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It's not a tree's purpose in life to stand around being picturesque. Not this tree, at least. Maybe that weeping willow up front, or my old friends ruthlessly cut down in their prime when this place was built, but a mighty oak like me, a ... read more

New Los Angeles Driver's ExamFor those not fortunate enough to live in Los Angeles, here is a copy of the Los Angeles Driver's Exam. For those of you who are, study real hard. This is a new exam. Since driving conditions (and cultu ... read more

Bill's Salsa Chicken RiceI've been making this for years, and thought I'd share it, finally. Here's my recipe and the quantity I usually make:Six chicken breasts with skin, baked in plastic cooking bags at 400176F for about an hour (depen ... read more

Credit Card BillIn March, 1992, a man living in Newtown near Boston, Massachusetts received a bill for his as-yet unused credit card stating that he owed $0. 00. He ignored it and threw it away. In April he received another and threw that ... read more

Great article. By capitalism's perverse moral logic, if a person sells toxic assets by knowingly misrepresenting them as sound, the fault lies not with the misrepresentation of the seller, but rather with the lack of due diligence on the ... read more

We've received our court date. We're haggling with the airlines now. One round-trip ticket for one adult costs a little over $800. One one-way ticket for our daughter's flight home with us costs $1,600!! I suggested just buying our daugh ... read more

Our last stop before the airport on the magical mystery tour is the US Emb ... read more

Music by a brotherConanOur cat Conan died of a kidney infection today (we had to have him put down). We had him 1 ... read more

I set this blog so that you can now add your comments anonymously without logging in. So, comment away! I was afraid that the requirement for a login was keeping people from participating. Now you can go crazy because you're anonymous. J ... read more

Tara made a good guess earlier. She thinks the orphanage caretakers are telling Elizabeth that we will be taking her away soon. Th ... read more

My brother Doug talking about Portuguese genealogy on their January 22, 2019 podcast. In today's episode of Our Portuguese Tab ... read more

I finally watched this Food Matters movie last night. It was great. MD's and pharmaceutical execs will hate it, of course. Anyway, I highly recommend it. ... read more

Terrific interview with one of the co-authors of a new book that explains how the immense potential of Bitcoin has been stolen and has become a Ponzi scheme to some degree. The potential is still there but it's a dangerous mine field. C ... read more

Roving reporter returns from East (September, 1989) -- Bill returned from his trip to eastern Canada a few weeks back. He was supposed to seek out and capture Wild Man Doug. Remember? Well, he's back. Bill, that is. When asked to repo ... read more

Friday, April 7, 2023Elizabeth and I were on our seemingly annual trip to California. This time, it was a gift for her 18th birthday. Years ago, I thought we might be flying to Astrakhan, Russia, for this ... read more

It's amazing the level of self-loathing. These people are certifiable. A California educator has demanded that schools in the state ignore 'privileged white voices,' and argued that the curriculum should be even more anti-white than it al ... read more

Hoot and a HollerVol. 5, No. 6, September 28, 1993 -- Nashville editionJournalism at its finest! -- Yearly subscription rate: $135 Brouns family buys propertyLATHROP, CA -- John, Jeannie, their kids, Tiffany and Thomas, John's sister and ... read more

Billy ClubNews That Hits You Over The HeadVol. 2, No. 4, February 26, 1990Coyote has puppies!Lucy's dog, Coyote ... read more

The Leaky FaucetIrritating, yet soothing. Obnoxious, yet hypnoticVol. 3, No. 6, July 30, 1991Sapphire dispute settled out of co ... read more

Hometown NewsVol. 2, No. 13, October 20, 1990Editor's Note: This is most definitely the last issue. Bill graduates!After seven months, Bill has finally comple ... read more

the Evening Star Post-Tribune Dispatch (we couldn't decide on a name) Vol. 3, No. 4, June 4, 1991 Bikers ride to YosemiteOn Mother's Day, John, Jeannie, Don and Diane (collectively known as Hell On Wheels) rode their motorcycle ... read more

the rabblerouser Vol. 5, No. 5, August 8, 1993Bill moving to NashvilleBill is moving to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue his boyhood dream of being a country singing star! Oh wait, that's Do ... read more