Venison: Medium Rare to Raw

We try to eat venison at least once a week.  Why, you ask?  Unless it's been made into delicious fresh or smoked sausage it's exceedingly healthy.  It is free-range and all-organic.  It is local. It is also plentiful.  And it is renewable.  Just recently I was looking out the kitchen window to the east before sunset and I stopped counting at twenty of the number of whitetails congregating in my neighbor's hay field.

Anyway, one of our favorite meals is grilled venison(rare to medium rare) with a side salad and baked tater with all the fixn's.  Good eats!

The dog found a fresh coyote kill in the woods recently and scored some nibbles and a bone.  Raw but palatable because of the cold temps.   

Good eats.  

If you're a dog..... 

_______________________________________________________________________

*By the way, it's a Leap Year this year.  My pop was a Leap Year baby.  If he was alive today he'd be the ripe old age of 25.  Happy Birthday, dad!

 

Nocturnal Visitor

Same camera, same location as the foxy redhead post from this morning.

Two days later another handful of money shots.

A bird comes in for a touch and go landing and is gone in a minute.

Based-upon the smaller size and barely visible "ear tufts" my guess is that it is a screech-owl.

No sign of prey - that I can see anyway.

Owl photos have been on the uptick the last few years.

If you go to LABELS in the left margin and click on anything with Owl in it you'll be redirected to additional posts.

Foxy Redhead

Most of my adult life my exposure to squirrels was namely city-dwelling Eastern Gray Squirrels.  They were ubiquitous to urban life and were more of an annoyance if anything.  They raided bird feeders, gnawed-on house siding and soffit and invaded attics and fireplace chimneys.

As a young man fall grouse hunting in Vilas County always brought small red squirrels - the chattering class.

When we purchased this farmland 30 years ago there wasn't a tree-dwelling squirrel, red, gray or otherwise,  to be found.  Ground squirrels tunneled in the septic mound and took-up residence in the rock wall.  That was the extent of our known squirrel population

Beginning with 2018 another species of squirrel arrived.

Meet Sciurus niger - the Eastern Fox Squirrel - the largest of the tree squirrel family.  

At first blush you might guess this to be a Red Squirrel.  However, lacking in this photo is the Red Squirrel's distinctive bright white belly and white rings around the eyes.  At twice the size, the rusty coloring and large bushy tail are reminiscent of a fox - implying this is a Fox Squirrel.  

The bright orange pelt of this animal and it's loud, scolding call make it an easier visual and audible identification.  Unlike the Eastern Gray Squirrel this species has a wider home range and spends more time on the ground foraging. 

In the last three years they've been showing-up with increasing frequency on the trail cameras.  My conclusion is that as our forest has matured along with acorn production from the oaks is that the resident population has increased.  They are everywhere and frequently one of the more common critters appearing on the trail cameras.

They're active year-round and January and February is their mating season so there's likely more chasing of the ladies happening too.

Fun to observe and without destructive tunneling behavior I'm tickled (so far anyway) to have them around.

Cookn' With Propane

I'm back to baking on a regular basis with about seven or eight successful bakes in the last several weeks.  

Heretofore, I thought I had lost my mojo.  'Twas instant dry yeast  that had lost its vigor a year before its x-date printed on the jar.  Believe the results - not the Best By Date.

With the lengthening days and warming weather it's getting close to firing-up the backyard brick oven.  Nevertheless, that doesn't mean you cannot make pizza in you kitchen range.

If you have a stone and get preheat it to 550F you can turn-out a darn good pie with an excellent homemade crust in under ten minutes.  Pro Tip:  Rao's Pizza Sauce.  (Three kinds)

I'm cooking with propane so your mileage may vary.....

 

Roommate

When you return from brushing your teeth before turning-in for the night and find this.

You know you live in Dogpatch USA...

Sunny Sunday

 

Good day today. 

Got in a nice walk and the dog figured out how to bust ice in the rain garden pond and go for a swim. 

Waiting on the return of the sandhills, redwings and robins. Bald eagles have been just about daily for awhile. 

Dried-out on the sunny side of the porch where it’s 60F. 

First porch beer of 2024…..

 

 

 

Reproduction Meets Religion

Last week The state of Alabama found itself in an unforced and awkward situation.  The Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children.  Yes, embryos produced as a consequence of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) procedures are children.  They have personhood just like me and you.

