess of biliverdin, the pigment which gives bile, as well as some bruises, their green color.
It is found in excess in humans with diseases of the liver and is one of two substances which color the skin and eyes of those suffering from jaundice.
With so few cases reported, it is hard to tell what problem is at work in these green puppies. Luckily the puppies pigmentation will return to normal in a few days. Otherwise, the AKC would be looking to breed them as the perfect
Expect the Expected
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| If you expected it, why are you frustrated? |
As I write, however, I realize this can be shortened to merely "Expect the expected."
The things that upset us most regularly are not the unpredictable events that fly out of left field. Most of the time we are angered, distracted, frustrated by events which are often quite mundane and expected. It is the banal which so often annoys to the point of distraction or outburst.
This strikes me as a bit ironic. I would think that we would get frustrated when our plans are disrupted in some fashion. If our plans are disrupted by the predictable, it is not the fault of the predictable, but rather unrealistic or naive planning, and responsibility for that falls on the planner.
Rush hour traffic is going to be rush hour traffic. It does not take us by surprise but by denying it in our planning for the day, even by wishing things were different than they are, rush hour becomes a source of stress. We may have to deal with it but we need not be upset by it.
Teenagers lack the experience to put their situation in perspective yet they have many of the powers of adulthood. This potent combination results in poor decision-making and often in being a pain in their parents' ass. If you are a parent or work with teenagers, you may have to deal with it but we need not be upset by it. It is a predictable aspect of dealing with them.
Institutional bureaucracy can be a nightmare to confront, especially if you are pressed for time, but it too can be anticipated. Navigate it, avoid it, or reform it, but attempting to deny its reality, to enter a situation as if it did not exist, is just plain foolishness. If you do so, it will only lay the foundation for frustration.
At some level of our subconscious we want to embrace the comforting lie: "I will be able to drive down the road with the same ease at 4 o'clock in the afternoon as 8 o'clock at night," "I've raised him right, he will not take this relationship too seriously," "one quick phone call and I will be able to sort out this mistake," among so many others. The more experience we gain, however, the fewer excuses we have for not expecting the expected. Expecting to get caught in traffic is the first step to accepting it.
These are just three quick examples where I can find myself becoming frustrated. Each requires a degree of effort to change my expectations. You can make your own list of those situations where you become predictably upset. If it is predictable, it is possible to prepare and the first preparation is to accept the reality of the expected.
Emergency Room doctors are going to act like Emergency Room doctors. Fundamentalists, regardless of their creed (including fundamentalist atheists), are going to act like fundamentalists. Your Dad is going to act like your Dad. Cars are going to break down. Favorite coffee cups are going to break. That person you married, they're going to change over time but probably not in the way you want them to.
While I have focused on the most common experiences which disturb us, the same principle applies to those less frequent events which invoke frustration, sadness or angst. Your are a living being and living beings die. You do not do it every day. It will only happen once, but it will happen and it is to be expected. If you are a parent, it should be observed, your child will die at some future date as well. The event should be expected even if the timing can not.
Death is often most upsetting when we allow our preferences of how and when these things should happen lead us into denial that we are limited in our power to bring those preferences to reality. Sure, I can watch my diet and make sure my kids where a bicycle helmet as they leave the house but there are more ways to die than our ability to predict or power to act.
Want peace of mind? Ingrain within yourself the expectation that everything to act according to its nature.
Want to be live well? Hone in within yourself your own best nature and then engage in the world as you find it. How things are, is outside of your control. Whether you acknowledge and expect every reality from traffic this afternoon to death, is within your control.
With regard to whatever objects give you delight, are useful, or are deeply loved, remember to tell yourself of what general nature they are, beginning from the most insignificant things. If, for example, you are fond of a specific ceramic cup, remind yourself that it is only ceramic cups in general of which you are fond. Then, if it breaks, you will not be disturbed. If you kiss your child, or your wife, say that you only kiss things which are human, and thus you will not be disturbed if either of them dies.
Enchiridion 3
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.
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| 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
Sustainability
As far as physical infrastructure is concerned, there are only a few doubts about what the blue model can achieve.
Most of my questions revolve around what, over time the blue model can sustain.
06 June, 2014
First Eulogy for a G.I.
