Good dog

The new neighbors have a dog that barks. Not all the time, but enough to remind you it's there. I like it; it sounds like Lassie:

"Roof! Roof!"
What's that you say, girl? Is something wrong?
"Roof! ::whine whine::"
What is it, girl? Rogue squirrels? Jehova's Witnesses? That creepy Dwayne kid playing with matches?
"Roof! Roof Roof Roof! ::whine::"
I think she wants us to follow her...

Sorry, girl, that's not in the cards. But it's nice to know you're out there keeping an eye on things.

Simply extraordinary

Music I'm Listening To: The washing machine.

Yes, the washing machine. With clean water in it, and my family's clothing, and sheets that will go on familiar beds in dry, bright rooms. Soon there will be soft, fragrant towels for bathing, and warm afghans for curling up in front of the TV or for settling in with perfect, beautiful books.

There is food in the fridge, and the tall oaks still stand in the yard. 

I will start a new job soon, too: a perfectly ordinary job, with average pay, good benefits and a short commute.

I look at the news, and I give thanks.

Nice guys really do finish last

This explains so much:

Functional Psychopaths Make the Best Investors
"Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- `Functional psychopaths' make the best investment decisions because they can't experience emotions such as fear, a study by researchers at Stanford Graduate School of Business showed.

"Fear stops people from taking even logical risks, meaning those who have suffered damage to areas of the brain affecting emotions, and can suppress feeling, make better decisions, the report showed. The ability to control emotion helps performance in business and the financial markets, the researchers found."


The study does note that psychos have social problems. (Duh.) But they end up richer than the rest of us, so what the hell. There's a lesson in there somewhere.

How to tell if you're speeding ...