Learn to park FRETS license in Delaware

This two space, abandonment parking job by big SUV driving FRETS license plate owner implies that he or she is an inconsiderate jerk.

This parking job was at Independence Mall on 202 in Wilmington earlier this evening. You would think that the owners of the businesses wouldn't want one car taking up all of the prime spaces.

Suppposedly the best smoked whitefish on the UP

Gustafson's in Brevort,MI supposedly has the best smoked whitefish on the UP. That is abold claim considering how much folks up here love their smoked whitefish. Lynn makes a tasty smoked whitefish spread from recipe she got from a store in Escanaba that unfortunately has closed.

Let's just say it is the best smoked whitefish along RT2 on the way back home. We got our fish in a cooler, let's hope we can get it home.

What is this tree in Escanaba? Closeup of fruit.

A closeup of the fruit on those trees in Escanaba. What are they?

Update: Barbara Tiesch, librarian for the Harrisburg Patriot-News, has suggested (via Twitter) that these tress might be Mountain Ash. A quick wikipedia search reveals that these trees look like Sorbus americana. Thanks for your help Barbara, a several year mystery (to me) is now solved. The article says that in the United States they are distributed from the Appalachians from New York to Georgia and out to the Great Lakes.

What is this tree in Escanaba MI

These trees are on the green in front of the lighthouse in Escanaba, MI. They have bright orange berries and interesting leaves. Do any horticulturists out there know what there are?

Closeup of berries and leaves to follow.

Update: Barbara Tiesch, librarian for the Harrisburg Patriot-News, has suggested (via Twitter) that these tress might be Mountain Ash. A quick wikipedia search reveals that these trees look like Sorbus americana. Thanks for your help Barbara, a several year mystery (to me) is now solved. The article says that in the United States they are distributed from the Appalachians from New York to Georgia and out to the Great Lakes.

Just burgers ... And more?

I think the creator of this store doen't understand the word "just". Once you say "just" you can't add to it. I guess it caught my eye.

Lynn Linus and the Lighthouse

Lynn, Linus and the Lighthouse sounds like a children's book. Now I need a story and a publisher.

We were at the Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba a few days ago. This is Linus' first lighthouse. We will have to get him a scrapbook to keep track.

Mario Paper Art at the UP State Fair

I hope Mason Wellman of Rock, MI, doesn't mind me posting a picture of his really cool Mario Paper Art 4H project on display at the Upper Peninsula State fair in Escanaba. It won a first place ribbon. This artwork is made entirely of colored, glued, torn paper. I think Mario looks suitable plumber like and the heroine looks worth saving. The colors of the sky, the brickwork and the shadows of the dangers that Mario faced to save her are almost surreal. I hope someone encourages this kid's artwork.

Creationist Museum Display at the Upper Peninsula State Fair in Escanaba

A local Escanaba Baptist church had this nice display of artifacts that seek to prove the Creationist theory of life on Earth. The display had replicas of artifacts purportedly showing footprints of humans next to dinosaur tracks and ancient human art showing that humans and dinosaurs lived together. I haven't ever seen a real life display like this one before.



A closeup of the footprints:


I took a picture and then I noticed I could get a peice of chocolate if I got 8 out of 10 bible questions right. I aced it and got my chocolate. I think they were recruiting and were unprepared for my "try to win a prize for knowing trivia" attitude. When it comes to winning chocolate bible facts are as good as any other for me.

Just for the record I think that the Young Earth Creationism depicted here is bunk. But the people seemed nice, if misinformed.

When did they paint the Gap Town Clock white?

In June 2005 when I last took a picture of the Gap Town Clock, it wasn't painted white. I suppose it looks nice and perhaps that will help it to stay in good condition, but I can only imagine the town meetings to discuss it. I do wonder how historical it is.

Yet another politcal spectrum map

Howard reveals his political views with the Political Spectrum Quiz. I took it myself.

My Political Views
I am a centrist social libertarian
Left: 0.14, Libertarian: 4.64
















I have been moving over the years to a moderate position because I find I have less and less tolerance for black and white positions, though I suppose that in my moderation I should still tolerate people who have black and white positions. I do find that I like authority less and less, perhaps because I don't like what authority has been doing the past few years. At least they add an interventionist dimension and a cultural dimension.






I can't see how anyone could be interventionist (or neo-conservative as above) these days given our current obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan.








All of these quizzes fail to actually assess the complexities of defining a person's political tendencies. If one dimension, left to right, isn't enough to describe a person's political philosophy, why is two? Why is four, adding foreign policy interventions and "culture"?

We should ask thousands of questions to millions of people and then do conjoint analysis to find the dimensions of politics. It seems to me that politics is the subset of philosophy involved in how we deal with other people or set up governments to regulate our actions and we know how easy that is to categorize.

Add to this that the questions on the quiz are ambivalent and are reminiscent of traditional true/false questions, either answer seems to be right and wrong, depending on the wording and interpretation.