In this morning's Picture of the Day a bull moose, affectionately called “Bullwinkle” slowly makes his way across the river near Nine Mile Falls, Washington. Neighbors report that the moose frequents the area, occasionally sleeping in back yards and other nearby properties. Picture Courtesy of Gale Allen, Value Logic Appraisers, Spokane Valley.

Dave

All truly wise thoughts have been thoughts already thousands of times; but to make them truly ours, we must think them over again honestly, till they take root in our personal experience.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

This week's theme: Words for physical characteristics used to describe people figuratively.

myopic (my-OP-ik) adjective

   1. Nearsighted; unable to see distant objects clearly.

   2. Shortsighted; lacking foresight; narrow-minded.

[Via Latin, from Greek myopia, from myop- (nearsighted), from myein (to close) + ops (eye).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=myopic

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

  "Three characters dominate the drama: star prosecutor David Boies, whose casual demeanour belied razor-sharp courtroom instincts; Judge Penfield Jackson, the conservative arbitrator who grew increasingly disenchanted with Microsoft's arrogance; and Bill Gates, portrayed as a surly, myopic Napoleon, whose cantankerous, evasive testimony did much to bring about the guilty verdict."
   Steve Yap; Consequences of Hubris; Far Eastern Economic Review (Hong Kong); Jun 14, 2001.

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How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young?
-Paul Sweeney

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Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/myopic.mp3

Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/myopic.html

Good morning, Netizens...

Got something on your mind? Pull up a bar stool to the Virtual Espresso Bar and tell us all about it. It's time for our weekly wild card.

Gentle Hint: Do not stare at the barrista. He is dead, a Ghost from long ago, and is prone to writing incredibly-beautiful music once.

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

After a terse lightning show last night, followed by some much-needed rain, I took a walk around the Virtual Garden. Here and there the Garden Gnomes are already busily weeding and cultivating our burgeoning corn crop and our tomatoes are fat and heavy on the vine, just as they should be in the middle of August. I constantly shake my head in amazement. It's difficult to believe they did all this with just a handful of seeds, prodigious watering, weeding and a few prayers. Emphasis on the latter.

I pause for reflection by the spaghetti squash which, as several gnomes predicted, is attempting to overthrow the entire garden. I laugh to myself, because there are even runners from the squash collection attempting to make a run on the front door of the Virtual Ballroom. Were it not for fat little gnomes armed with machetes, we would have squash at the Virtual Espresso bar grabbing us by the legs and pulling us down into the dirt.

As I sidle on inside the ballroom and sit at my accustomed seat, our ghostly barrista of the day, the Ghost of Amadeus Mozart materializes before me and presents me with my first cup of virtual espresso for the day.

“Our virtual espresso blend of the day today is called 'Serendipitous Turning'. It is for those times when the news of the world overshadows and completely overwhelms our abilities to find joy in anything in life,' he murmurs, giving me a huge wink. “You should never allow the ways of the world to so unsettle you that you cannot find joy within yourself.”

Just like always, our Virtual Espresso Blend of the day delivers what it promises. One sip, and I immediately reminisce over the dire news of the last few days, seeing all the truly ugly things mankind is prepared to do to one another. However, I also hear the voices of those I accord my undying love and devotion: my friends on whom I rely for their gentle patience, my granddaughters who teach me about love each day, and my most gentle wife who gives that final measure of devotion of which much was written. Suddenly my heart is enriched beyond words, my cup of goodness overflows once more and I remember the goodness of life along with the strife.

Somewhere, in my momentary reverie, an old song from 1965 swims into my memory, and I remember the dire news from another perspective.

It's good news week,
Someone's dropped a bomb somewhere,
Contaminating atmosphere
And blackening the sky,
It's good news week,
Someones found a way to give,
The rotting dead a will to live,
Go on and never die.

Have you heard the news?
What did it say?
Who's won that race?
What's the weather like today?

