Take notes, Pat Robertson

This is how you use the media*:

Venezuela announces assistance plan for poor people in US

The Venezuelan government said Sunday that it will provide assistance for at least 7 million poor people in the United States, the world's first economic power, despite struggling against poverty in its own territory.

In a Sunday radio and television program, President Hugo Chavez said that there are many poor people in the United States, and every year a large number of them die of cold during the winter.

That is why "we're going to offer fuel for heating that is 40 percent cheaper" than market prices, said Chavez, adding that the plan would benefit 7 million to 8 million poor people in the United States...

(from Xinhua, 30 Aug 05)


* OK, this is how you use the media and oil export revenues out the wazoo.

Drinking coffee confers immortality

OK, the headline from The Scotsman, "Study says coffee delivers more health benefits than fruit and veg", isn't quite that misleading, but it still overreaches. Turns out coffee is better than fruits and vegetables solely as a source of antioxidants. And that conclusion is based on Americans' actual eating habits, ie, Americans do get more antioxidants from coffee than from fruits and veg, but it's not clear from the article if that's because coffee is such a concentrated source, or because we're just not eating our veggies. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy for a reason to drink more coffee, but I hate to see the noble bean associated with such misleading writing.

[Ed. note: I'm glad to see that William and I read the same news.]

To every thing there is a season

On 27 August, for just a little while, there was a fall sky over Elkridge. The clouds were low, lumpy, and glassy-grey, straight out of November. The air was too heavy and humid, the trees were still too green, but they sky was pure autumn.

I've always thought that it was the variety of the seasons that I enjoyed, the distinctive sights, smells, and feels they all four have. And I do enjoy that variety and the changes from one to the next, but overlaps like these are rare treats. It is a striking moment to glimpse something unmistakably from another time.

It's the first day of school in Howard County. Kerry won't be far behind; her full class schedule starts on Thursday.

Happy feet

My right foot is happy because the new tires I just got on the Protege rock. It feels like I'm skiing, carving turns (which no doubt will delight Kerry when I drive her home from the airport today). My left foot is happy because the strange chuck-chuck-chucking I used to have in the mornings pulling away from a stop or shifting into second is now gone. I guess the old tires skipped until they warmed up, but these have no such problem.

I'm no tire wizard. All credit goes to the user reviewers on 1010tires.com, who spend a lot of time thinking about tires. I should probably reserve judgement until I see how these new Kumhos wear in and hold up, but this looks to be the third time 1010tires has steered us right on tire selection.

Catrobatics

Yes, you should enjoy this site for the cats themselves. But take a moment to appreciate how darned good the pictures are. (Half the time, I can't even time it right to take a picture of the Furryous Two sleeping.) And certainly do notice the insanely clean apartment behind the cats. I think the only departures from immaculate are the mussed bed covers (only in one picture) and the one glimpse of the photographer wearing sweatpants.