Christmas Trains Updated

Our family loves garden trains, so I was very excited to discover The Holiday Express garden train display at the UT Gardens.  Hopefully, we will be checking it out this weekend.  Hours and rates at the link.

Update:  Yes, the garden trains were lots of fun.  They had a number of different trains running on various loops, including a Thomas the Tank Engine train, a UT train, a John Deere train and, even an aquarium train with actual fish.  For an aerial view, there is a raised bridge in the middle of the display.

The display runs daily, noon to 6:00, until Dec. 29th.

If it's a nice day, you're free to walk the grounds of the UT gardens.  The grounds have lots of fun sculpture and interesting little paths to walk down. Great for kids.  Do note: that is Neyland Dr. in the middle ground, so the gardens, while lovely, are not very peaceful.  

Now Casting Role of "Friend"

Maybe I should try this:

Shoot: ASAP – 2015 [Or longer, as yet undetermined.]
DESCRIPTION: FRIEND will be funny, smart, good-looking but not too good-looking, free on weekends for hanging out and sometimes Wednesdays after work.
Must like: Thai food, Dr. Who, brunch.
Must read: Tumblr, so he can tell me about up-to-date internet memes and we can laugh at them.
FILMING: All filming will be done clandestinely so you will never actually see the camera. We will just hang out like friends and do things like go to the movies or watch How I Met Your Mother—but we’ll never tell people we actually watch that show and it will be a funny secret we have. Don’t worry, though; the web series is real, I promise. Maybe think of it more like guerilla theater. Just keep in mind that the footage may be deleted if it isn’t perfect, so that’s why you may never see it, OK?

Really, Kansas City? Again?

The Kansas City, MO. school district loses it's accreditation again.

The Ridge, by Michael Koryta

When I downloaded The Ridge, I thought it would be a serial-killer book, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover a good ghost story. 

Why did Wyatt French build a lighthouse in the middle of the Kentucky woods?  After his death, a small-town sheriff's deputy and a local newspaper reporter begin to suspect he wasn't just a crazy old drunk, but was, in fact, one of the few people who knew the secret of Blade Ridge.

This book brings a nice creepy vibe without being terrifying.

East Tennessee History Fair

I'll be missing the East Tennessee History Fair due to a prior commitment, but it sure looks like fun.  Friends of the Library is having a history book sale and Jack Neely will be signing books.  There will be music, free trolley rides and open houses at the various historical sites near downtown.  Maybe next year.

Pork Carnitas Tacos

My husband used to have a job where he was pretty much never home for dinner. If he did show up, it was on 30 minutes notice.  So now, he's coming home for dinner every night. Suddenly, I need to cook.  Having a repertoire of four meals just doesn't cut it when you need dinner 7 nights a week.  So, I've been trying a lot of new recipes. The results have mostly been "meh" and have occasionally been "well, who's up for pizza?" 

But here is one that rocked.  Pork Carnitas Tacos, made in the crock pot with a Boston butt roast and a few spices.  So yummy.  Kroger only had a roast much larger than the one called for in the recipe, but I just cooked it all and ended up freezing enough for 2 more meals.  Yay!

By the way, I did not make the salsa from scratch.  I just bought a jar.

Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Even though Mrs. Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is classified as young adult, I thoroughly enjoyed it.  It's part mysterious ghost story and part coming-of-age adventure tale.  Jacob is nearly 16 when his grandfather dies violently.  His last cryptic words send Jacob to an island off the coast of Wales where his grandfather, as a child, had taken refuge from WWII.

Old photos, meant to be the ones Jacob's grandfather showed him, are included throughout, adding to the creepy atmosphere of the story.  The clues are laid out and secrets are slowly revealed as Jacob unravels the mystery of his grandfather's youth, discovering in the process that his grandfather's grisly fate could also be his own.

There are a few violent deaths that might make this inappropriate for younger children, but the gore isn't excessive. It should be fine for junior high and up.

Regularly scheduled elections...

happen every 2 years in every state in the union, except in Wisconsin, where they happen over and over until the Democrats win.