We never heard the good news then or now, did we? That was forty-some years ago, and the news today is not much better than yesteryear. However, our capability to express love, hope and joy are undimmed by all the years. I still remember a honeysuckle summer evening painted across the sky with a gauze brush when I first fell in love with the Switchboard Operator's daughter. Perhaps I was the last in my generation to see a hand-crank telephone and marvel at it. I remember the Caterpillar-yellow of my first truck, a Mack Thermodyne with two gear shift levers, and the power of reminiscing has made the seat softer, the power unlimited on steep grades and the complete lack of amenities, such as a radio, simply fades into nothingness. At the beginning of my Age of Awareness, I remember sitting in my first brand-new truck that smelled so nice on the edge of the Red Desert of Wyoming and recognizing how small and insignificant I was compared to the billions of stars in the desert sky overhead, I learned new trucks come and go but humility can last forever.

Yes, what is the weather like today? The skies may be cloudy, but I am sitting in the Virtual Ballroom where the sun always shines, memories are always there for the savoring and friends always meet.

What's the weather like where you are today?

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

In this morning's Picture of the Day we see what once might have been thought impossible, or at the very least improbable. Zoo visitors watch Arava, a disabled turtle, with a custom skateboard attached to her shell that helps her move, at the Biblical zoo in Jerusalem. Arava the disabled turtle is using her new set of wheels to get around in more ways than one. Officials at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo say the ten-year-old spurred tortoise has begun mating since being fitted with a custom skateboard to overcome paralysis of her hind legs. (AP Photo/Tara Todras-Whitehill) (August 18, 2008)

See? Now we see the ultimate downfall of man. You give all the turtles skateboards and their minds just naturally turn to sex. Isn't that always the case?

Hmph. I seem to have lost track of the point I was about to make about Biblical zoos. I guess it might be a good thing at that.

Dave

There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

Steven Wright (1955 - )

This week's theme: Words for physical characteristics used to describe people figuratively.

clochard (KLOH-shahr) noun

   A beggar; vagrant.

[From French clocher (to limp), from Latin clopus (lame).]

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

  "The bridge is always crowded with vehicles, clochards, salespeople, college students, the aged and infants, and dogs."
   Kyoko Yoshida; Kyoto Panorama Project; The Massachusetts Review (Amherst); Winter 2000/2001.

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Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. general and 34th president (1890-1969)

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Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/clochard.mp3

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Last week we saw the ending of Steve Smith's "News in a Conversation," and just now posted on Daily Briefing, Cheryl-Anne Millsap's column, "The Home Planet," will be discontinued, due to lack of budget.

Does this worry you, dear readers, that some of our blogs on the S-R might see the end of their days?

Good morning, Netizens...

Oh, REALLY? Here is a picture of the Iranian rocket just before it launched into space.

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran said on Monday it was ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit -- a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions. So helpful, those Iranians, always willing to help out their fellow Muslims, eh?

Iran said on Sunday it had put the home-grown dummy satellite into orbit on a domestically made rocket for the first time. The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into space can also be used for launching weapons.

No! Say it isn't so!

Now, what do you think?

Given that according to this press wire story, they now have the ability to launch a rocket into space successfully, do you think this development makes either Israeli or US forces feel any more secure than before?

Does Iran's capability of launching rockets into space cause you concern?

It causes me grave concern. It isn't that big of a quantum leap from launching “friendly” satellites into space to launching nuclear weapons of some sort. Paint me a conspiracy theorist or paint me as a pragmatist. This is a troublesome development, either way.

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

According to the AP news wire Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced Monday that he will resign, just days ahead of impeachment in parliament over attempts by the U.S.-backed leader to impose authoritarian rule on his turbulent nation.

Now the really interesting question remains: how will this affect US-Pakistani relations? You should perhaps remember that Pakistan is a member of the nuclear nations of the world and until Musharraf's resignation, was a moderate pro-American ally.

"It is a victory of democratic forces," Information Minister Sherry Rehman said. "Today, the shadow of dictatorship that has prevailed for long over this country, that chapter has been closed."
In the northern city of Peshawar, a crowd of people danced to drum beats and embraced at an intersection.
"It is very pleasing to know that Musharraf is no more," said Mohammed Saeed, a shopkeeper among the crowd.
"He even tried to deceive the nation in his last address. He was boasting about economic progress when life for people like us has become a hell," he said, because of economic problems that include runaway inflation.

