News and Views

The Economist published a poll a couple of days ago that asked (among other things): “Do you think that Muslims have a constitutional right to build a mosque … near the World Trade Center site?” The question wasn’t “Is it wise?” or “Does it make you uncomfortable?”, or “Do you hate the idea, and hate […]

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Yep, on that brand new Acura Crossover SUV. Not that it isn’t a wonderful vehicle, but I keep looking at my old Odyssey and think about all the things I can’t do with the new one: Carry 7 people comfortably (it happens more than you might guess), throw dirty stuff in the back (would never […]

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They had 23 fans and 5 dehumidifiers in the house for 4 days. What a racket! They finally judged the house dry, and took the equipment away last night, so at least it’s peaceful again. The insurance adjuster was here this morning, and estimated about $7000 just to repair the damage to the walls. That […]

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After driving my Honda Odyssey for 10 years and 145,000 miles, I decided it was time for a new car. When you live many years with a car, you’re not aware of the gradual change as it ages — it still seems about like it did when it was new. But it’s not the car […]

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We had a nice rain storm last night, but that’s not what this is about. The connection to the downstairs toilet broke some time in the night, and we woke to standing water all over the lowest level of the house. The water is not above the top of the carpet, but walking on carpets […]

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You may remember that Devon was accepted into the Cornell University Graduate Physics program. He wanted to spend the summer in Taiwan, studying Mandarin and immersing himself into another culture. Well, he’s having so much fun that he doesn’t want to come back. He contacted Cornell, and told them he was enrolled in the University […]

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I know that self-diagnosing by browsing the internet is often a bad idea. But in this case I think I got it right. For months, every time after I get out of the shower, my legs would start itching. At times it is almost unbearable, and I sit there scratching away. It peaks about 5 […]

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