Critters in my yard and nearby.

I know that the caterpillar became a black swallowtail butterfly and that Lucy likes studying the praying mantis outside the front window. But what is (are?) that (those?) flying insect(s) on my leg? It (they?) landed while Doug and I were canoeing around the local reservoir recently. They landed, flew away, returned, flew away, returned, on and on. If it's a them they spent a long, long time hooked up like that. And I mean hooked up in the sense that it's used most often these days. 

According to that ex-KGB guy who likes to rip off his shirt occasionally and show us his naked body. Which I find hilarious.

It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but ...God* created us equal.

Hard to argue with this, right? Um, apparently not.

It's also hard to believe that a guy who likes to pose for such pictures now and then doesn't think of himself as exceptional, but I'll let that slide for now. I've always cringed when I read about Americans, or the United States, as being exceptional. So arrogant! It's a pretty great deal we've got here in the ole U S of A (well, for most of us but certainly not all) but we really need to get over ourselves. Or at least stop telling the rest of the world that we're exceptional (and that includes, I'm sorry to say, Mr. Obama who doesn't do much that I disagree with).


*Or Mother Nature.

I like to think of myself as a person who doesn't crave unnecessary things, but.

 

 

I love these! And I must admit that I want one. Not going to happen. A regular white one costs about $200 and these go for about $800. I can think of much better uses for $600 but it would make me smile several times a day.  Lots more to look at here.



I nominate this word for the compost pile.

Nonplussed. What a bad, bad word. So confusing. So often misused. So often the cause of me having to stop reading whatever I'm reading to, once again, look it up. It does not mean  "unimpressed" or "indifferent." It means "confused" or "perplexed." Maybe blogging about it will imprint it on my brain.

 

 

I'm a fan of whimsy but there may be limits.

I'm reading Tom Robbins' novel Skinny Legs and All. I've wanted to read one of his books for years and, for no particular reason, I chose this as my first. In addition to some humans, other main characters include a can of beans, a dirty sock, a conch shell, and a spoon. These characters have interesting conversations and through some sort of quantum mechanical plot device are able to move about. Right now they're headed for Jerusalem -- from Idaho. Another feature of this book is an Airstream RV that's been redesigned to look like a turkey. I'm an equal opportunity reader for the most part. Not a fan of science fiction or vampire novels, but otherwise I'm pretty much open to anything. But I am having a bit of trouble with a talking can of beans. I'll plow ahead because I'm determined to finish this book and try some of his others.

Note: I officially gave up on this book on Monday, Sept 2. Mostly because my knowledge of the Old Testament is just not robust enough to understand all the references. But I'm not giving up on Tom Robbins. I'll try Jitterbug Perfume soon and if THAT doesn't take then I'll cross this author off my "must be read" list.