So, do you perceive coming problems with Musharraf stepping down? Do you care?

Dave

NICOSIA, CYPRUS (18 Aug. 2008) - In a letter
today to the Free Gaza Movement, the Israeli
Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that the
group of international human rights activists
attempting to break the siege of Gaza were
"humanitarian," and stated that the Israeli
government "assume[s] that your intentions are
good."

Greta Berlin, one of the organizers of the Free
Gaza Movement stated that, "Since the Foreign
Minister's office responded to our invitation to
join us, and said that we have good intentions,
we now fully expect to reach Gaza."

According to recent reports in the Israeli media
however, the Israeli military is preparing to use
force to stop the nonviolent campaigners from
reaching Gaza. It's not clear if the letter from
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs signals a change
of policy, or is simply an attempt to open up an
official dialogue between the state of Israel and
the Free Gaza Movement regarding the current
blockade.

The Free Gaza Movement is preparing to sail two
ships into Gaza carrying 40 human rights workers
from 17 different countries. They will also
deliver hearing aids for children who have lost
some or all of their hearing due to Israeli sound
bombs and sonic booms.

The ships have been named the SS Free Gaza, and
the SS Liberty - in recognition of the USS
Liberty, a U.S. Navy ship, carrying 340 that was
attacked by Israeli Þghter planes and torpedo
boats on 8 June 1967, assassinating 34 American
sailors and wounding 170.

The Free Gaza Movement hopes to draw attention to
the devastating consequences of the Israeli
blockade by actively demonstrating the power of
non-violent direct action to change inhumane
governmental policies. ###

Dave

In this morning's Picture of the Day, Emily Laviolette, 23, left, of West Brookfield, Mass., and Carrie Lavallie, 25, of Ware, Mass. practice a routine with large plastic hoops as they wait in a large crowd in the early morning Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., to register for the next American Idol television show try outs this week. (August 17, 2008) Associated Press

What is this business with large plastic hoops? In my generation we called such contrivances “Hula Hoops”, and great was the volume of sales thereto. I have always wondered in my quiet times, whatever became of the infamous Hula Hoops. Were they simply reconciled to solid waste landfills? Were they stored in closets and attics, forgotten and never to be seen again? Where have the tokens, playthings and icons of my generation gotten themselves off to?

Or is it that the copy editor for the Associated Press that wrote this introduction (above) simply didn't realize that Hula Hoops once were the absolute latest rage, and thus pay suitable deference to the proper name for “large plastic hoops”?

Do you remember the Slinky or any other strange artifacts of our generation?

Dave

A popular admonition goes, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Yet we do that all the time. We ascribe qualities of character to people based on their physical characteristics. And our language takes shape to reflect that attitude. Are cross-eyed people shady? I don't think so. At least, not any more than the straight-eyed. In this week's AWAD we'll look at more of these
words.

louche (loosh) adjective

   Of questionable character; dubious; disreputable.

[From French louche (cross-eyed), from Latin lusca, feminine of luscus (one-eyed).]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=louche

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

  "They wanted her to be a dancer, but the teenage Bardot fell in with the louche and devious film-maker Roger Vadim, and became the notorious Girl In A Bikini instead."
   Adam Sweeting; Zouzou Exposed; The Guardian (UK); Nov 7, 1998.

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For truly it is to be noted, that children's plays are not sports, and should be deemed as their most serious actions. -Michel de Montaigne,
essayist (1533-1592)

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Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/louche.mp3

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Fools rush in and get the best seats.

Alfred E. Neuman (probably William Gaines), MAD Magazine

Good afternoon, Netizens...

