At least I know why it’s been cold and rainy….

Friday we took the dangerous step of going to Lowe’s after work. We have a frightening ability to spend a disturbing amount of money there without even trying. Friday was, of course, no exception.

We went to look at plants to replace the ones that died over the winter. There were not a lot of plants that died, but then I need only the flimsiest excuse to buy living greenery.

We picked up a lilac that we put around the back of the house where the rental across the alley has a dusk to dawn light that shines in our windows. It should grow to a size that will, when it gets bigger, block out much of the light in the summer. At least that is the plan.

I also found two rhododendrons that I liked, which is unusual, because I’m not typically fond of the state plant. It’s an understory plant really, so it’s a bit leggy and sparse. In the right setting it looks very nice, but that setting is not my yard. But the plants I found look far more like what is generally categorized as “Azalea” with smaller, closely grouped leaves. The smaller of the two plants has very pretty dark leaves, which is why I liked it, the second plant has huge fuchsia flowers, which I quite liked. They remind me a bit of something that I can’t quite place. I’m hoping that they both flower this year, as both of the plants we chose had flower buds. The smaller plant went near the main walk, under the maple tree. I asked Michael if this would make it a pain for him to mow, and he said no, so that means that when he gripes I get to ignore him. The other went at the bottom of the hill, where the fence line will be extended in the coming month.

Along the bottom of the hill we also moved the forsythia and the small lilac, because I realized that we planted them too close to the other shrubs. So we’re back to looking barren for now, but ONE day, it will be a nice hedge. One day. Also along the bottom of the hill I planted a peony, with the second (the package came with two) along the side where there is just bulbs. And I added a second clematis along the fence. I’ve never had clematis before, and the other I planted late fall, so I’m curious to see how it will turn out. My hope is that it climbs and runs along the fence, but I just don’t know. I also planted some of the gladiolus bulbs I picked up last month for some reason that had a lot more to do with winter ending and wanting to plant things than any particular fascination with gladiolas. We’ll see how they turn out. If none of that works, then I’ll look into climbing roses, which will do two things. First, they’ll look nice on the fence, and second they’ll discourage people trying to climb over/sit on the fence.

And, I finally took the poop that my co-worker gave me, and spread it around the lower part of the yard where my oh-so-polite neighbors tore up our yard last spring and have yet to repair the damage. Spread the manure and then spread some grass seed. Hopefully this will make that portion of the yard look a little better. The top part, that luckily isn’t easily seen from the road, is still a tremendous mess. Not only did they not repair the yard, but when the put the soil back, all the topsoil went underneath, and we were left with nice, orange clay on top. I’m thinking that getting grass to come back is not going to be easy. I’d really like to plant something along that portion of the fence, but not only is the yard a mess (and lacking topsoil), part of me keeps hoping that our neighbors will repair the damage they did.

I know, fat chance.

And I suppose that’s about it for the garden update. Oh yeah, I’ve moved most of the plants outside. You would not believe how much space this opens up in the house. It’s kinda of nice to have so many plants inside when winter is it’s darkest, but come spring I need more space. So out on the porch they went. I’m still keeping an eye on temperatures, but there isn’t anything that can’t handle the chill we’ve been having. So I’ve got greenery outside, and new plants to watch all summer. Ah, the joy of spring!

Well I know who I am NOT voting for in the WV Governor’s rate.

Driving through town I noticed that McCoy 6 properties have signs supporting Monty Warner.

Well, if McCoy 6 is supporting him, that’s a good enough reason for me NOT to vote for him, and almost good enough reason to actively campaign against him.

One of the problems with a blog as opposed to a paper journal is that you can’t write about some of the important stuff. Personal stuff that happens that has no business being shared with others, but is still incredibly important.

Like how our health care system has become a nightmare, both in the ridiculousness of the paperwork, and the way that some of those within the system treat those who use its services.

What insane invertebrate designed this system?

The most frustrating problem is that reform is held up on all sides, and those who are for true reform can’t manage to say the right things to let people know how serious the problems are, and how reform is a good thing.

Let’s take Medicare and health care costs are our example, shall we? One (of the many) charges leveled against a national health care system is that the bureaucracy is inefficient and would only inflate the costs of services. I’m sure everyone has heard that charge, yes? That is patently untrue.

Medicare overhead costs: 2%
Private Insurance overhead costs: 14%

Fourteen percent as opposed to two percent. Just consider how much of your monthly premium is going to pay some paper pusher as opposed to going to pay actual health care costs.

Then there is the canard about quality of service. Canada has significantly lower national health care spending with its national health care system, yet the quality of care is the same as or better than health care in the US.

Then there is my favorite, the bit where people complain about not wanting to pay for health care for the poor and undeserving (And we have the audacity to call ourselves a Christian nation? Please. But that’s another rant entirely.) Guess what. We’re paying for that health care already. Unfortunately, what we’re paying for is emergency care and hospitalization, which is incredibly more expensive than preventive care.

