DrW

The Birds.

If you have a septic tank that has to be pumped out frequently, consider extending the drain field. We have a septic tank for our 2500 sq ft house with originally three ~ 30 ft drain lines, and we had to get it pumped out every 18 months or so. During renovations in our backyard 5 years ago, we added three more 60 ft drain lines, and since then the system worked flawlessly.

Same here. We have a 1 acre lot, 60% of it lawn. For a long time (~ 15 years), we mowed it with a John Deere ride-on. Two or three times during this period it would not start immediately in spring, although we had stored it with a full tank. However, using a syringe and parafilm from my lab, it was always easy to get the gas flowing again. Two years ago we bought a JD zero-turn mower, and so far it has performed flawlessly, reducing the time needed for mowing by 50%.

Claypool Lennon Delirium - Amethyst Realm (AR is a British woman who claims she is engaged to a ghost)

Here is Texas they are called "baskets".

The Band - The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show The Beatles - Dear Prudence - Here covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees

I really like it, because I like this genre of music. However, there is nothing that makes Camel stand out compared with other bands in this musical style (which is not necessarily a bad thing if you like this type of music, as I do).

For the thread on "Song titles that include the name of a man or a woman", I had been looking for a live version of Country Joe's "Tricky Dicky" song about Richard Nixon, and I actually found one. Looking at the clip, I thought I had seen the girl on piano and back-up vocals before. And indeed, it is Dorothy Moskowitz, who had been the main vocalist of the band "The United States of America", who had made just one critically-acclaimed album in 1968, using very primitive electronic devices, but no guitars. It is still one of my favorite (if you are impatient, you might want to skip the first minute of the two following clips).

Country Joe McDonalds "homage" to Richard Nixon: "Tricky Dicky" ... He's the genuine plastic man...

Well, the right Josh is an obvious choice. However, as a fan of the Texas Tech Red Raiders (well, I am on TTU's faculty), my entry is Michael Crabtree. His college career was stellar. As TTU was the permanent underdog, no TTU sports fan will ever forget his catch to beat our arch rivals UT in 2008. Crabtree's NFL career was not a bust. However, "meh" is a precise description. In TTU's underdog mentality (this goes way beyond athletics; of all the state universities in Texas, the vast majority of funds goes to UT and Texas A&M; our share is a pittance), we favor TTU college athletes who did better than expected as professional, such as Zach Thomas, Wes Welker, and perhaps even Patrick Mahomes.

That is a very interesting point. As a German, my knowledge of American History is limited (but good enough to pass the citizenship test with flying colors). I have two questions/comments. First, isn't it possible that the apparent preference of the Founders for local governments has, at least partially, to do with the speed of communication at that time? Sending a rider on horseback back and forth is just not very effective in resolving an imminent crisis. Second, the Founders are often treated as monolithic entity. What do you think of the quote by Georgia State historian David Sehat: "Everyone cites the Founders. Constitutional originalists consult the Founders’ papers to decide original meaning. Proponents of a living and evolving Constitution turn to the Founders as the font of ideas that have grown over time. Conservatives view the Founders as architects of a free enterprise system that built American greatness. The more liberal-leaning, following their sixties parents, claim the Founders as egalitarians, suspicious of concentrations of wealth. Independents look to the Founders to break the logjam of partisan brinksmanship. Across the political spectrum, Americans ground their views in a supposed set of ideas that emerged in the eighteenth century. But, in fact, the Founders disagreed with each other....they had vast and profound differences. They argued over federal intervention in the economy and about foreign policy. They fought bitterly over how much authority rested with the executive branch, about the relationship and prerogatives of federal and state government. The Constitution provided a nearly limitless theater of argument. The founding era was, in reality, one of the most partisan periods of American history."

Yes, you caught me here. They both would have been acceptable alternatives for my hypothesis. My, admittedly rather lame, excuse is that "lasers" or "lazers" could also be a name representing ophthalmologists doing LASIK surgery. Completely independent of this discussion, but inspired by mentioning "ophthalmologists". I always thought I had good or at least acceptable vision, until last August when the ophthalmologist found cataracts in both eyes, more pronounced in the right. I had surgery on the right eye at the end of January, and the difference is like night and day. My vision is so much clearer now. And the surgery did not even interrupt my work schedule. I was able to give my biochemistry class the day after the surgery. The left eye will follow in June, after the classes for this semester are over.

That is easy. They wanted LA in the name, but LAers is too difficult to pronounce. Thus, they tried all possible consonants between the A and the E. "Lacers" sounds like a company producing ladies' underwear, "Lagers" would be a beer. The exclusion of "Lamers" or "Laters" is self-explanatory, "Laxers" is a good name for constipation remedy. Thus, "Lakers" was the best choice left. And nature seems to help them, if some of the results of the recent torrential rains in California stay permanently.

Because the name "Utah Tabernacle Choir" is too difficult to spell.

Looking back to La Bestia TV's previous recordings, I found this gem. I had never heard of this band "A Place To Bury Strangers" before, but they certainly put on a show. Sandra Fedowitz is amazing on drums.

Something (relatively) new from the best Austin has to offer musically - The Black Angels. The first song is from their 2006 album "Passover"; all the others are from the 2022 release "Wilderness of Mirrors". I had not been aware that the Mexicans had something similar to KEXP: Live studio performances in extremely high quality A/V - La Bestia TV

"Framed", the 1954 Leiber & Stoller song, here not merely covered but enacted by the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. And despite his awkward clown make-up and the stupid suit (well, it was the 1970s), Zal Cleminson was a very competent guitarist.

Once more Alex Harvey - There's No Lights On The Christmas Tree, Mother; They're Burning Big Louie Tonight" A/V quality leaves much to be desired, but Alex Harvey always knew how to put on a show. Sadly, he died in 1982 at the age of 46 from a heart attack.

This is a very intriguing question. Would the Bills have won a Superbowl in 1990-1993 with a different coach? Or, even more interesting IMHO, would McDermott have had more success with the same players?

Watch out for them this year...

As a German, my second favorite NHL team (a mile behind the Sabres) are the Oilers with Leon Draisaitl. It seems somewhat unfair to everybody else that two of the best forwards are on the same team, but such is life. Go Leon! Go Connor!

I have no idea how authentic this is regarding Inuit culture. However, it is stunningly beautiful...

Randy Newman - Putin The song was written and recorded in 2017, well before the current Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Here is another Welsh band: Gorky's Zygotic Mynci "Can Megan" means "The song of Megan". The pics show characters of the famous German cartoonist Janosch.

To follow up on the German theme: Juliane Werding (artist) - Am Tag als Conny Kramer starb (The day that Conny Kramer died) Well, they took the melody from "The night they drove old dixie down" and converted it into a German anti-drug song, which would be a good thing if the German lyrics were not so embarrassingly inane: "The day that Conny Kramer died, it was a difficult day." Well, who would have thought so? Did you expect it to be easy?