According to the official weather station at Felts Field, it is 104 degrees. Although there is a 6 MPH wind stirring, no matter how you paint the picture, it is Hot! Hot! Hot! It really sucks to be out-of-doors with no way to cool off. If you are like me, you run and hide behind the nearest air conditioner, and simply pray for it to end. However, since we've already created a really interesting list of our Top Ten songs & music, let's see what falls out of our combined bags of thought about the Top inventive things to do when it is THIS hot and you do not have air conditioning:

#1 Turn on the cold water tap, fill up the tub and climb into the bath tub, clothed or not. Of course, this hot you may have to share the tub with friends, family, dogs, cats, ferrets, goats and various other life forms who have the same idea. If you run out of room for everyone in the tub, borrow or buy a horse trough.

#2 In case the tub/horse trough gets lukewarm, make a quick dash to the grocery store/mini mart and buy a half-dozen ten pound bags of ice. Put that in the tub.

#3 Failing that, grind up the ice and put it in your swamp cooler set on HIGH and curl up around it.

#4 A sternly-proportioned application of ice water in your BVD's seems to work. Repeat as needed. At least you won't notice the heat until after the chill wears off.

#5 Rent a 6 foot long box freezer, preferably with an interior light. Plug in the freezer and, leaving the lid slightly open so you can breathe and so the light will remain on, curl up inside with your favorite book. Friends, pets, other life forms optional.

#6 How about a road trip to one of Montana's Glaciers where you can spend the day sleeping on a king-sized ice cube?

#7 This actually works! Climb into the shower with a plastic chair and turn on the cold water tap.

Any takers?

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

What are my Top Ten favorite musical pieces? Somebody asked me, and after a lot of deliberation, here is a partial list that qualifies.

Just because I so love his music, I put Erik Satie's picture atop this message, and his music as my #1 favorite, especially when it comes time to relax and think about such things...

#1 Erik Satie (various performers) Gymnopédies.

I have several different versions of Satie's seminal work, including one played on a synthesizer that is one of my favorite pieces of all times.

#2 George Friderik Handel St. Michael of the Fields recording (old) The Messiah

It's not just about Christmas, at all. Of course if you listen to the St. Michael of the Field's recording of The Messiah, you would know that.

#3 Antonín Dvořák New York Philharmonic Symphony No. 7 in D minor ("Symfonie c. 7 d moll"), Op. 70 (I have worn out several copies)

This is my “blood-pumping” music; all you have to do is listen and suddenly you're ready to take on all oppression and indifference in the world and win.

#4 Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys original CD Bob Wills Greatest Hits.

This is the music I grew up listening to as a kid, and it still survives today.

#5 Little Jimmie Dickens (Country Boy CD)

I had to buy a new CD of Little Jimmie Dickens when my old version simply got too worn to play. Yup, it is another left-over from my childhood, along with Red Sovine.

#6 Red Sovine (Best of Red Sovine)

I dare you to listen to his finest song without a hanky
Teddy Bear

#7 The Best of Patsy Cline Second or third copy of her “Best of” Album.

#8 Johann S. Bach “The Brandenburg Concerto #3” Gunther Schuller and the Spokane Symphony 2004 recording. A master of Bach at his finest.

#9 Merle Haggard “Sing Me Back Home” A re-recording from an original 8-Track Tape plus two other CD's including “Big City”

#10 The Barley Brothers

As I said, there is quite a bit of diversity in my musical catalog. That's just the stuff recorded on CD's. I also have about 20 Gigabytes worth of 78 RPM records transcribed in 2006 and another 20 gigabytes of things people have sent me over the years.

So what kind of music do you consider your top ten favorites and why?

Dave

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed.

C. S. Lewis
English essayist & juvenile novelist (1898 - 1963)

Good afternoon Netizens...

How many of you dared to step a foot outside this afternoon? With temperatures hovering near the century mark by even 3:00 PM, it became increasingly difficult for me to justify going outdoors for even the most minimal exposure. Of course, that precludes all thoughts of wading through a projected 10,000 sweaty people in Riverfront Park for today's Unity in the Community celebration, perhaps one-fourth of which were public officials and aspirants to that noble calling touting their latest agendas around behind them like a wet hen drags its sagging tail feathers.