Washington's New Clothes

The Emperor didn't actually have a problem until that little sh*t pointed out that he had no clothes. So, technically, it is correct to blame the Tea Party for the downgrade.  Until the Tea Party Caucus forced the issue, everyone, including S&P, was willing to go along with the polite fiction that we were just about to address that looming debt problem.  Any minute now. Perhaps after the next election. Or the next.

I suspect the problem was less the Tea Party Caucus threatening not to raise the debt-limit and more that even with the Tea Party Caucus threatening not to raise the debt-limit, this Washington-style spending cut ("we were going to borrow $10 trillion we can't pay back, but we'll be frugal and only borrow $7 trillion") was the best offer available.  That essentially told the markets that we have no intention of putting on some clothes dealing with the debt.

I.O.U.S.A.

The documentary I.O.U.S.A is currently available to stream on Netflix.  It's a nice overview of the problem with the size and rate of growth of the national debt.  It doesn't focus on how to fix the problem. Instead it mainly focuses on convincing people that there is a problem which is only getting bigger.

This film was produced in 2008, well before the election, so it does not contain any distracting attempts to fix the blame for the current budget debacle on Bush or Obama. Just understand that the numbers are nearly twice what they were then. It's almost quaint to watch people freak out over a "mere"  $8 trillion in debt.  I guess those debt clock guys had to buy a new clock, because the debt clock in this film only had space for 12 digits.

Even though it's only 3 years old, this film is a valuable primary source document on the rapidly changing politics of the debt. First, many people from both parties were concerned about the debt, even before the election of a black man.  Someone tell the New York Times.  Second, Paul Tsongas, candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 1992, co-founded The Concord Coalition, a non-partisan fiscal responsibility group. In this film, he sounds like a Tea Partier.  Fiscally conservative Democrats are not the unicorns of the Washington, D.C. They really did exist.  Third, Republicans love them some deficit spending.  That's why there's a Tea Party.

Recommended

Avoid This

Do not get the audio version of David Brooks' The Social Animal. The. narrator. speaks. in. a. very. slow. monotone.   I narrowly escaped slipping into a boredom-induced coma. 

Perhaps the producer was going for a sophisticated tone.  "We don't need all that vocal variation to entertain our erudite audience." Yes, yes you do.

Is It Just Me?

TARP: OMG! We need $800 billion right now or we're doomed!!!!
Stimulus: OMG! We need $800 billion right now or we're doomed!!!!
ObamaCare: OMG! We need (trust us, you can read it after we pass it) right now or children will die in the streets!!!
Debt Ceiling: OMG! We need $2.4 trillion right now or we're doomed!!!

Perhaps the wolf is among the sheep this time, but how could we ever know?

U.S. Debt tops 100% of GDP

Yes, that's right. The entire economy produced $14.53 trillion last fiscal year, and the United States now owes $14.58 trillion.

But, if I may paraphrase the NYT's editorial page, you'd have to be an insane, hostage-taking, commie-nazi, terroristic vampire of a tea-bagger to be concerned.

How Washington Defines Spending Cuts

Alternate title: Why We're Still Doomed

You rent an apartment for $500 a month. 
You want to upgrade to the $1000 unit.
At the last minute, you choose to rent the $750 unit instead.

Boehner:
Congratulations!  You just reduced your housing costs by 25%.

Reid:
"Greedy monster. How dare you slash so much from housing"

In which smart people make me question the value of a college education:

So I made the mistake of going out onto the Internet to read up on the debt-ceiling thing.  We're clearly doomed if this thinking is representative.  Fareed Zakaria:

To come at it now after the budget has been passed is like getting your Visa bill and calling up the company to say, "Actually we don't want to buy all that stuff we bought." That's not how it works. First you pay the bill, then you can change your spending habits.

Where to start?  How about with the fact that we haven't had a budget since the fiscal 2009.  Fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 never managed to capture Reid and Pelosi's attention. House Republicans passed a budget for fiscal 2012 budget (due in two months), but it went to the Senate and hasn't been seen since.

And, of course, if you don't change your spending habits, you're not likely to have the cash to pay the bill.  Especially if you've already hit up dad, your brother-in-law and your best friend for loans.  Fiscal conservatives want to cancel the cable TV, drop the daily Starbucks, and perhaps, vacation in Branson instead of Honolulu. Would that be OK with Fareed?

