Quote of the Day: 31 May 2018

“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t. And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.” -Granny Aching (attributed), The Wee Free Men

[Terry Pratchett has a way of saying things that resonates. This reverberated with my soul.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 30 May 2018

This week includes two weeks' log excerpts. Last week the log just wasn't available in time. But this week's came out on time. So, here're the selections from the log of local police activity.

Tuesday, May 15• Officers responded to a domestic disturbance where an argument escalated to a physical altercation in which one party allegedly threatened the other with an axe. The subject dropped the axe upon being confronted by bystanders and was arrested on multiple charges.

Holy cow! I am so glad that nothing other than an arrest came of this. How do you even get to the point where you are brandishing an ax at anyone?

Monday, May 21• Officers contacted a woman who had reported a suspicious man walking through her yard. The woman advised that the man may have entered the residence prior to steal undergarments and had at one point left a note. Police are investigating.

This is just creepy. If I ever encounter a situation like this, I am unsure of what will happen. A call to the police is the minimum of what will happen, though.

Check out previous entries in the series by looking at the preceding entry from two weeks ago.

Quote of the Day: 30 May 2018

“So are human beings capable of generous, selfless, even heroic behavior? Absolutely. Are they also capable of heartless acts of apathy? Absolutely.” -Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner

[Attempts to pigeonhole all of humanity will always fail. Some of us are able to overcome base desires and drives, while others succumb to them at the slightest provocation.]

Podcast Recommendation: The History of English Podcast

Over about the past month and a half I have been listening to The History of English Podcast produced by Kevin Stroud. As I have listened I have discovered the answers to questions I have had about English for many years without knowing how to find out the answers. The content has been fascinating, and I am grateful to have discovered this collection of information.

I still have three released episodes that I have not listened to (109 - 111), but I feel confident enough to make this recommendation despite not having heard those episodes.

As Stroud explains in the first episode, plans to deliver essentially four volumes of the podcast, and is currently in the third of those volumes. The first is the ancient forebears of the English language from the Indo-European language through to the Germanic language spoken by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes who settled in England after conquering the Celtic peoples who had been living there. The second is an examination of Old English. Third is the Middle English period. And the fourth is planned to be a discussion of the Modern English period.

Many of my favorite episodes came from the pre-English and Old English episodes. But I continue the enjoy the middle English episodes as well.

One example of something I have learned from by listening to this podcast: I studied French in Junior High, and I have been studying Spanish for about a year and a half. These are both latin languages, and yet their words for cheese are drastically different. Queso in Spanish, and fromage in French. Of the two, queso is closer to the English word cheese despite French influencing English much more than Spanish has. Spanish is an older derivative language of Latin than French is, and took the word for cheese prior to the introduction of formed cheeses. English also had contact with Latin, and borrowed the same word around the same time. Later, formed cheeses were distinguished from unformed cheeses in Latin, and French adopted the word for formed cheeses as its generic word for cheese. This explains why the two latin languages have such different words for cheese, and why Spanish has a more closely related word for cheese than French does despite the greater influence of French on English overall.

I really cannot recommend this more highly. You will be edited by listening to this series. Please do check it out.

Quote of the Day: 29 May 2018

“A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth.” -Daniel Kahneman

[As propagandists through history have discovered or known. So, how do we guard against internalizing the lies repeated so frequently?]

Quote of the Day: 28 May 2018

“The assertion of human rights is naught but a call to human sacrifice. This is yet the spirit of the American people. Only so long as this flame burns shall we endure and the light of liberty be shed over the nations of the earth.” -Calvin Coolidge

[Happy Memorial Day! Please enjoy those rights that have been secured for you at so great a cost.]

Quote of the Day: 27 May 2018

“[I]f the Lord Himself were to ask you to help one of His sons or daughters—which He has done through His servants—would you do it? And if you did, would you act as His agent, ‘on the Lord’s errand,’ relying on His promised help?” -Dallin H. Oaks

Quote of the Day: 26 May 2018

“‘Greed’ is a word that flows off progressive tongues with the ease of lard on a hot griddle. It's a loaded, pejorative term that consigns whoever gets hit with it to the moral gutter. Whoever hurls it can posture self-righteously as somehow above it all, concerned only about others while the greedy wallow in evil selfishness. Thinking people should realize this is a sleazy tactic, not a thoughtful moral commentary.” -Lawrence W. Reed

[As though greed is a fault that exclusively affects conservatives. I am quite fond of Milton Friedman's statement on greed. But that will have to wait for its own day to be featured as a quote.]