All of this means that Alabama finds itself in the unique position of being a state where a female can be forced to carry a pregnancy to term - even if a twelve year-old is raped by her incestuous father.  If you find yourself unable to naturally conceive a child, IVF treatment is no longer available to you. 

All of this stems from the Law of Unintended Consequences as no one wants to be arrested and thrown in jail or get cross ways with the State Supreme Court because nobody knows what to do with thousands of frozen children.  Murder is a capital offense in Alabama; so it's not much of a stretch to believe you could be executed if found responsible for the loss of frozen embryos.

When it comes to reproductive options Alabama now finds itself a very unwelcoming place to live.  Republicans have concocted a fine kettle of fish for themselves and I'd be willing to bet that since it's an election year the dems are going to rub their noses in this shit.  Another nail in the coffin of the suburban women vote, eh?  But I digress.

What I really want to talk about is the religious angle on all of this because Chief Justice Tom Parker had this to say about the court's decision:  Human life cannot be wrongfully destroyed without incurring the wrath of a holy God.

Once you get beyond the divine retribution part, he makes a good point.  He's being morally honest.  For him it's all about God and for many of us reproductive decisions are frequently tangled-up in moral, religious and faith beliefs.

I was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith, and even though The Church has washed its hands of me following a divorce decades ago, many of the beliefs I learned as a child and young adult still ring true and continue to shape my life. 

Guidance for many conservative Christians includes a belief that life begins at conception.  This applies to IVF treatment and abortion.  There is no compromise.  Catholic doctrine expressly forbids both including virtually all modern birth control interventions as well.  Just last month Pope Francis condemned surrogacy as despicable and called for a global ban on the practice.

Catholicism also happens to have a long and rich tradition of beliefs couched in social policy regarding reverence for life and care for the the poor.  Sex outside of marriage is forbidden - the act of which is reserved for married individuals and is solely for procreation.  Masturbation causes blindness too.  That's the doctrinaire part of it; truthfully, many Catholics are not that observant and routinely use hormonal birth control and seek IVF treatment.

Protestant beliefs can be more forgiving on the subject of IVF - possibly because the result is more children.  Furthermore, Evangelicals also tend to rely-upon literal interpretation of the bible; and naturally, the bible says nothing about IVF treatment.

The Chief Justice invoked God in his ruling - presumably this is the God of Abraham from whom the three major world religions hail.  

Judaism allows assisted reproduction when medically necessary.  Having children bears witness to the command to be fruitful and multiply.  Furthermore, the destruction of unused embryos is allowed as long as they thaw and dry naturally.

Islamic beliefs also allow all assisted reproductive technologies providing that the sperm, ovum and uterus belong to a legal-married couple during the term of their marriage.  If infertility is beyond cure it should be accepted.  If there are unused fertilized eggs their treatment is consistent with that of Judaism.

Respectfully, faith traditions are not in general agreement on much of this.  And adherents to a belief system should be guided appropriately.  Unlike Iran our country is not a theocracy ruled by mullahs; our government and system of laws is secular.  So if you don't believe in IVF, abortion, divorce, birth control or whatever, don't engage in the practice.  I am not going to impose my beliefs on someone else and I expect reciprocity.  

I happen to think that government already intrudes too much in the private lives of its citizenry.  So stay out of my life, my home, my bedroom and keep your damn hands off my body.  We're rational beings and consequently should be making our own decisions about our own destiny guided only by common sense, family, medical professionals and our faith beliefs.

I know I'm being snarky; but if frozen embryos are children, why aren't parents allowed extra exemptions on their tax return?

Now get off my lawn....

February Night Sky

Tomorrow our moon will reach apogee; the farthest distance away in its elliptical orbit around the earth.  It will be a distant 252,470 away.

If you are an early riser  beginning tomorrow and Monday you will be able to spot the moon near Regulus and Leo.

A waning gibbous moon will be located adjacent to Regulus, the star anchoring the asterism that looks like a backward question mark called the Sickle.  Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo (the Lion) and can be spotted above the western  horizon before sunrise.

February Night Sky

Native Americans have long grown familiar with this moon.  Members of the Cherokee nation refer to this month’s full moon as the Bone Moon.  This was a consequence of depleted food stores and the necessity of cracking-open bones to access the marrow for survival food. 