No one chooses the time or place of their birth. We all emerge to circumstances, from parents, with a genetic inheritance, and in an environment beyond our control. When we are born there is only one thing promised to us, one day, soon or late, we will die. We are fragile creatures living in a fragile world. The only thing we can ever lay credit to is how we live the life that we are given. What we do with the time and talents we find ourselves blessed with between our emergence from the earth and our return unto it.
We have gathered to say “goodbye” to Donald Tooley. He was my grandfather. He was my friend. He was a man who played well the hand that he was dealt.
Donald Tooley was born in 1926 and in a few short years afterward would find his nation plunged into the Great Depression and his father lost to him. Guarded, protected, and nurtured by extended family and community, still he started his life without many of the things the rest of us take for granted. Other than an offhand comment that he would never eat another rabbit in his life because he’d eaten a lifetime’s worth of rabbit during the Depression, he never talked to me much about his childhood. When I look at the earliest pictures of him I see a lean but plucky and optimistic young man. Donald Tooley drew a difficult hand but he was never a victim. He believed in opportunity. He believed in the ability of the individual to overcome. He believed in the future.
Before he would graduate high school, he would find his nation drawn into the second great world war and the globe burned from Moscow to London, across northern Africa, and from India to Pearl Harbor. When he completed his senior year, he joined the navy as part of the preparations to invade the Japanese home islands. While the invasion proved unnecessary, it was a fight that was predicted to be so costly in terms of human flesh that the War department filled a warehouse with nothing but Purple Hearts that were to be awarded the casualties. Seventy-years later, after Korea, after Vietnam, after Iraq, and with the long war in Afghanistan on-going, our military is still awarding Purple Hearts produced in 1944. That is the kind of fight the nation expected. Donald Tooley signed up for that kind of fight because he believed in his nation, the values on which it was founded, and the positive role America could play in the world.
After the war Donald Tooley came home, furthered his education and became a teacher. Wearing a suit to
work he demonstrated a work ethic second-to-none. Going beyond the requirements of his work he was a mentor and role model, building cooperative education programs, often reaching out to young men who had lost their fathers. Donald Tooley believed in young people.
Donald Tooley was a craftsman, a carpenter and a woodworker. I have even heard, even from people who not close friends, say, “He does excellent work and he never charges what it is worth.” Don Tooley brought all of himself into every job he undertook. If it was worth doing, it was worth doing right. Whether the job was writing a sentence, refinishing a chair, or building a house, Don believed the craftsman is reflected in the work he does. He did not charge as much as some would expect, not out of some false sense of modesty, but, I believe, because he thought his neighbors were deserving of the best he could provide for them. Don Tooley believed in his neighbors.
Don Tooley was not a saint. He was not perfect. He was fully, completely, and utterly human. But he was a human who played the hand he was dealt with skill, with an attitude of service, a concern for justice and with a strong sense of human dignity. That we honor. That is the Don Tooley we carry forward as we make our own journey from earth unto earth.
How do we say goodbye to this man? I don’t know. I’m really bad at them. But if I may re-frame the question, “how do we honor and remember this man?” We honor and remember him by carrying forward the faiths that empowered him to live well. We honor him best, we remember him best, when we share some of his faith that made him who he was.
When we believe in opportunity, in our ability to grab hold of it, and refuse to see ourselves as victims.
When we believe in young people and help them as they help themselves grow into competent and confident adults.
When we believe in the values of independence, equality and human dignity which made America a light to the nations, even in the midst of foreign war machines, or domestic economic troubles.
When we believe in our neighbors and concern ourselves a little less with our own gain or loss, and seek to be of genuine service to humanity through the person right in front of us and at the job right at hand.
The peace I have in Don Tooley’s passing arises from the example we have received from him. Starting all at a different times and different circumstances but we too come from earth and will return to it and I am a better player of my own hand for his influence and his friendship. This is the inheritance that I have from him. For this, I am thankful.
Peace unto you,
We have gathered to say “goodbye” to Donald Tooley. He was my grandfather. He was my friend. He was a man who played well the hand that he was dealt.