Bonus Quote of the Day: 25 May 2018

“So long, and thanks for all the fish.” -Dolphins, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Quote of the Day: 25 May 2018

“You don’t have to like someone to learn from them.” -Dave Freer

[In fact, there isn't even a correlation between people you like and people you can learn from.]

The pup does weird things sometimes

Yesterday, my son asked me to come over to him. Then he grabbed my hands and pulled down indicating he wanted me to come down to his level. Usually when he does this he wants me to pick him up, or sit in my lap. Instead, he reached up and placed something on my head. So, I took it off. It was a googly eye that came off a craft project. I gave it back to him, and he put it on top of my head again. So, I let it fall off my head and stood up. He repeated the process, and then laughed.

I am not sure where this kid gets his sense of humor. I do know that he has one, and that he is committed to executing his jokes. Heaven help us in a few years when he is older.

Quote of the Day: 24 May 2018

“I am not racist, sexist, or homophobic. In reality, I’m an individualist. I judge everybody based upon their words and actions. I don’t like identity politics.” -Larry Correia

[I like Larry. I think he's a good guy. I also fully believe his statement here.]

Book Recommendation: Thinking, Fast and Slow

I recently completed reading Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Considering the book was published more than ten years ago, I'm getting to it fairly late. But because the book is about human nature, and our thinking the ideas presented are enduring. Understanding about some of these ideas mare have been refined since the book was published, but many of the insights are still valuable.

I've seen the book discussed many times in the past, which is why I picked it up when I saw it was available through my local library's ebook program. I am glad I did. There are ideas in there that have changed my perspective. One example is the oft-cited bat and ball problem. I had encountered this question years ago, and I got it right the first time I saw it. (I will admit that my initial impression was  wrong, but immediately after I adjusted my answer before looking at the correct answer.) Because I got it right, I always discounted the statements that most people would answer incorrectly. That is until I read this book and explained it to my wife and my sister. They both immediately responded with the wrong answer without thinking about it any further.

Overall, I gave this book a rating of four out of five stars. The first three parts are very strong; part four is still good; and part five is much weaker. I reduced the overall rating for the lack of quality in the later portion of the book. Despite this, I still think the ideas presented earlier in the work is worth the read.

Quote of the Day: 23 May 2018

“Art can be beautiful even in the service of things that are ugly.” -@neontaster

[In context there are a few examples of this. Sadly, a lot of art doesn't strive for beauty any more.]

It's looking like I'll be ditching the specs

Spectacles that is.

I had an appointment with my optometrist yesterday, and I had previously done quite a bit of research into LASIK (and other associated vision correction surgeries) prior to this meeting. As I discussed the options with the doctor, he conceded that the benefits were enjoyable, and I was well versed in the potential risks. He seemed to think I was not approaching this with unrealistic expectations, as some patients do.

I am myopic, with a bit of astigmatism. But apparently I am well within the correctable range. And at the clinic I have selected 72% of patients with eyesight similar to my own (a little over -4 diopters) have a result of 20/20 vision or better. If an enhancement is needed, 93% get a 20/20 or better result.

The only potential area for concern that has been identified so far is that my pupils are large. To the point that they exceed the corrected area in dim lighting. This means I will likely be affected by "halos" in dim lights.

Anyway, in a few weeks I will have another appointment with my optometrist to get the full referral paperwork completed, and then 10 days later (assuming nothing comes up to prevent the procedure) I will have my eyes corrected.

I would be lying if I said I didn't have any nervousness. But I am willing to proceed despite that. I am hopeful for an improved quality of life.

Quote of the Day: 22 May 2018

“Far too many members of Congress don’t understand the Constitution they’ve sworn to defend—not because they can’t understand it but because they make little or no effort to do so.” -Mike Lee

[Some of them even make it apparent that they hold the Constitution, and other founding documents, in contempt. I don't understand why some feel that is a desirable quality in a representative.]

Quote of the Day: 21 May 2018

“The most important thing I've learned in life, and I can't stress this enough: you gotta make a salad in a bigger bowl than you think” -Kevin Farzad

[I have had difficulties with salad more times than I can count. Always select a larger bowl than you think you will need.]

