First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me.

— Martin Niemoller

Ever considered a small business loan?  Ever considered jumping out of your own career skin and doing something so daring and different that others thought you crazy?  Ever seen an opportunity that spoke to you intimately and constantly?

How about a one million dollar turnkey business purchase?  Notice where it is.  Notice what it looks like.

Don’t even ask me how I found this.  In the course of doing research for Dreamdarkers, I stumbled upon that page.

Place to live.  Place to write.  Place to make a living.  Place to commune with nature and be away from the mayhem of city life.  Place to be within a few hours of Dallas yet a stone’s throw from the family farm.

How Dave Lloyd, yes?

Just a misunderstanding my lily white ass!  They backed down because of all the really bad press and the hundreds of people who offered to pay her fines.  The truth is they hate peace and think “goodwill toward men” is a treasonous phrase.  Assholes.  “DENVER, Colorado (AP) — A subdivision has withdrawn its threat of $25 daily fines against a homeowner who put a Christmas wreath shaped like a peace sign on the front of her home. Homeowner Lisa Jensen told The Associated Press on Monday that the board of directors of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association had apologized, called the incident a misunderstanding and had withdrawn its request for the wreath’s removal. Jensen was ordered to take the wreath down when some residents in her 200-home subdivision saw it as a protest of the Iraq war. Bob Kearns, president of the board, also said some saw it as a symbol of Satan. The homeowners’ association demanded Jensen remove the wreath from her house, saying it doesn’t allow flags or signs that are considered divisive. None of the three members of the board in the scenic town 270 miles southwest of Denver was available for comment late Monday. Kearns and colleague Jeff Heitz both had their phone numbers changed to unlisted numbers Monday. Tammy Spezze, the third board member, did not return a call seeking comment.”  Had their phone numbers changed!  I suspect they were receiving some very not peaceful calls.  Ha!

You simply must go see this photo called “Vancouver snow.”  Wow.

Wait.  Let me put my shocked face on for this one.  Hunters get the hots for ‘endangered’ animals: “Merely declaring that a species is endangered could be enough to sign its death warrant, thanks to the human penchant for collecting rarities. Economists have thought that over-exploitation is unlikely to drive species to extinction, because numbers will dwindle to the point where it becomes unprofitable to continue harvesting them. However, that view ignores the possibility that enthusiasts may be willing to pay exorbitant prices for rare specimens. This is just the incentive unscrupulous hunters need to track down the last few individuals…”  Let me reiterate something: I HATE PEOPLE!

Today’s Earth Science Picture of the Day is quite spectacular.  While it may not look impressive on the surface, the explanation should provide the reason for its magnificence.  Sprites are rare to see from the ground, and they are even more rare to photograph in such numbers.

Don’t forget to visit Grand Rounds 3:10 for the best of the medical blogosphere.  It’s provided in a “running commentary, stream-of-consciousness style” and covers vast territory from the medical world.

While we’re talking about blog carnivals, Philosophers’ Carnival #39 is now available.  Put your deep-thinking cap on and head on over.  Consider being, existing, and the very nature of thought.

This is most excellent and undoubtedly will be felt as much as understood by any pet lover.  Sure, it focuses on dogs, but the meaning is greater than that.  To wit (and only a tiny fraction of its excellence):

I adopted George (a Great Dane/Lab/pit/greyhound/ridgeback/whatever mix — a k a Brooklyn shorthair) because I thought it would be fun. As it turns out, she is a major pain an awful lot of the time.

She mounts guests, eats my son’s toys (and occasionally tries to eat my son), is obsessed with squirrels, lunges at skateboarders and Hasids, has the savant-like ability to find her way between the camera lens and subject of every photo taken in her vicinity, backs her tush into the least interested person in the room, digs up the freshly planted, scratches the newly bought, licks the about-to-be served and occasionally relieves herself on the wrong side of the front door. Her head is resting on my foot as I type this. I love her.

Our various struggles — to communicate, to recognize and accommodate each other’s desires, simply to coexist — force me to interact with something, or rather someone, entirely “other.” George can respond to a handful of words, but our relationship takes place almost entirely outside of language. She seems to have thoughts and emotions, desires and fears. Sometimes I think I understand them; often I don’t. She is a mystery to me. And I must be one to her.

Of course our relationship is not always a struggle. My morning walk with George is very often the highlight of my day — when I have my best thoughts, when I most appreciate both nature and the city, and in a deeper sense, life itself. Our hour together is a bit of compensation for the burdens of civilization: business attire, e-mail, money, etiquette, walls and artificial lighting. It is even a kind of compensation for language. Why does watching a dog be a dog fill one with happiness? And why does it make one feel, in the best sense of the word, human?

I’ve never seen one of these spiders, but it sure is cool looking.

My mood of late has been… uh… well, it’s not exactly been content.  My stress regarding employment continues to grow.  I’m pleased to announce I have some writing opportunities that look quite promising, but of course, the major concern is whether or not such endeavors will be timely and profitable.  So I keep looking…

Not without a tad of irony for having mentioned such occurrences to a friend just yesterday, I awoke today with a disagreeable back.  From time to time, I experience painful bouts of spinal discomfort focused on the area where I had back surgery in 1996.  I have not had such a spell in a few years.  Today, however, I feel as though I received several kidney punches with a sledge hammer.  The only problem with that comparison is that the pain is nowhere near my kidneys.  Instead, it concentrates in the middle of the lumbar area of my spine.  I can relieve the pain by sitting, lying, or standing in the proper ways, but the transitions to and from, and the aftermath of such movements, are extremely painful and cause significant soreness that lasts for quite some time.

All of this is to say I’m rather miserable today.  My disposition is unpleasant at best and my body appears interested only in making matters worse.

I hope you’re having a better day than I am.