NASA image

Those of the Kalapuya nation referred to this as the Out of Food Moon.   For others it was the Little Famine Moon or the Hunger Moon.  For the Cherokee the association with hunger and starvation also included a brush with death.  And the people use this as an opportunity to communicate with dead ancestors during the Bone Moon.   

Indeed, these ancient native tribes named this moon after the way trees cracked in the cold, or how people had to huddle around a fire for warmth.  My own people – the ancient Celts – remember this as the Moon of Ice as it is associated with the coldest month of the year. 

On a more upbeat note it is the Hopi tribe of the southwest who call this the Moon of Purification and renewal. 

This close association with the renewal that is marked by the arrival of spring is much more appealing to me than bones and death.  We have modern refrigeration, canning, grocers, central heat, wood stoves, Merlot and internet television.  Starvation is rare and the entertainment possibilities are endless. Nevertheless, turning your eyes to the heavens is a delight all its own.   

February's full Moon  - called the Full Snow Moon - reaches peak fullness at this evening February 24.  For the best view of this Moon be sure to watch for it tonight.  It will rise from the east and reach its highest point in the sky around midnight.   

Fingers crossed for cold, clear winter sky gazing.

A Fine Kettle OF Fish

The title of this post has origins in the Scottish tradition of cooking-up a kettle of fish parts to make guests feel welcome.  The modern etymology of the title is reference to an awkward situation.  And indeed, Alabamians and their lawmakers have found themselves in an awkward situation today.

Some basics about natural conception and reproduction.  

A male gamete (sperm) combines with a female gamete (ovum) resulting in a fertilized ovum called a zygote. The zygote holds 100% of the genetic material - mother and father each contribute one-half - this develops into an embryo.  When an embryo successfully completes its journey of days and attaches to the wall of the uterus it will develop into a fetus.  And a child is born in the end.  That doesn't sound very romantic but that's the science of it.  There's a lot of moving parts and plenty of opportunity for something to go wrong along the way.  In a perfect world all of this happens without scientific intervention.   

What about people who cannot naturally conceive and reproduce?

The term In Vitro - Latin for 'in glass' - describes medical procedures, tests and experiments that scientists perform outside of a living organism.  In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a treatment process whereby a woman unable to naturally conceive a child can become pregnant.  IVF has been a godsend for people who cannot naturally conceive children.  Sperm and ovum are combined in a laboratory setting resulting in a fertilized zygote which will become an embryo.

IVF Human Embryo

This embryo is frozen for future implantation.  Once implanted, if the embryo successfully attaches to the lining of the uterus it becomes a fetus and, voila!  Maybe a child is born.  The uterine part of the process is critical because without that step the embryo cannot survive.

Collecting eggs for in vitro fertilization is complicated and includes some risk.  As a consequence multiple eggs are collected with the knowledge that once fertilized some will be genetically flawed (and discarded) and some will never successfully attach to the uterus following implantation.  Many couples naturally grow their families over a number of years so having some extra frozen embryos on hand solves the defective embryo situation along with implantation failures and can lead to more children.

Unused frozen embryos have typically been discarded.  Just as an acorn is not an oak until planted and successfully germinated; without uterine implantation the genetic material of the embryo cannot result in a child. 

Back to Alabama.  The Alabama Supreme Court ruled yesterday that frozen embryos - the product of in vitro fertilization - are children.  You can read the ruling here.  This complicates things for all of the embryos in cold storage.  What if the power goes off and they spoil?  Or you drop and break the container?  Discard genetically defective ones?  Discard good ones? 

It's none of my business if someone chooses to have a family or not to have a family.  Some couples have large families and some couples never have families for all kinds of reasons within and beyond their control.  That's their business and none of my concern.  Although I should add that I have personal knowledge of many families, immediate and otherwise, who have had children as a consequence of IVF treatments performed by doctors who God has endowed with tremendous and valuable medical talents.  

I also know that in a post-Roe world which restricts abortions in many states; if Republicans want to deprive couples from using the science of IVF to conceive and welcome children into a loving family then Alabama today finds itself in a awkward position.  A place where you are forced to give birth if you naturally conceive along with being a place where you cannot obtain IVF treatment if you really, really want to have a family. 