Quote of the Day: 20 May 2018

“The Savior is our example in everything—not only in what we should do but why we should do it.” -Jean B. Bingham

Quote of the Day: 19 May 2018

“I don’t want to practice Socialism because I don’t want to culturally appropriate Venezuela.” -Dennis Miller

[I frequently enjoy Mr. Miller's elucidation. He has a way with words that I would very much like to have.]

Quote of the Day: 18 May 2018

“The democratic tendency to make gods of successful politicians makes it all the more necessary to oppose them vigorously. If they were thought of by the public as mere men it might be possible to allow a great deal for their common human fallibility, but once they become gods it is reasonable and just to estimate them as gods.” -H. L. Mencken

[There is far too much hero worship going on amongst all political parties these days. It would be far healthier for us to acknowledge that these people are also human, and prone to the same foibles of humanity as the rest of us.]

Recipe: Pico de Gallo

This is a dish we've been enjoying at our home lately. It is simple, only uses a few ingredients, and is easily adaptable. My wife loves it because she really likes eating vegetables. I just enjoy the flavor.

Ingredients:
6 roma tomatoes
1 onion (yellow, white, sweet, red. It really doesn't matter.)
2 anaheim peppers
2 serrano peppers (jalapeños if you prefer less heat.)
1 lime
1 bunch of cilantro (optional)
Salt and oregano to taste

Directions:

Finely dice the tomatoes and combine them with 1/2 tsp. salt then let sit for 10 minutes or so before draining off excess liquid.

In a large bowl combine the tomatoes with the finely diced onion, minced peppers, minced cilantro (if you are using it), and squeeze the juice of the lime into the bowl. Add salt and oregano to taste.

This can be enjoyed immediately, or it can be allowed to sit for half an hour or more to allow the flavors to meld a bit more. I enjoy this as a dip for tortilla chips, or on tacos. It also makes a good topping for scrambled eggs.

Some ideas for augmentation:
Add a drained can of black beans and the kernels off an ear of grilled corn.
Add a cup of finely diced pineapple.
Add a cup of finely diced peaches and mangoes.
Roast the anaheim peppers before dicing, add some finely chopped dried peppers and allow them to rehydrate before consuming.

There are plenty of other things you can do as well. Share your ideas in the comments here.

Quote of the Day: 17 May 2018

“Even the most loving human body makes a very ineffective ballistic shield.” -Kathy Jackson

[Kathy has a way of saying things that I greatly appreciate. I am glad to live in a world where she shares her thoughts.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 16 May 2018

This week we have two selections from the log of local police activity. Both are about women making poor decisions. But you're encouraged to read the full log, because there's more there than I can include here that is worth reading.

May 8* Officers contacted a woman seen face down in the grass along Pacific Avenue. The woman was simply napping. Officers told her this was perhaps not the best location for a snooze.

In case you don't know, Pacific Avenue is the main drag through town. It is a fairly busy road for our small town. It is not surprising that the police would be notified of a woman in this position here. I don't know what would lead to an individual deciding to attempt to sleep here though. I'd never be able to manage it myself.

May 10* Officers contacted two women seen screaming at each other and banging their heads on their vehicle. The women said it was an argument over money and food stamps and one was banging her head on the car out of frustration. They were advised to quiet down and not to smash their heads into solid objects. 

Even more confusing than sleeping along busy road is striking your own head against solid objects. It brings to mind Seinfeld's bit on the invention of helmets. Seriously, if you have to be told that smashing your head against solid objects is inadvisable, you may not be prepared for unsupervised activity.

I encourage you to check out previous selections by following the link to last week's entry in this feature.

Quote of the Day: 16 May 2018

“[A]t times like these, who did the law belong to? If it shouldn’t be in the hands of the people, where the hell should it be?” -Terry Pratchett

Book Recommendation: Our Lost Constitution

Last week I read Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America's Founding Document by Sen. Mike Lee. I realize that this was published some time ago, but I came across it only recently.

The author has separated his discussion of the constitution into two parts. In the first, each chapter addresses a clause of the constitution, the reasoning that led to its inclusion in the constitution and how that clause has subsequently been undermined. In part two each chapter addresses a method by which the intent of the constitution can be reclaimed from the subversions of the past.

One of my favorite chapters was on the origination clause. I had not realized the extent of the disagreement about representation in the legislative branch, nor how close to terminating the constitutional convention this brought things.

