Pictures of New Baby

Aramina Marie Evans born 11/27.

Aramina bathed and dressed up.

I think I can see both Brian and Caley in that sweet little face.

Tired of Blogging About Melamine

The FDA found melamine and cyanuric acid, a related chemical, in samples of baby formula made by major U.S. manufacturers. Melamine can cause kidney and bladder stones and, in worst cases, kidney failure and death. If melamine and cyanuric acid combine, they can form round yellow crystals that can also damage kidneys and destroy renal function.

Melamine was found in Good Start Supreme Infant Formula With Iron made by Nestle, and cyanuric acid was detected in Enfamil Lipil With Iron infant formula powder made by Mead Johnson.

Findings by Nestle related to their dairy herds in South Africa, shows that melamine crosses the feed/food barrier, as melamine laced corn gluten fed to dairy cows showed up in infant formula made with the milk.

read more here and here

Ben Ate the Car

Ben said, "I ate my car, now my tummy is full." Ben also said he wanted Axel back and spelled AXEL (with some help) with his Wordworld blocks.

Ben Quiet

Ben is quiet and a bit pale today as he was sick to his stomach last night. A few people have gotten sick from the Cyndi illness, but not like the bike race and the norovirus.

Thanksgiving Bird Leaves

Thanksgiving Pictures

No picture of Ben? Looks like he was too fast to catch on camera.

Big Thanksgiving News

Late last night my sister Sharon called. Val answered my phone and got the news. Aramina Marie Evans was born last night, November 27th, a real Thanksgiving baby, to Brian and Caley Evans. I am now a Great Aunt and the children have a new baby girl cousin in Nevada. They plan to call her Mina. Update: she was born at 7:58 7/27. She was 6 lbs and 20 inches long.

Val creates a new hairdo

Yard Adventures

Ben lines everyone up for a picture.
Grandpa gives nature lessons.
Looks like dead leaves to me.
Ben gets a horse ride on the neighbor's horse, Cookie.

Axel goes next.

At Turpen's

Arrived at Texas Turpen's just this afternoon. Boulder Baker's arrived yesterday. Val says Ben woke up this morning and said, "Axel, I want my Axel."

Spent the Weekend at Bottomless Pit

Actually it was Bottomless Lake State Park.

Big Billboards

This morning in Arizona we saw some big billboards that proclaimed Baldwin for President in 08. I just looked this up. He is a Florida Pastor who was running for president on the Constitution Party ticket--had the endorsement of Ron Paul. So now I know.

We Slowly Wend Our Way to Texas

We travel slowly, stopping for lunch at the Walker River.
We spent the night in the Alabama Hills
just under Mt. Whitney.
We went through Death Valley and up to Zabriskie Point.
Then on to Tacopa Hot Springs. Hot Hot water, but supposed to be good for you.
We spent last night at Homolovi State Park and are tonight at American RV Park of Albuquerque.

Off to Texas

Off in the RV to Texas, home about the 10th of December.

Sam and Sharon for Dinner

Had Sharon and Sam over for dinner last night.
A good time was had by all and Sam definitely approved the menu of spareribs and beans with apple pie (homemade) for dessert.

Prank On

Pranksters distributed over a million copies of a prank copy of the NYT nationwide today. Pretty vast prank. They also have a web edition of the paper copy here, so you can enjoy the headlines for the 7/4/09 edition. Troops Home. Bush Indicted. USA Patriot Act Repealed.

New York Times Special Edition Video News Release - Nov. 12, 2008 from H Schweppes on Vimeo.

Backdoor Bailout

In 1986 Congress enacted a law that cut back on tax shelters by not letting companies so easily write off the losses of a subsidiary business or newly acquired business against the profits of the main business.

But Treasury just wrote a five sentence statement repealing Section 382 of the tax code.

The notice was released on a momentous day in the banking industry. It not only came 24 hours after the House of Representatives initially defeated the bailout bill, but also one day after Wachovia agreed to be acquired by Citigroup in a government-brokered deal.

The Treasury notice suddenly made it much more attractive to acquire distressed banks, and Wells Fargo, which had been an earlier suitor for Wachovia, made a new and ultimately successful play to take it over.