I have no problem celebrating diversity in our community, so long as we remain clear in our focus that in this community, being a person of color can mean you bear a target on your back wherever you go. When the politicians promise you services sometimes you get them, but a majority of the time you get lip service instead, with the possible exception of Mayor Mary Verner. I have vilified our Mayor in the past over various issues, but I must admit she is actually eager to help allay some of the issues facing our community when it comes to bringing our diverse population together. I also hasten to point out she is a first-term Mayor, somewhat the endangered species when it comes to re-election in Spokane.

Let's take a quick look at what we know about Ben Cabildo, Unity in the Community's to perhaps learn more about Unity in the Community and its relationship to various other organizations. Cabildo is a member of the Spokane Falls Community Colleges Board of Trustees, appointed by the Governor.

Ben Cabildo is also the executive director of the African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American (AHANA) Business and Professional Association, an organization he created.

As the outgoing chair of the Spokane Human Rights Commission Ben Cabildo performed what I believe was a lackluster, mediocre job of supporting human rights. I would identify Cabildo as a “climber”, so named because he failed to address human rights violations taking place in Spokane but always was looking up the ladder for higher rungs. Remember, persons with disabilities have human rights, too. There is an old adage that goes something along the lines that incompetence always seeks the next promotion. Instead of a public servant, I submit Cabildo became a politician, after a fashion. As the former chair of the Spokane Human Rights Commission he ignored persons with disabilities.

The Spokane Human Rights Commission is admittedly, per their web site at Spokane Human Rights Commission attempting to redefine themselves in Cabildo's wake. There are currently unfilled vacancies on the board. The Spokane Human Rights Commission is currently evaluating their mission and structure to better serve the citizens of Spokane. A working group has been formed from current and previous members to address this issue.

Wouldn't you think that the Human Rights Commission could be made functional, that they could be empowered with ability to truly embrace Unity in the Community as it is meant to be, for everyone, not just persons of color? Besides, I truly want to see Cabildo as something less than an oily politician and more of a person dedicating his life to human rights for all.

Mayor Verner, here is an opportunity to truly represent all the people, not just a few.

What are your thoughts on this?

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

While for some of you this piece of recently-announced information may be unimportant. However, given the number of people whom I know regularly use Microsoft Office in the workplace, many of whom are experiencing portability issues between various versions of Microsoft Office documents, perhaps this might explain why:

Aug 15th, 2008 | GENEVA -- The format used by Microsoft Corp.'s Office 2007 programs to save documents will become an international standard after appeals against the move failed to gather sufficient support, the International Organization for Standardization said Friday.
The decision ends months of wrangling over whether Microsoft's Office Open XML format should be considered an open standard — a requirement for many lucrative government contracts.
Brazil, India, South Africa and Venezuela had complained that an international ballot held in April was poorly conducted and rushed them into a decision based on incomplete information.
Technical panels at the Geneva-based ISO and its sister organization, the International Electrotechnical Commission, considered the appeals but concluded that they lacked the necessary support of two-thirds of their membership.
The two bodies said it will take several weeks before OOXML officially becomes an international standard. (Portions from The Associated Press Wire)

rough translation:

Once it becomes an international standard, things will get better. Microsoft knows such things.

even better translation:

There are already alternatives available which will translate any version of Microsoft Office documents, and some of them are free to the public. This is opposed to Microsoft's own Office programs previous to 2007 which require a patch to be interoperable.

Now why would someone want to take an obfuscatious, poorly-documented, somewhat unpopular ISO international software standard and create applications that can easily translate all documents written under this standard free to the public?

If there is sufficient interest in this ongoing development, I will attempt to clarify the difference between the various standards for Microsoft Office documents and explain the alternatives which currently are available.

Dave

Good morning, netizens...

Here is a brief excerpt from the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish who passed away August 10. I found particularly thought-provoking during my early morning reverie today:

Here on the slopes of hills, facing the dusk and the cannon of time
Close to the gardens of broken shadows,
We do what prisoners do,
And what the jobless do:
We cultivate hope.

This is definitely food for thought on what promises to be a real scorching day, but at five in the morning, it is a balmy 60 degrees.

Have you ever been forced by circumstances to, as Darwish has written, subsist on cultivated hope?

Dave

Good morning, Netizens...