Having classified frozen embryos as children has complicated things.  Fearful of being civilly or criminally liable and arrested and thrown in jail or otherwise get cross-ways with the Alabama Supreme Court nobody knows what to do with all the frozen embryos.  The Law of Unintended Consequences has brought IVF treatment to a screeching halt.    

Reproductive stuff is complicated and the more Republicans continue to insert themselves into the reproductive lives and decisions of ordinary people the more they will continue to have a much larger problem with getting suburban women to vote for them on election day.  It's a fine kettle of fish they have concocted for themselves.

And don't forget.  Alabama is a Capital Punishment state.  They will put you to death for murder.  They're going to have a whole heap of trouble on their hands once they begin executing moms and dads and medical professionals over any mishandling of frozen embryos.

Sweet Home Alabama!

Friday Music

Popularly-known as The Lion Sleeps Tonight, Wimoweh and Mbube (Zulu for lion) this song was originally written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 under the Mbube title. 

Just about everyone and anyone has covered the tune since as most Americans ignored South African copyrights since South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. copyright law.  Following the Disney movie the Lion King the lawsuits grew in scale. 

Long story short, it was back in 1961 that the English translation of this song became popularized by the doo-wop group The Tokens.  Since I know you’re fond of ear worms I’ll post another version before too long.

Fun a cappella version by Straight No Chaser...

Spring Tease

It got up to 64 degrees today on the south-facing side of the porch.  Yowza!  Before too long we are gonna pay the price for luxuriating in the warmest February on record.  Ma Nature is going to punish us.  I digress.

It was almost as nice yesterday and because The Missus and had to take a half day in town to work towards earning our CPR certification the pupper scored a day-off to run with her pack at our new favorite kennel and boarding house.  That contraption in the last photo is a doggie blow dryer.

After the end of the day spa treatment we picked-up a fluffy, clean, sweet-smelling pup.....

On The Run

A rare daylight trail camera capture of a coyote.

Does he appear frantic to you?

A couple of moments later a trailing hound shows-up.

February Night Sky

Technically tomorrow's early morning sky

Look to the southwest before sunrise Thursday, February 22 for the conjunction of planets Venus and Mars.

With clear skies you should have no problem spotting them with naked eyes.  The brighter Venus will be a mere .6 of a degree apart from red Mars - our two closest planets to earth.

If you have binoculars brace them against a porch post or your elbows on a rail and take-in the view.

Or sleep-in and miss the whole shebang.

Snow Yotes

Wile E. Coyotes

January 16, 17 and 19.....

February Night Sky

Follow-up on the post from last week about the Winter Circle.  Here's a photo of the southern view of the sky from my front yard.

Constellation Orion and the Dog Stars of the Winter Circle in all of their glory.

Further evidence that the iPhone14 Pro is a capable camera that also manages data and communications on the side.

Raising a toast to clear, winter night skies......

Useful Idiot?

A couple of weeks ago Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down with Tucker Carlson for an interview.  I finally got around to watching it myself.

Having been critical over the years of those who are cozy with the former KGB Colonel I was curious as to what Carlson was going to say and what the interview might reveal.  Heretofore, Carlson has been largely critical of any aid or support for Ukraine's defense.  In November of 2019 he said he was rooting for Russia.  Since Putin launched his war on Ukraine almost two years ago Carlson has been supportive of Putin and claimed (without any evidence) that financial support for Ukraine went to Ukrainian President Zelensky and his wife.  Let me be clear, Carlson is not a journalist; he's a commentator.  I wanted to watch the interview in its entirety and form an opinion afterward.

Key takeaways include the following:

In a rambling forty minute homily Putin justified his invasion of Ukraine arguing that Russia has a historic claim to much of western Ukraine reaching back to the 13th century.  And that Ukrainian territory bordering the Black Sea has no historical connection to Ukraine whatsoever.

Furthermore, Putin claimed that it was Ukraine, following Russia's annexation of Crimea, that instigated the war in 2014.  He denied any responsibility for provoking hostilities.

Carlson did push back on Putin's revisionist history lecture including Russia's role in WWII and the formation of the Soviet Union asking what history had to do with what happened a couple of years ago.

Putin also complained about the eastern expansion of NATO and that Russia had to push back against this expansion; again. leading up to the war in Ukraine.

Finally, Putin played the Nazi card claiming that one of Russia's goals is the de-Nazification of and prohibition of Neo-Nazi movements in Ukraine.