I learned a lot while reading this book, and I highly recommend it to you as well.

Quote of the Day: 15 May 2018

“[I]n the rock, paper, scissors of politics force beats constitution every time.” -Mike Duncan

[This comes from a discussion of Napoleon III becoming emperor in the Second French Empire. It is also illustrative of why our right to keep and bear arms is essential to an enduring freedom.]

Quote of the Day: 14 May 2018

“People who give up family for career are often quite anxious to announce their happiness to the world. This is the first sign that they are not happy.” -Matt Walsh

[I have found more fulfillment in being a father than I ever thought possible; and I was sure that I wanted to have children from a fairly young age. I am so glad that I have a family, and the joy that they bring into my life is amazing.]

Quote of the Day: 13 May 2018

“Throughout the history of the world, women have always been teachers of moral values. That instruction begins in the cradle and continues throughout the lives of their children.” -M. Russell Ballard

[Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers I know. May you find joy in celebrating with your families.]

Quote of the Day: 12 May 2018

“If it be true, as has often been remarked, that sayings which become proverbial, are generally founded in reason, it is not less true, that, when once established, they are often applied to cases to which the reason of them does not extend.” -James Madison, The Federalist No. 53

[Oh, so often.]

Quote of the Day: 11 May 2018

“[W]e have had many attempts at regulation of industrial activity by law. Some of it has proceeded on the theory that if those who enjoyed material prosperity used it for wrong purposes, such prosperity should be limited or abolished. That is as sound as it would be to abolish writing to prevent forgery.” -Calvin Coolidge

[Attempts to impose morality through law are destined to fail, and at the cost of liberty for the majority who are already living a moral life.]

Ignorance On Display

I was reading this piece over at Louder With Crowder about a college student who presented her senior thesis in inappropriate attire, when I encountered this gem from the author:

By the by, Professor Maggor’s first name is Rebekah. Which is just a dumber way of spelling “Rebecca.” So Rebekah got to correct people her entire life on how to spell her name because mommy and daddy wanted people to think they were creative. No. However it’s spelled, Rebekah is a name better associated with people who have front holes instead of wangs.

Now, generally I like Courtney's works, but find a few things that a good copy-editor would catch and correct. I usually don't say anything because drawing attention to it is not worthwhile. But this is more than a typographical error, or the selection of the wrong homophone. This is the result of the loss of our shared culture. The name Rebekah appears in the King James Version of the Bible where she is the wife of Isaac, and the mother of Jacob and Esau. This means that the name has a history in English dating back to at least the early seventeenth century. It's not just an arbitrary spelling of the name Rebecca.

This is less of an example of ignorance than the item being commented on in the piece, but it does not present the author in a very good light. And it fully illustrates Muphry's Law.

Quote of the Day: 10 May 2018

“Did you expect to have a revolution, and the establishment didn’t fight back?” -Sarah Hoyt

[When you engage in any worthwhile pursuit, you should expect that there will be opposition and hardship. Doubly so when you are working to root out and replace nefarious and underhanded opponents.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 9 May 2018

This week's selection from the log of local police activity deals with firearms. Of a sort.

Friday, April 27• A caller reported multiple juveniles in matching uniforms shooting off fake guns in a shopping center. Officers located several members of a high school band playing with toy orange-tipped plastic guns as they made their way to the university. Police wished them good luck on their performance.

I applaud the person making the report for having situational awareness. However, why would you make the call to report members of a band carrying what are most likely props for their performance? Particularly when they are orange tipped replicas.

I encourage you to check previous entries of this feature. You can do that by following the link to last week's selection from the Forest Grove Police Log.

Quote of the Day: 9 May 2018

“Today we desperately need more leaders … who will fight to make good laws, keep the peace, save good trees from being cut down, and encourage ordinary people who want to live and let live.” -Michael Flaherty

Quote of the Day: 8 May 2018

“Try being informed instead of just opinionated” -Charlie Kirk

[It is easy to have an opinion. It is more difficult to be informed. It is even more difficult to have an informed opinion. As a result, an uninformed opinion is worth very little.]

The Pup's New Favorite Activity

The Pup (that is, my son) has a new favorite activity. Amongst the many things that he enjoys, such as going for a walk, playing with the girls (those are my dogs), or playing with matchbox cars his current favorite is to watch videos of himself on my phone (or that of my wife.) He is still primarily preverbal, but he has learned to say "show" to indicate he wants to watch a video. As soon as one video ends he begins repeating "show. show," to get me to start another. He would happily do this for an hour or more if I let him.