In today's Picture of the Day, a displaced Georgian woman is helped up on the outskirts of Gori, northwest of the capital Tbilisi, Georgia. Western leaders engaged in intense diplomacy Friday to persuade Russia to pull troops out of Georgia, but regional tensions soared after a top Russian general warned that Poland could face attack over its missile defense deal with the United States. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) (August 15, 2008)

You might think this piece of revolting history is terrible, but what seems even more sad to me in a more fundamental way are the number of Americans who are uncertain whether their vacation plans to the City of Atlanta, Georgia, USA will be impacted.

I wonder how many Americans have attempted to locate Tbilisi, Georgia on their Triple-A road maps. Anyone have any ideas?

Dave

I married the first man I ever kissed. When I tell my children that they just about throw up.

Barbara Bush (1925 - )

Good evening, Netizens...

This is the latest news bulletin from the two ships preparing to sail from Cyprus to Palestine I spoke of earlier last week.

(Friday 15th August) Today I was intending to write about about practical developments, here in the waters around the Greek islands. Of setting sail again, of bumpy seas and equally churning stomachs.However, the subject of today's bulletin has changed to that of; psychological terrorism. Over the the past 72 hours almost a dozen aggressive messages have been received by members of the groups both on board the ships and in Cyprus. In Nicosia where twenty human rights campaginers including Hedy Epstein await to board the Freegaza and the Liberty, anonymous callers have been making threats to the general well being of all concerned. Some of these texts, calls and answer messages focus on the ships being 'blown up' or 'detroyed killing all on board.' Unnerving enough. But today I can reveal even more pernicious acts of psychological violence on those both reprorting and supporting this effort to ease the blockade of Gaza by Israel. Since Monday, some Palestinian campaigners, (who I will not name here for obvious reasons), have received phone calls made to their mobiles. In an increasing number of cases these threats are being made to family members of the crew who live in the occupied territories. Imagine for a moment hearing a relative report being told 'you will see your uncle soon if xxx continues this action' named uncle having been shot dead by the IDF Now, it is my turn. Yesterday afternoon, on the 14th of August 2008, an anonymnous young man called my home in France as my daughters played hide and seek in the garden . This stranger spoke to my husband, warning him that 'your wife is in great danger. These ships will be blown up.' My husband asked how it was this person had obtained our private home number. No response was forthcoming, but the illicit threats carried on. Who is behind these phone calls? Who benefits by upsetting the families of those onboard the Freegaza and the Liberty? Who would wish to unsettle journalists aboard as unarmed ships set sail towards the waters around Gaza and almost certain interception by Israeli forces? You decide.I will carry on reporting from the waters around Greece, Cyprus and who knows some day soon, even Gaza.My husband will carry on recording these malicious calls to my home in France.A special congratulations and best wishes to Hedy who turns 84 today, many happy returns to a fabulous, human being.THOUGHT FOR THE DAYSilence is the bullies best friend. And.Lauren BoothJournalist and BroadcasterMob: 07958 961602

For a complete overview of events please go to the Free Gaza Website

Dave

Good afternoon, Netizens...

I have had several cups of today's fine Virtual Espresso of the day, “Compassion”. Before strolling into the Virtual Ballroom shortly before noon, I met briefly with the Garden Gnomes, who are proudly gathering vine-ripened tomatoes from our Virtual Garden, as they are to be congratulated on the truly fine harvest I can see coming up the next month or so. This is just in time for my new diabetic regimen of “a salad a day”, which hopefully will keep me off insulin.

As I sit down at my favorite barstool, composing myself for this brief visit, our barrista for the day, a ghost whose visage I do not recognize, sets a cup of delightfully frothy-appearing brew before me, and upon raising my eyebrow, he whispers, “Today's brew is called 'Compassion' for all the victims of the Joseph Duncan trial, including the police officers, many of whom suffered emotionally from their involvement in the case.”

We all need a dash of compassion now and then, and I submit more now than ever as the absolutely vile story of Duncan's sentencing continues.

I am off to the Gathering. Hopefully I will see you there.

Dave