The rewrite was probably not legal. But to undo this would have big ramifications for many recent mergers, not just Wells Fargo.

Overall this little statement has cost taxpayers about 140 billion. Just one more bit of subtle looting of the US of A by the outgoing regime. Read the full story here.

I had sent an email to the CEO of Wells Fargo at the time registering my displeasure as a customer with the bank's acquisition of Wachovia which was full of very bad debt. I got a message back saying that they felt it was a good business decision.

They knew about the "Wells Fargo Ruling" as soon as it took effect and took advantage of it.

The total amount of the "Bailout" in one form or another is now about 2 trillion.

Recycling

Problems have come up with recycling. 1. Because we are buying less junk from China. 2. China is buying less recycled plastic and paper to make containers to contain junk to ship back to us. 3. So recyclers are paying little or nothing for recycled paper and plastic. 4. So pick-up services may start charging more for recycling as recycled items build up. 5. So we either start generating less plastic and paper waste or we start learning how to use recycled waste in the US.
There are small companies that make useful products out of recycled products. We need to patronize these companies, allowing them to grow, and provide some small business subsidies to other innovations for the use of recycled plastic and paper.
For example, I just found a company that makes 50 year guarantee plastic lumber in Shingle Springs that may be a good choice for our deck and railings.

Garrison Mocked You

Garrison Keillor mocked those who would have moved to France, if the election had not turned out to their liking. He ended the very funny bit with "I'm Barack Obama and I approved this message." A Prairie Home Companion is my favorite radio show.

Boys Celebrate

Girls do have Cooties per University of Colorado at Boulder researchers. The obvious dirt on boys must have antibacterial properties.

Go Green

Or really Hot with your own backyard nuclear reactor. Per this Guardian article, they are safe and easy to use. If 20K households share the expense, the cost for electricity would be about $125 per year. Very interesting and very innovative. more here

Pics from Val

Robert in his band uniform and
Sweet Jasmine.
Ben at Halloween

What to do with Lieberman?

Lieberman is a problem for the Democrats. Most of them want to throw him under the bus for his stab in the back behavior during the campaign. Most do not think he should have the plush chairmanship of the Homeland Security Committee. Harry Reid is trying to get Lieberman to step down without fuss. He doesn't want to. So the talk is that the entire caucus will vote to throw him out.
I think this is where Obama could step in. Appoint Lieberman to a cabinet position in an area that he has competence and is in agreement with Democrats. Like Interior. Which is a mess and Bush is making messier. Like let's mine for uranium in the Grand Canyon and pollute the Colorado.
Then Connecticut can appoint a Democrat to replace Joe.

The Fat Lady Sings

Kate Smith sings for a United America under Barack Obama.

Palm Beach Ballots

Everywhere else in Florida you just blacken a box next to the candidate of your choice. In Palm Beach of butterfly ballot fame, you have to blacken the area in between two boxes. The same Bush/Gore lawyers are watching the checking of every ballot. Bunch of crazies who run the elections in Palm Beach.

Simulation of a Palm Beach Ballot.

Everything is Broken (Bob Dylan)

I hope Obama can heal our country.

Boulder Cup Nov 1

From Jon:

I was in the lead group for most of the race, till I flatted and wound up 6th. Today will be even better!

-Jon

From Cycling News:

One of the nice surprises of the race was Boulder's own Jonathan Baker (Vitamin Cottage) making it into the early selection. "I've been with those guys before - I have the speed to stay there, but not the endurance. I made a bobble in the sand pit and was gaped. I dangled for the next lap but then flatted. But tomorrow is two blocks from my house so I am excited!"

Them and Us

A diamond studded gold inlaid MasterCard for high rollers. Issued by a bank in Kazakhstan. With a 1k annual fee, you only get a credit limit of 50k. Seems like a rather low credit limit. I thought Cindy McC could run up >100k per month. I think those Kazakh billionaires are going to need more than 50k.

My Workplace

Worked today and there were a lot of people there doing phone banking and other tasks. Over 40% of residents have already turned in their absentee ballots. Nevada County usually has >80% voter turnout for a presidential election. Reflects the fact that we are an old county demographically and the old vote. Although I did have one 95 year old woman tell me that she was not voting as she was tired of it and felt that she had voted enough. Maybe.