Eventually we were watching videos from when he was around six months old, and they all held his attention regardless of how much his appearance had changed. He especially enjoyed the videos that also showed the girls. He loves those dogs.

I am afraid he may decide that being in front of a camera is exactly here he wants to be.

Quote of the Day: 7 May 2018

“Good ideas are based on their merit, not who espouses them.” -Dave Rubin

[And yet, I'll still provide attribution for all the quotes I post here. It's still important to know who said a thing to put it in its proper context.]

Quote of the Day: 6 May 2018

“Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint.” -David A. Bednar

Quote of the Day: 5 May 2018

“Nobody wants the truth.” -Jim Treacher

[Too true, sadly.]

It's an Unofficial National Holiday

Happy Dave Brubeck Day, y'all.

Enjoy.

Quote of the Day: 4 May 2018

“The First Rule of Dunning-Kruger Club is you don't know you're in Dunning-Kruger Club.” -Tamara Keel

[Oh the confidence that comes from not having sufficient knowledge to know you are ignorant. Remember that you probably don't know as much about what you opine about as you think you do, please. Then act accordingly.]

Podcast Recommendation: Revolutions

Over the past few years I have been listening to the Revolutions Podcast hosted by Mike Duncan. He previously produced the History of Rome Podcast, so this one starts from the beginning with good production values, and a host who is confident in his presentation with a strong authorial voice. He has just finished a series on the revolutions in Europe in 1848 that comprises 33 episodes, and is about to start a series on the second French Revolution. He has also covered the English Revolution, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, the Haitian Revolution, the South American Spanish Revolution, and the July Revolution of 1830 (in France).

I have enjoyed this podcast for how extensively each of these are covered. Even the American Revolution series is deeper than what I was presented when covering the topic in school (at whatever level.) But the host also includes quite a bit of humor in each of the episodes. He takes the history, places it in a larger context, slays misconceptions and myths, and does all of this with a wry, dry wit that I quite enjoy.

So, if you already know you like history I probably don't need to tell you anymore. Go subscribe. If you are hesitant, thinking you don't like history, all I can do is encourage you to give it a chance. Perhaps I can entice you by asking you what in the American Revolution could lead to the birth of the phrase "Gentleman Johnny's Party Train." So, go listen to the series on the American Revolution (since we can always benefit from a greater knowledge of our own history) and let me know if you don't agree that this makes the history much more enjoyable than learning a series of battles, dates, and names.

Conveniently, Mike is currently running a fundraiser for this podcast; so, check that out as well. I have no relationship with him other than as a listener to the podcast, and I have not received any compensation for making this recommendation. It's just something that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and I think you might like it too.

Quote of the Day: 3 May 2018

“Be better than a strawman.” -Shoshana Weissmann

[I believe the original context was telling someone that had made a strawman argument that they really needed to do better. But, I take it as a reminder that I need to present thoughts that are more cogent than could be mistaken for a strawman. Which requires little to no thought.]

Forest Grove Police Log excerpt, 2 May 2018

The selection from the log of local police activity this week is a cautionary tale about knowing the law.

April 26* Two raccoons were fighting in a woman's backyard and she inquired as to whether she could shoot them. She was advised she could not discharge a firearm within city limits.

Please, please learn the laws about firearms if you are going to own them. That includes the applicable federal, state, and local laws and ordinances. I had already looked at the city ordinances about discharging firearms (and here it includes airguns, bows, crossbows, etc.) because I have some annoying squirrel and bird visitors to my backyard.

You can see the selections from previous weeks by looking at any of the past entries of this feature. I suggest last week as a good place to start.

Quote of the Day: 2 May 2018

“Just because you don't deserve the tone of your criticism doesn't mean you don't deserve the criticism itself.” -@neontaster

[It is very often true that a valid critique is delivered in a way that is quite vicious. And yet the underlying truth is there despite the personal attack. Even more frequently, people believe a criticism directed at them is an attack when it is not because they are so personally invested in what is being criticized.

I have seen this behavior increasing in the age of Trump on all sides of the political discourse.]

Quote of the Day: 1 May 2018

“[U]nion members get higher wages only at the expense of workers who do not get, or do not keep, jobs because of lower sales and less production.” -Ernest van den Haag