Carlson asked Putin if he has evidence supporting the claim that the CIA was responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.  Putin offered no tangible evidence but claimed that Russia should look for someone who's interested and has capabilities.

Asked if Putin would be willing to release Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Putin told Carlson a prisoner exchange would probably lead to his release and is essentially controlled by the US authorities.

So, was this a propaganda win for Putin?  A blockbuster interview for Carlson?  My sense is that Putin saw this interview as an opportunity to telegraph to the US that there is no further point to assisting Ukraine with more weaponry and financial support as the war will continue regardless.  Putin is in for the long term and is willing to wait, at least until after the 2024 election, with the hope that Donald Trump is returned to the White House.  I think Putin believes Trump and a far right congress will be more pliable and sympathetic to Moscow's narratives.  He views Americans as fundamentally weak.

And speaking of elections, Mr. Putin has a presidential election next month.  The outcome of which cannot be in any doubt.  That said, he has to play to his Russian audience as a leader with a global platform.  State-controlled media outlets breathlessly hyped Carlson's visit as if it were that of a head of state.

On balance I call this a win for Putin and given the state-sponsored lecture from one of the world's great villains; a disappointment for Carlson.  The interview was lame; it was one-sided and anticlimactic. 

I've never understood the far right's fatuous admiration and embrace of Putin.  Of course, I don't understand the far left's pro-Hamas love affair either.  I guess the fringe has a high tolerance for stone-cold killers and war criminals.  Which would explain why they're the fringe.

So, is Tucker Carlson a useful idiot?  Consider the history of this term.  It originally applied to Western intellectuals who naively supported the Bolsheviks and Soviets by ignoring the universal truths of a brutal dictatorship.  Stalin despised such people yet considered them helpful in advancing his message.  Yesterday the death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny was confirmed.  Until then I would have characterized Mr. Carlson as a garden variety Putin shill.  Today he has been promoted to useful idiot. 

Perform your own due diligence and watch the interview in its entirety here.  My readers are smart enough to draw their own conclusions.....

Snow Yotes

Wile E. Coyotes

January 11 and 18.....

 

February Night Sky

Actually the early morning sky before dawn.

If you have to get up to pee, grab a pair of binoculars to check this out.

Above the southeast horizon a very bright Venus will be making a joint appearance with Mars beginning today and continuing thru February 25.  They will be closest to one another on February 21 and 22.

 

Sucks To Be The Opposition

Further evidence that in Putin's Russia if you stand up to the former KGB colonel you might perish from a 6th floor defenestration, your aircraft may fall from the sky or you die in a Soviet Gulag.

Sucks to be a member of the opposition......

Friday Music

This tune by the Rolling Stones features Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder.  It was released at the close of September last year as the second single from the studio album Hackney Diamonds.

Last month, this live version recorded at the Racket in NYC was released.  Love me some good gospel music by the Stones.

Turn-up the volume for Sweet Sounds of Heaven......

February Night Sky

If conditions are good there is an opportunity to do some naked eye planet spotting this evening.

Both the Moon and Jupiter can be viewed adjacent to one another around  5:37 PM (CST) fifty-six degrees above the southwest horizon.  They will both sink toward the horizon and set just before midnight.  

The two heavenly bodies will also be making a close approach which is known as an appulse.

With good conditions and a pair of binoculars you might be able to spot one or two of Jupiter's moons and Uranus.

Patron Saint

In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith Valentine is the Patron Saint of betrothed couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, bee keepers, fainting, epilepsy, plague, travelers, and young people.  His feast day is today.   

As a consequence of so little being known about the man the Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.  Nonetheless, he persists as a recognized saint.  

One of many stories about Val is that he was imprisoned for committing the most heinous of crimes - marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius of Rome.  Angered to the point of rage Claudius commanded Valentine to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.  Refusing the emperor - Valentine was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269.  

In case you’re wondering if Valentine was a real person - archaeological excavations have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to him.  In 496 Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration honoring his martyrdom.   

Today his relics can be found throughout the world – including his skull at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.  

 

Happy Valentines Day

 

February Night Sky

Asterism - a prominent pattern or group of stars, typically assigned a popular name but smaller than a constellation.