I'm going back to my bubble until the apocalypse arrives. Shouldn't be long now.

99 cent mystery alert

If you read or saw the movie version of the Lincoln Lawyer, you may not know that Mickey Haller has a  half-brother, Hieronymus Bosch, who's been the star of his own series for almost 20 years.

Amazon now has an electronic version of the first book in that series, Black Echo, for $0.99.

Update: Well, that deal is over, but Black Ice, another Harry Bosch novel, is available for $1.99.

Anderson County Fair This Week

The Anderson County Fair starts tommorow. I haven't been to a county fair since I was a child. Hopefully, we'll make it to Clinton to check out some prize winning pigs and 400 lb. pumpkins.

Fightin' the Power at Market Square

Picture by Glenn Reynolds:

Earth Fare coupons

If you register at Earth Fare's website, they give you some great printable coupons. I got two: a free chicken with a $10 purchase and 5 free ears of corn with a $5 purchase.  Then a new coupon is delivered by e-mail each week.

They also have a page of printable coupons that you can use without registering.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" and Urban Farming

I've been enjoying Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. She describes her family's move to a small farm in southwest Virgina and their attempt to grow all their own food or buy it locally for one year. 

I have never harbored a secret desire to farm, but this book has inspired in me a desire to grow asparagus and... keep laying hens.  So I was delighted to discover that residents can now keep hens inside the city limits of Knoxville.  We're civilized here though: No chicken coops in the front yard.

Cades Cove

The in-laws were in town, so we decided to do a little touristing and take them to Cades Cove.  It's in the Smokies, about an hour from Knoxville.  The drive is very pretty once you pass Townsend, but be warned, the twisty road made my 10 year old very car sick.

Just before the park entrance, there is a great little picnic area with a creek just right for wading:

The cove is looped by an 11 mile, one-way road. Along the road are a number of buildings original to the cove.  Some are at the side of the road, some are an easy hike into the forest.  A guide book describing all the sights can be purchased for $1 at the entrance.

The cove is a great spot for wildlife viewing. We saw deer, wild turkeys and a tiny black dot in the distance that was rumored to be a bear.  The park is notoriously crowded in the summer and on the weekends. We visited on a Thursday morning in June and found it somewhat crowded, but we didn't experience any traffic delays. 

University of Tennessee Arboretum

The UT Arboretum is a great place for a quick hike. It's easy to get to from Knoxville, just off the Pellissippi on the south side of Oakridge.  The visitor's center is not open on the weekends.  The trails are pretty well marked, but you might want to print out a trail map before you go.  The map lists the mileage of the various sections and the trails interconnect at various points, making it easy to customize your hike.

We hiked the Oak Hickory/Lost Chestnut Trail with a three-year old and it was just perfect.  Challenging enough to be interesting, but not long enough to wear her out to the point of exhaustion/tears.

The most well-read cities in America

According to Amazon, Knoxville is the 11th most well-read city in America. The rankings are based on sales, so Knoxvillians could be very heavy consumers of para-normal teenage romances, but I choose to believe that I live in the intellectual Mecca of the Southeast.

via Instapundit

Chalk Walk 2011

Chalk Walk is a street painting festival held as part of the Dogwood Arts Festival.  It takes place in Market Square and Krutch Park.  Anyone can apply for a patch of sidewalk on which to create a picture in chalk.  The weather this year was sunny and warm.  We really enjoyed watching the artists work, but keeping a three-year-old from stepping on the art was more challenging than I had anticipated. 

We arrived at 9:00 am, because my older daughter's school class was doing a group picture.  We had no trouble getting a parking space in one of the free garages by the square. However, when we left about 1:00, that same garage was swamped, with cars backed up into the street. 

Here are a few pictures of the artists at work.  

Knoxville Has No Tornado Sirens

I've been wondering about this and now I know.  The ridges around Knoxville make it difficult to hear the sirens.  The director of the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency recommends all residents have weather radios that receive watches and warnings directly from the National Weather Service.