How we pay for the care is in one of two ways: Higher costs for products and services, and higher costs for medical services.

Higher costs for services come because companies that provide health insurance for their employees and then pass those costs along to the customer in the form of higher prices. (I heard earlier this week that the percentage of the cost of a new car that is employee’s benefits is higher than the cost of the steel) The problem with this set-up is that companies (obviously) find it cheaper to not provide benefits to employees, and so we are finding a rising percentage of Americans who are working, yet still lack health insurance.

If you have never had the misfortune of going without health insurance, let me tell you, it’s frightening.

The second way that we pay for the health care of the uninsured is through increased medical and hospital bills. When someone lacks health insurance, and cannot afford routine medical care, all their medical treatment occurs in the emergency room, where doctors are bound by law to treat patients who need care. And if the situation is grave enough, the patients then entire the hospital. There are two points here. These are huge expenses that the hospital or medical facility has to absorb, and the only way to do it is to pass the costs along to other patients–patients who can pay.

What makes the situation even worse is that many of these situations could have been resolved with routine medical care that costs next to nothing when compared to emergency care and hospitalization. Treating high blood pressure reduces the incidence of strokes. Treating diabetes reduces a whole host of medical problems, going to the doctor to be treated for a cold for the flu, keeps a patient out of the hospital with pneumonia.

But people don’t see this. They don’t get it.

Health care should not be a luxury. A healthy population is one that is better able to work (increasing productivity!) and one that has lower across the board medical costs, as use of emergency services and hospitals decreases.

But that’s okay. You go right along calling yourself a devout Christian and railing against universal medical care. But keep reading the bible. Perhaps one day you’ll actually get the bits about caring for the needy.

I just hope for the rest of our sakes that day is sooner rather than later.

I’m not sure that even Andy could drive that fast…

A Belgium motorist was left stunned after authorities sent him a speeding ticket for travelling in his Mini at three times the speed of sound.

Mraw!

The discovery of a cat buried with what could be its owner in a Neolithic grave on Cyprus suggests domestication of cats had begun 9,500 years ago.

Brian called this evening to let us know that he had to put Cyrus down.

When Brian brought him home, Cyrus was smaller than Slate, and that seemed to stick in his head, because he always saw Slate as a playmate. Luckily, she liked him as much as he liked her, so they got along fine.

I feel terrible for Brian, because Cyrus was the first dog that was his–not the family dog, his dog. He trained him, and generally adored Cyrus as much as Cyrus adored him.

Six is way to short a life span, even for a big dog.

A ride through the area surrounding Chernobyl

This sort of radiation level can not be found in Chernobyl now. In the first days after explosion, some places around the reactor were emitting 3,000-30,000 roentgens per hour. The firemen who were sent to put out the reactor fire were fried on the spot by gamma radiation. The remains of the reactor were entombed within an enormous steel and concrete sarcophagus, so it is now relatively safe to travel to the area – as long as we do not step off of the roadway……. and so long as action is taken in the very near future to rebuild the sarcophagus, which is crumbling away.
…
It shows various levels of radiation on asphalt – usually on the middle of road – because at edge of the road it is twice as high. If you step 1 meter off the road it is 4 or 5 times higher. Radiation sits on the soil, on the grass, in apples and mushrooms. It is not retained by asphalt, which makes rides through this area possible.

(via As I Please)

Today is the day to find strange and interesting stuff on the Internet.

Completely Random

Dr. Ruth was a sniper.

Julia Child worked for the OSS.

There Really Are No Snakes in Ireland

There are no snakes in Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand or many South Sea islands.

Crab Recipes from the Baltimore Sun

The Gentlemen’s C Presidency

When you go to a lot of trouble to gather those who are supposedly the best and the brightest, how do you accommodate those who are the richest and best-connected but not otherwise qualified?

In George W. Bush’s day, the accommodation was called the “Gentleman’s C.” Those who received it acquired the “gentleman” designation not by virtue of behavior but by birth, and the “C” on their transcripts should never be interpreted as “average” for it usually indicated frequent absences from class, papers from the frat file that had been used two or three times, and blue books that revealed a stunning lack of contact with the course material.

I have no idea as to the veracity of this, but the website where I found it is generally full of thoughtful and truthful posts.

Soprano Deborah Voigt was sacked after being told she was too large to wear her Royal Opera House stage costume

Soprano Deborah Voigt, 43, said she received many letters of support after her Royal Opera House dismissal, as she prepared for her Carnegie Hall recital debut and the release of her first solo album.

It’s hard to beleive that opera, of all things, would discriminate against someone who was heavy. I mean, when most people think of opera, they typically think of big women dressed in Wagnerian Ring Cycle garb.