The Winter Circle (Winter Hexagon) is a winter asterism formed by seven stars that dominate the winter sky in the northern hemisphere.  Included are Rigel in Orion, Aldebaran in Taurus, Capella in Auriga, Castor and Pollux in Gemini, Procyon in Canis Minor and Sirius in Canis Major.

Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is known as the Dog Star.  Procyon is known as the Little Dog Star.  This is a fun time to watch for these stars as beginning tonight and for the following evenings the moon will be passing among them.

Spring Tease

45F on our walk today.

In just two weeks we've gone from snow to taking a dip in the creek.

False spring?

Back-Off!

And do not follow too closely...

 

Enemy Of The Good

A dozen years ago there were 300,000 pending asylum cases in the whole of the United States.  Today there are that many alone in the whole of the state of New York.  There are more than three million asylum cases clogging the immigration courts today.

That, gentle reader, is the gist of the immigration problem.

Sure, it's easy to just flippantly suggest that we have an open border.  But that is lazy thinking. 

Our immigration law was written decades ago to deal with young Mexicans attempting to sneak across the border seeking employment.  Nowadays, thousands upon thousands of individuals from all corners of the world stream across the southern border just as eager to work and they willingly surrender to border control for purposes of being processed thru a facility and setting into motion the first step to staying here.

Under the law, anyone who crosses over the border and makes it to US soil, legally or illegally, is allowed to claim asylum.  Making a claim for asylum has now become the surest path for migrants to stay in the United States; even if only a very few eventually win their case. 

To make an asylum claim all you have to do is state that returning to your home country would result in harm or death on the basis of nationality, race, religion, political beliefs or social group.

If a migrant admits to living in desperate poverty and is seeking work they are promptly deported.  If they make an asylum claim they can remain in the United States until their case is concluded.

You may not like it but that is the law. 

The truth of the matter is that most asylum claims are ultimately rejected; many years from now when our antiquated and overwhelmed immigration court system ultimately hears the case.  Of course by then the undocumented can disappear into the shadow economy.  Any children born in the US automatically receive birthright citizenship.  And deportation is nigh impossible as immigration authorities have their hands full identifying, arresting and expelling criminals and other bad actors. 

A wall will fix this, right?  I dunno.  World history is replete with failed walls.  Why?  People always find a way to go over, under, around or otherwise avoid them.  Consider this.  Only about 80 miles of new barrier was constructed during Donald Trump's entire four year term of office.  This included 47 miles of primary fencing and 33 miles of secondary fence.  Mexico did not contribute a single peso to build it.  Our southern frontier stretches thousands of miles.  It is estimated that it would require an investment of $25 billion for a Great Wall. 

Solution?

Our immigration system has not had a major overhaul in almost four decades.  Today we find ourselves overwhelmed by a stampede of migrants making asylum claims with a tiny fraction of the judges and personnel needed to make a quick determination of who has a legit reason to stay and who is returned to their homeland.

Over a period of four months the senate drafted bipartisan legislation that includes many significant reforms to our asylum policy.  While not a comprehensive overhaul it is a pretty good border security bill.  Mr. Trump has determined this crisis is key to his reelection playbook and has scuttled it. Is anyone surprised?  

Politicians like to support visible stuff.  More border agents.  More national guard troops.  More razor wire.  More wall.

In a functioning system there needs to be stuff behind the scenes such as additional capacity to conduct more interviews to quickly winnow the credible claims for asylum and rapidly deport those without.

Let's face it.  Our country continues to be the land of opportunity.  Migrants come here seeking a better life and will do whatever it takes to achieve that end.  Even if it means filing an unsupported asylum claim.

Maybe we need a system like that of our friendly neighbors to the north.  Canada sets immigration quotas based-upon skills it need to fill along with a manageable number of asylum seekers.  If I attempted to immigrate to Canada I would be turned away.  They don't need another old retired guy.

Perhaps killing this legislation lays the foundation for serious law-making on Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.  And another year, or more, of chaos at the border.  Voltaire had a saying for this:  L'ennemi du bien est le bien.  Loosely translated: Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the the good.

Quote Of The Day

As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.

