Author Archives: Van-a-gram

Christmas is just around the corner.  My wife and I have a relatively new tradition at our house.  And our girls,   14 & 11, have surprisingly embraced it.  We’ve decided that the Wise Men brought Jesus 3 gifts thus each person–Mom and Dad included– will each receive only three gifts.  Now that the girls are older, Christmas is no longer about the sprawling packages that flow out from under the tree to every corner of the living room, and the frenetic weeks spent trying to find “stuff” to get everyone.

The girls still prepare their Christmas lists which include many items, but we now pick three from the list. Christmas is a LOT less stressful.  At least for us.  But a couple nights ago, we overheard the girls discussing their lists….

More below the fold…

If Americans are willing to shell out ten bucks for this kind of thing.

Got fur balls?Are your favorite sweaters covered with cat hair? Do you love to make quirky and one-of-a-kind crafting projects? If so, then it’s time to throw away your lint roller and curl up with your kitty! Crafting with Cat Hair shows readers how to transform stray clumps of fur into soft and adorable handicrafts. From kitty tote bags and finger puppets to fluffy cat toys, picture frames, and more, these projects are cat-friendly, eco-friendly, and require no special equipment or training. You can make most of these projects in under an hour—with a little help, of course, from your feline friends!

When I saw this, I thought it was from The Onion of something; it’s not.  It’s a real book.  And apparently real people buy it.  Then I saw the rest of the choices including:

Knitting with Dog Hair

The Enchanting World of Cat Wigs

And the ever-popular Knit Your Own Cat which, of course, is required once the real cats run from your Kitty-Asylum home as fast as they can.

Oh it gets better.  Really.

More below the fold…

A good book makes a great Christmas present either for yourself or for someone else. Here are three good suggestions:

Never Enough: America’s Unlimited Welfare State by William Voegeli. This is probably not going to score you points if the recipient is of the liberal variety, but a good read on how the left perpetually lives in 1932, and all the social programs are “never enough”. It might help you dislodge the fruitcake sitting in your stomach.

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work by Matthew Crawford.  This book might surprise you.  It talks about the separation of “thinking” from “doing” and the lost value of the general trade industries. It talks about work being rewarding and meaningful because it is useful.  Think of it as the difference between an electrician and a Professor of Women’s Studies.  I just started reading this book, but find it interesting thus far.

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.  This is the true story of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner, and his harrowing trials in the Pacific.  I just finished this book and while the first 100 pages are a bit tough to get into (early life), the story unfolds nicely from there.  And it truly is a remarkable story.

All are good for the cold winter nights that will certainly  face some of us in the near future.

It’s like Chicago on a good day with all these shootings.  Has rural Iowa gone all gangsta or something?

Nope.  Just stupid.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Overall, five people were injured, none fatally, on Sunday, the second day of the shotgun deer season in Iowa.

I know you’re curious.  I was, too.  But alas, I was disappointed…..

More below the fold…

I have stumbled across an intriguing business opportunity, and want the opinions of my fellow Revoistas as to whether this is a particularly good idea, or perhaps a bad one.  I was presented this opportunity in a confidential and exclusive manner, so forgive me if  certain specifics have been left out, but I do not believe more detail than what is already provided would be particularly germane to your evaluation.  I provide the following for your consideration:

More below the fold…

I was out surfing the intertubes last night, scotch in hand, and was a bit surprised by the rather apocalyptic feel of many people on many sites.  It was indeed depressing. So I think I’ll capture this before my scotch runs out.  Most of what I am seeing can be put into these buckets:

More below the fold…

I love the AMC show “Breaking Bad“.  I recently was made aware of an interesting fact: There are actually  TWO VERSIONS of this series, one that airs in the United States and a slightly different version that airs in Canada (although the “Canadian” version series ended after Season One).

SPOILER ALERT below the fold…..

More below the fold…

But they were bottom feeders anyway.  Oh, wait.  I guess it’s the other way around.

French citizens, those whose income is over one million euros, or just over one and a quarter million dollars, will soon be taxed at a rate of 75 percent.  Many economists have said the  rich tax will not do much to boost depressed state coffers because only 3,000 of France’s 66 million citizens make over a million (euros), and that the move is just symbolic.

Symbolic in approach, but not in outcome.  I wonder how many of these 3,000 are business owners who will now relocate their businesses?  Or maybe just go Galt and throw in the towel altogether.  I foresee high end real estate becoming available soon.

The French, as a whole,  were never that smart to begin with:

More below the fold…

 Texas has a spider problem.  And no, its not a scene out of Arachnophobia.  They have a $15M highway construction project sitting idle due to the discovery of a Braken Bat Cave Meshweaver.  Must be one hell of a big spider to stop bulldozers!  Never heard of it?  Well, that’s because its an endangered species.  Why its endangered, I can only speculate.  Perhaps because its only 1 inch long.  Maybe its because its completely blind.  Maybe because it lost its natural habitat to that bastard industrialist  Bruce Wayne when the construction of the Bat Cave started (Batman does not consult with the US Fish & Wildlife Service).

Maybe it’s because this is only the second such spider they’ve ever found. Anywhere.  Ever.

Dr Jean Krejca of Zara Environmental told the paper the finding of this spider is like ”stumbling on a new Galapagos Island.”

No, no its not, Jean. It. Is. A. Fucking. Spider.  Dozens of species go extinct  everyday .   This is a tiny spider of which only one other known specimen exists — and that one is probably dead.

Here’s how we handle spiders at the Hall of Justice…

More below the fold…

Horshack dead at 63.

I blame all of this on global warming.  I don’t know how, but I just do.

I think this clip from the old 70′s classic “Ark II” is a perfect synopsis of the Harry Reid governance-by-distraction and instruction.  This fits Democrats to a tee; the obvious answer to the problem  is right in front of your eyes yet…..