Neitzsche - Just doubt it.

I've either got to shake this cold or start writing posts a lot earlier in the day. By the time I get to 7 p.m. I'm whooped. (Which is why there was no post last night.)

I heard another turn of phrase today that was new to me and one I want to keep handy.
“The cake is baked on that one.”
In context it meant something like, “The die is cast.” That is, the outcome is established, the jury in, the question answered.

This is a little longer than normal, but I found it an interesting story. And when you get an interesting story out of Wisconsin you go with it!
White Deer

I just got back from walking Jack and looking at houses all lit up, many with seasonal "stuff" out front. The lighted sheep made out of heavy wire in the next block look more like hippos but the LED manger clears up any confusion. The rocking reindeer at a house east of here are a nice touch. Up one of the cross streets is a display worthy of the Vegas strip.
I don't know why I am so disinterested in decorating for Christmas. I think part of it is the effort involved in dragging it out just to pack it away a few weeks later. And I don't like clutter any time of year. Then there's the whole plastic-kitsch-sentimentality-bogocity issue.

This time of year I'm thankful for a wife who has learned to be content with a pine scented candle. No, seriously. She is.

I need a transit level. I need it to set the landscape stones for the raised rose garden. I want to use one of the old tripod transits with a sight glass, not a fancy new laser version. What fun is that?

Someone I'm friends with on Facebook - the son of a college classmate - has served in the military for eight years, maybe longer. I think he's an NCO and I know he's been a Drill Instructor. After tours in Afghanistan he's currently serving in So. Korea and has his family with him. He's coming up on the end of his current stint and has written about whether or not to re-up.
Late this afternoon he posted on FB that the decision is made. Because of the repeal of DADT he will leave the military when his current term ends.
I'm sure others in the military will respond similarly. Which got me wondering - what will be the net affect of the repeal on staffing levels? Will the number of service personnel who leave because of this significantly exceed the number who will now sign up? It would seem that the loss of trained and experienced soldiers will pose at least a short term problem.
I s'pose there's no way to track this, and the Rule of P.C. would prevent anyone with access to the data from revealing the outcome if it looked bad for the Gay community.