— H. L. Mencken

Friday Street Food

One of the most famous German Sausages or Bratwurst is the Thuringian Rostbratwurst, which is brought to you in this German Street Food in Berlin Episode.  According to the Purity Law, this Bratwurst may only be processed with high-quality meat.  This meat comes with spices that vary greatly depending on the region within Thuringia.  In addition to the classic Thuringian Bratwurst, there are also Currywurst, the delicious Merguez sausages made from Beef and small Thuringian Sausages in a fresh bun. 

Up to 15 different types of Mustard are offered, which are made by the Weber Senf Manufaktur from Austria using traditional craftsmanship and the best ingredients.  Both the Sauerkraut, the Potato Salad, the Thyme Grilled Potatoes and the Ketchup as well as the Curry Sauce are made in-house.

The Tannenwalder Sausage Roastery Team, serve everything in Berlin from their mobile snack bar. 

Every Thursday, 12pm to 7pm, Organic Market at Kollwitzplatz, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin 

Every Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Weekly Market at Kollwitzplatz, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

If memory serves, it's possible we visited the farmers market there in Berlin last March.  May by not.  I'd have to find the photos from that day to see if there is any evidence of this set-up.... 

Snow Falling On Cedars

The title of this post is after a 1994 novel by David Guterson; winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the American Booksellers' Book of the Year Award, among others.  For reasons of sexual content and profanity this title is frequently banned in the United States.  It's a good book - I might even have a copy on my bookshelf if you care to borrow it.  But I digress.

The snow falling on the cedars in my woods triggered the trail camera.  It's maddening if you're downloading fifteen second silent video vignettes.

But it is pretty..... 

February Night Sky

New moon tomorrow.  Our moon will rise and set with the sun which means dark skies for viewing heavenly bodies.

If you reside or are traveling somewhere in the southern hemisphere there is a minor meteor shower for the month of February.  The Alpha Centaurids are active from January 28 to February 21 every year.  It peak is usually around February 8 producing up to six shooting stars per hour.  If you're stuck north of the equator like me - tough luck.

Fingers-crossed for clear conditions.

Talking Turkey

Three photos from a tail camera burst shot.  Gobblers in the snow.....

Blue Lightening

Getting used to driving features on the Mustang Mach E.

On a freeway the Intelligent Automated Cruise Control keeps the vehicle between the lines - fog line on the right and center line on the left.  It is a variation on the self driving technology; but scolds you if you take a hand off the wheel.  

Ford's BlueCruise is activated when you hit the far left button on the steering wheel.  Immediately you are in Autonomous mode.

Lane Change Assist can help drivers move thru traffic on the freeway with more confidence while using BlueCruise.  The system will perform a hands-free lane change when requested by the driver tapping the turn signal.  And it can even suggest if a lane change would be beneficial when following slow-moving traffic. 

Predictive Speed Assist automatically and adjusts the speed as drivers approach a sharp curve and helps signal the driver ahead of time when a speed change is about to occur so they understand why the vehicle is slowing.

In-Lane Repositioning makes the hands-free driving experience feel more natural, keeping the vehicle in its lane while subtly shifting the vehicle's position away from the vehicles in adjacent lanes.  This is especially welcome when driving next to a big semi.

On a round trip to Green Bay it handled a cluster of vehicles.  Six passenger cars passing on the left, slowing for semi ahead followed by a lane change and return to speed.

Huge learning curve and taking some time to get used-to..... 

 

Tattoo

 

 

Found on the web.

Quite possibly be the best tattoo evah!

 

Furbearer

Meet Mustela vision - the American mink.

For purposes of scale here is a photo taken from the same camera of garden variety cat.

The American mink is a semi-aquatic species of mustelid (weasels, badgers, otters, martens and wolverines) native to North America.  I have found this critter's tracks in the snow over the years and trail camera photos only a couple of times in the last ten years. 

A strict carnivore, mink feed on mice, voles, rabbits, muskrats, frogs, fish and crayfish.  They also prey-upon birds and their eggs.  As a strong and agile swimmer much of their food is obtained closer to the shoreline habitat.

With the exception of the mating season this is a solitary critter.  Polygamous both sexes will mate with multiple partners but it is the females that raise the young.  Breeding around here  begins in March.  Litter sizes range from two to eight  (typically four) and the young become independent at six months of age.

Unlike some weasels this critter does not turn white with winter.  The pelt (fur) of this animals is quite valuable; as a consequence, domestic farming of mink provides the majority of the fur that is brought to market. 

This species' conservation status is of least concern.