A fascinating morsel of truth regarding how humans came to dominate the earth.

We are the only primates who can live far away from the equatorial region, and we can do this because we manipulate plant and animal products for insulation.  

Not touting Amazon.com or anything...

The cost of higher education is amazingly high, and it keeps increasing.  It is no surprise that every single bank offers “low” interest rates for students and their parents.  FinAid.org says:  "A good rule of thumb is that tuition rates will increase at about twice the general inflation rate."  Isn't that nice?  Article here

Cost of tuition aside, I just saved a chunk of cash by shopping at Amazon.com for my school books.  I needed 7 books for next semester, and I couldn’t believe how much they were priced at in the university bookstore.  Not to talk badly of the university bookstore or anything, they are the place to go for cool UCCS paraphernalia and [pricey] last minute school supplies.  Just don't go there for books.

I made an obsessive-looking graph to show you just how much I saved by purchasing used books from sellers listed on Amazon.com.  All Amazon prices include shipping and handling.

Let Freedom Ring this Merry Christmas!

Our first O'Christmas Tree!

We and some friends went trekking into the national forest today looking for pine trees to harvest in the traditional way of the season.

It was a gorgeous day!  Perfect weather for two couples seeking their first real Christmas trees.

We had fun hiking around in the woods, watching our men do the hard work.

And here it is!!  In our living room!  Our first O'Christmas Tree!