Donald Tooley was born in 1926 and in a few short years afterward would find his nation plunged into the Great Depression and his father lost to him. Guarded, protected, and nurtured by extended family and community, still he started his life without many of the things the rest of us take for granted. Other than an offhand comment that he would never eat another rabbit in his life because he’d eaten a lifetime’s worth of rabbit during the Depression, he never talked to me much about his childhood. When I look at the earliest pictures of him I see a lean but plucky and optimistic young man. Donald Tooley drew a difficult hand but he was never a victim. He believed in opportunity. He believed in the ability of the individual to overcome. He believed in the future.
Before he would graduate high school, he would find his nation drawn into the second great world war and the globe burned from Moscow to London, across northern Africa, and from India to Pearl Harbor. When he completed his senior year, he joined the navy as part of the preparations to invade the Japanese home islands. While the invasion proved unnecessary, it was a fight that was predicted to be so costly in terms of human flesh that the War department filled a warehouse with nothing but Purple Hearts that were to be awarded the casualties. Seventy-years later, after Korea, after Vietnam, after Iraq, and with the long war in Afghanistan on-going, our military is still awarding Purple Hearts produced in 1944. That is the kind of fight the nation expected. Donald Tooley signed up for that kind of fight because he believed in his nation, the values on which it was founded, and the positive role America could play in the world.
After the war Donald Tooley came home, furthered his education and became a teacher. Wearing a suit to work he demonstrated a work ethic second-to-none. Going beyond the requirements of his work he was a mentor and role model, building cooperative education programs, often reaching out to young men who had lost their fathers. Donald Tooley believed in young people.
Donald Tooley was a craftsman, a carpenter and a woodworker. I have even heard, even from people who not close friends, say, “He does excellent work and he never charges what it is worth.” Don Tooley brought all of himself into every job he undertook. If it was worth doing, it was worth doing right. Whether the job was writing a sentence, refinishing a chair, or building a house, Don believed the craftsman is reflected in the work he does. He did not charge as much as some would expect, not out of some false sense of modesty, but, I believe, because he thought his neighbors were deserving of the best he could provide for them. Don Tooley believed in his neighbors.
Don Tooley was not a saint. He was not perfect. He was fully, completely, and utterly human. But he was a human who played the hand he was dealt with skill, with an attitude of service, a concern for justice and with a strong sense of human dignity. That we honor. That is the Don Tooley we carry forward as we make our own journey from earth unto earth.
How do we say goodbye to this man? I don’t know. I’m really bad at them. But if I may re-frame the question, “how do we honor and remember this man?” We honor and remember him by carrying forward the faiths that empowered him to live well. We honor him best, we remember him best, when we share some of his faith that made him who he was.
When we believe in opportunity, in our ability to grab hold of it, and refuse to see ourselves as victims.
When we believe in young people and help them as they help themselves grow into competent and confident adults.
When we believe in the values of independence, equality and human dignity which made America a light to the nations, even in the midst of foreign war machines, or domestic economic troubles.
When we believe in our neighbors and concern ourselves a little less with our own gain or loss, and seek to be of genuine service to humanity through the person right in front of us and at the job right at hand.
The peace I have in Don Tooley’s passing arises from the example we have received from him. Starting all at a different times and different circumstances but we too come from earth and will return to it and I am a better player of my own hand for his influence and his friendship. This is the inheritance that I have from him. For this, I am thankful.
Peace unto you,
05 June, 2014
The Parents of D-Day
He's old enough now that you can start to see the man emerging. Eight short years and he'll be of an age to storm beaches like those of Normandy or Iwa Jima. A lot has been said about the "G.I. Generation" and I won't deny it. But being a parent has taught me a side of the story under-reported in the history we've received.
When the news hit, a nation of parents held their breath until it hurt, hugged, wept, and then went back to work while they waited. What else was their to do?
Those were the children of the first great European war and that is why they tried to keep America out of the Second. They knew what they were sending their children in to and would have avoided it if that had been possible.
I wish I could have known them better. They were heroes in their own right. And if you think those G.I.s were the "Greatest Generation," best ask who it was that raised them with the stuff necessary to accomplish what they did.
04 June, 2014
When Good Dogs go to War
There is a wonderful set of photographs over at the Atlantic. I chose just a few to display below. You really should go check them all out!
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