Blegs

America 3.0: Rave Amazon Reviews!

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America 3.0: Rebooting American Prosperity in the 21st Century-Why America’s Greatest Days Are Yet to Come has started shipping, earlier than originally stated by our awesome publisher, Encounter Books.

We have started to get some great reviews on Amazon:
 
From Peter St. Andre:

Understanding America
 
“… Bennett and Lotus amass an impressive amount of evidence from history, anthropology, and allied disciplines to carefully explain where we’ve come from, where we are, and where we’re going.”

Links to Peter’s writings are here

From Jeff Carter:

To Understand America, Where it has been and where it could go, you must read this
 
“As a Venture Capitalist, I try to extrapolate into the future a lot. Science fiction and books like this really help with that vision. Don’t miss this book.”

Jeff runs the Points and Figures blog which I heartily comment to your attention.

And from Leif Smith:

Well reasoned optimism about America
 
“It proposes a way forward in which realism and idealism strongly support each other. … I regard this book as important reading.”

Leif’s website for his Explorers Foundation contains much fascinating material, especially his collection of glyphs, which are educational and inspiring for all lovers of freedom.

If you find these reviews helpful, please click yes where it asks: “Was this review helpful to you?”

Thanks to Dan from Madison, Whitehall, WiTexan, Grurray and MikeK for being early purchasers! Gentlemen, I hope you will like the book. If you do, please put up an Amazon review with your thoughts. That will be greatly appreciated.

Briefcase Bleg

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This post from Carl at LITGM reminded me of something. Below is my briefcase. I have had it for the better part of a decade now and it is shot.

Time for a new one. I prefer the soft sided type as I don’t carry a ton of stuff back and forth anymore – typically some papers from work and my checkbook if needed, magazines occasionally, my new Samsung Note pad computer, phone, etc. I also carry a copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in there (pocket sized) and a few business cards. I don’t mind paying more for something that is a little higher quality. Any brands you can recommend are appreciated. I like leather but am not opposed to some other material. Thanks in advance for the suggestions.

Rye Bread Bleg

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When my grandmother died several years ago one of the things I wanted most when we cleaned out her house was the giant box of hand written recipes. I got it.

Many of these go back to when she was a poor child back in the early twentieth century in Munich.

I was running through them the other day and found one for rye bread.

I have never made bread in my life, but I think this could be fun. No bread machine here, we are going to do it the old fashioned way.

The directions look pretty straightforward. But I have one question that maybe the ChicagoBoyz mind hive can help me with.

The first step is to start the yeast. The card says to dissolve the yeast in warm water. The ingredient list says to use one cup of water with “1 yeast”.

I am guessing that one yeast means one packet of yeast? Any help or advice you can provide is appreciated – below the fold are photos of the recipe card. You can click on them for larger versions.

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A Bleg on Behalf of my Dog

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Connor, the middle-aged Malti-poo is at the veterinarians office today, to sort out why he has been throwing up for the last day and a half, has no appetite and is terribly lethargic. The bill for his treatment will be an unexpected expense for me … so anyone going to my book blog and purchasing copies of To Truckee’s Trail, Daughter of Texas, Deep in the Heart, or the Adelsverein Trilogy in the separate volumes will help me to square matters with the vet, and put Connor back where he belongs, sleeping peacefully under my desk.

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Consumer Question – 23andme

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The musings on the random and tragic nature of life remind us of how little we know – and control. But it reminded me of the marketing of a step toward more control: how good are the DNA products? My daughter’s friend, visiting for Thanksgiving, sent her spit to 23andme. The results included a genetic tendency toward weight-related diseases, which led her to a diet and gym membership. Not surprisingly, it linked her with her mother, but also with a cousin neither she nor her mother knew existed. They met, looked each other over, compared notes: they were cousins.

Anyway, she sat in our living room flipping through her smart phone (it gives monthly updates); she was vulnerable to diabetes but less so to Parkinson’s. Genetic weaknesses are becoming obvious as we near retirement; unfortunately, we learn our vulnerabilities at every office visit.

Still, has anyone done this or similar ones? How accurate, how useful, and how much does this (or do others) add to the cloud-knowledge of genes & disease? (Other friends used a different site, but learned what human history would say – that they were both from England and before that Africa.)

Of course, whether it is worth the money or not, whether it is accurate or not, ignores the big question: does such knowledge lead us to believe we have an autonomy still not – never will be – ours? Will knowing more of “who we are” mislead or arm us?