College of Veterinary Medicine Open House

We visited the UT College of Veterinary Medicine's open house over the weekend and the kids had a good time.  When we first arrived there were all types of dogs available to pet.

 

Book Review: Family Hiking in the Smokies

This book is great for families with younger kids. There is a good description for each hike that includes directions to the hike, length in miles and hours, age appropriateness, difficulty and points of interest such as waterfalls or lookout towers. 

The chart in the back let's the reader easily find a hike that can be done with a preschooler, one that has a waterfall or various other features.

I have a three year-old, so it's great to be able to scan for a nice short hike we can do as a family.

UT College of Veterinary Medicine Open House

The UT College of Veterinary Medicine is having an open house tomorrow. It's free and open to the public. Short notice, but we'll probably blow off the things we are supposed to do tomorrow to check it out.

McGhee Tyson Airport

I don't need a chart to tell me that it's expensive to fly into Knoxville, but according to Nate Silver , McGhee Tyson is number four on the list of the ten most expensive midsize airports in the country. 

Knoxville Greenways

The Knoxville area has an impressive system of greenways for walking or biking. I haven't found a map that includes the entire system, since it runs through three jurisdictions.  However, the Knox Greenways Coalition maintains a list of all the greenways in the area with links to maps of the various sections

We found this great little spot near a favorite playground:

The joys of renting

There is one serious up-side to renting. I can look at this square-mile of shockingly dated wallpaper, (I remember buying sheets with this design nearly 20 years ago)

and not wonder for a moment how long it will take to scrape it off.  Or whether I should paint or repaper.  Or whether I should match the cream trim or the white appliances.  Or also paint the trim.

It's almost relaxing when I notice some flaw that is not my problem.

Life Imitates Mike Meyers

So, I'm watching the last disc of Commanding Heights (produced in 2002) and they bring the deep-voiced narrator and the ominous music to talk about the recession of the early 90's when there were 10 million unemployed and the national debt was...FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS.  So, in other words, the good-old days.

I couldn't help but think of Dr. Evil, holding the world hostage for ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

Missing the Point

Madame Defarge was not meant to be a role model.

Commanding Heights

I just finished watching the first episode of Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World's Economy.  It's a really good, very general overview of battle between free markets and planned economies over the last century.  Highly recommended as a painless way to take in some economic theory.

Fun fact: Keynes and Hayek served as air wardens together in London during WWII.

Free Audio Downloads from the Library -The Best Thing Ever

Without audio books, I'd never get the dusting done.  Or the yard work. Or the ironing.  I'd work at them for a few minutes and then sit down to read.  The selection is not great, but I never have any problem finding something I've been meaning to read.  Or reread.

I recently listened to 1984, which I read so long ago, that my memory of it had become quite dim.  It's a must read if you follow conservative bloggers. I've seen all these references to it in the past week: The memory hole, the two-minutes hate, we've always been at war with East Asia, we thank the party for increasing the chocolate ration from 20 grams to 15 grams.

I just finished The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag from the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley.  Flavia is an 11 year-old amateur chemist and sleuth from 1950's England.  Although the protagonist is 11, these are not children's books.  They contain gruesome murders and adult situations.  Having said that, I laughed out loud more than once.  Highly recommended particularly if you enjoyed:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  I couldn't imagine the point of this book when I first heard of it, but since everyone else seemed to be reading it, I downloaded it.  And it was hilarious. I presumed that the shtick of the Bennet sisters fighting the undead would wear off before the book ended, but I snickered all the way through.

Update: Sure enough, the shtick of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did wear off.  I tried Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, but I didn't make it through the first chapter.  Cute, but not compelling.

We're just like you

For some reason, when certain of my liberal Facebook friends speak on politics, the chorus from that Miranda Lambert song suddenly pops into my head:

We might think a little differently
But we've got a lot in common you will see
We're just like you
Only prettier

See also:  Dear Tea Party Morons

Nice work if you can get it

Remember when reporters used to live by the old axiom "If your mother says she loves you, check it out?"  Now apparently they can just check their Twitter feeds and write "Some people say..."

Update:  Apparently, I'm behind the curve in making this observation.