Japanese actor a specialist in playing corpses

Fukumoto reckons he’s been killed more than 20,000 times — fans say it’s at least twice that — in thousands of TV appearances and nearly 100 movies over his 45-year career. But he can’t say for sure. Scripts often crammed in several killing scenes, which meant Fukumoto would die as one character and reappear later as another to get slain again.
…
In his 2001 autobiography, which has sold 80,000 copies, Fukumoto said he learned by studying stuntmen. But his hero was Charlie Chaplin, whose over-the-top antics were a useful model because Japanese death scenes are stylized, featuring actors who shudder violently and flop to the ground when killed.

Sicilian village spooked by seemingly spontaneous combustion

Spontaneous fires started in mid-January in the town of Canneto di Caronia, in about 20 houses. After a brief respite last month, the almost daily fires have flared up again — even though electricity to the village was cut off.

(via Neil Gaiman)

Yes, I’ve missed the last three Festival of Ideas talks. (Two of the three I wanted to see, but Leon Winter was the first day back after spring break, and I just plain forgot, and John Meecham was missed due to a house project.

But…

Just got notice of two talks next week that look interesting:

7) NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR TO GIVE LECTURE MONDAY
A renowned New Testament scholar will visit campus Monday, April 12, to give the Manfred O. Meitzen Outstanding Guest Theological Lecture. Amy-Jill Levine will speak on “Lost History of Women in the Bible” at 7:30 p.m. at Erickson Alumni Center. Dr. Levine is a professor at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, where she directs the Carpenter Program in Religion, Gender and Sexuality. The lecture is free and open to the public.

12) GUEST PHILOSOPHER TO DISCUSS ‘FREE WILL AND SELF-EXPRESSION’
The Department of Philosophy announces an upcoming lecture by 2004 Outstanding Guest Philosopher John M. Fischer. Dr. Fischer, professor of philosophy and Director of the Honors Program at the University of California, Riverside, will speak on Wednesday, April 14, from 7:30-9 p.m. in G-15 Life Sciences Building. His lecture, titled “Free Will and Self-Expression,” has been designed for a general audience interested in these issues.

How exciting!

Dear S,

Hardscrabble, hardscrabble, hardscrabble.

Hope that helped.

The God of Old by James L. Kugel

…There were also asides and things mentioned in passing that were absolutely fascinating:

(I)n Hebrew this word for “sinner” still carries a note of inadvertency connected to its verbal root, which means “to miss the mark.”

This is certainly not the context in which I understood sinner as I grew up. It somehow makes the sin easier to bear, knowing that a sinner is not one who has deliberate chosen to do wrong, but is one who has missed the mark. It means you tried to do good, and failed.

READ MORE on The God of Old

There’s an interview with Karen Armstrong in this weeks NY Times Magazine.

It’s quite an interesting interview; despite the fact that the interviewer comes across as a total prig, Karen Armstrong holds her own:

Could you feel compassion for someone who wrote a negative review of one of your books?

I spent so many years as an abject failure that if I get a good review, I am surprised. I didn’t get anywhere near success until I was 50 years old.

Perhaps you should have given more thought to the biblical belief in an eye-for-an-eye-style revenge?

An eye for an eye is about limiting vengeance. You can only take an eye out for an eye; you may not kill someone for knocking out your eye. It means restraining tribal violence, and it is in the Koran.

That’s fascinating, but I still find your emphasis on compassion simplistic. We know from Freud that all true achievement derives from selfishness. Who cares if Michelangelo was nice to his next-door neighbors?

Religions are not dealing with geniuses. They are dealing with ordinary people.

As of 5 April 2004, 607 U.S. service members have died in Iraq.

Dear God. The last 11 soliders killed were all under the age of 25.

Chronological list of soldiers killed.
Alphabetical list of soldiers killed.

I’d not mentioned this for awhile, becuase with the one year anniversay of the start of the war, the press seemed to be talking about about casualities. But I think it’s about time now, especially with all the furor over the mercenaries who were killed. I don’t have anything to say about that situation, other than I think it is taking attention away from soldiers who were killed in the line of duty.

What frightens me the most about the situation in Iraq is that I can’t decide if the situation is more like Iran in the 70s or Afghanistan in the 80s. Neither comparion bodes well for the future of US involvement in the region, or for women’s rights.

Vampires Everywhere!
From this article, it’s easy to see why movies and TV have changed a few things….

Theirs is not a Hollywood tale, and they laugh at Hollywood conventions: that vampires can be warded off by crosses or cloves of garlic, or that they can’t be seen in mirrors. Utter nonsense. Vampires were once Catholics, were they not? And if a vampire can be seen, the mirror can see him. And why would you wear garlic around your neck? Are you adding taste?
…
Ion Balasa, 64, explained that there are two ways to stop a vampire, but only one after he or she has risen to feed.

“Before the burial, you can insert a long sewing needle, just into the bellybutton,” he said. “That will stop them from becoming a vampire.”

But once they’ve become vampires, all that’s left is to dig them up, use a curved haying sickle to remove the heart, burn the heart to ashes on an iron plate, then have the ill relatives drink the ashes mixed with water.

Staking vamps through the heart and having them turn immediately to dust is certainly more dramatic.

And surprisingly less icky.
(via Language Log)