I am Thankful for McIntosh Apples

As I popped into Trader Joe's today to finish up the last of my Thanksgiving shopping (namely, The Bird) I stumbled upon a display of absolutely scrumptious looking McIntosh apples. I'm an impulse food shopper anyway, but this was really too much of a magnet to just bypass. So, I scanned the offerings and selected for myself a bag of bright red, modest sized McIntosh apples.

For the uninitiated (all you West Coasties who just have to have your Cameos and Braeburns), the McIntosh is the quintessential New England apple, with a dark reddish skin, tender white flesh, and a pleasing crispness when fresh--additionally, they smell wicked good! For years living on the Left Coast, I have tried each fall to find a reasonably good McIntosh in the local markets, only to be disappointed by mealy middles and no sweet-tart bite. Like fresh haddock, I decided the Mac's place was firmly rooted in the Northeast and it was better to stick to the local varieties.

So, not exactly being in New England at the moment, I was prepared for more shattered apple dreams and broken apple promises. But, with my first bite delivering a resounding pop, I knew I had bit into the apple of my childhood! It seems Sunrise Orchards of Cornwall, VT had delivered!

So, in addition to everything else I am thankful for this week, the humble yet noble McIntosh Apple is high on my list. And I can once again savor it's fragrant, apple-y goodness each fall.

Is the Missing Carbon Wrapped up in Leaves or Dog Fur???

For years I have been convinced that the so called "Missing Carbon" in the global carbon pool was actually wrapped up in dog fur. The ephemeral nature of dog fur makes it exceptionally difficult to quantify the amount of carbon from this source; however, judging by the immense quantities of fur vacuumed up from various corners in our house and houses like ours, it seemed no doubt, a potentially significant contributor (disclaimer: I actually have no idea how much carbon a single strand of Canis lupus familiaris might contain). Fortunately, in our new abode, the fur tends to be masked by a carpet of a similar color, so my ability to ponder the finer points of dog fur and the carbon cycle has also been obscured.


But, looking out at our yard, I'm thinking tree leaves may be another under-represented carbon source. These leaves seem to be infiltrating our house every time the door opens ("entropy" MN says). Now, I know New England lays claim to the most beautiful fall colors, and having spent a significant part of my life in that region and forever maintaining a fondness for the little states, I'm not about to deny that. But, in sheer volume of leaves generated, I think my new adopted state may take the cake. Granted, there are a lot of oaks, which just don't hold a candle to the beautiful deep reds and bright oranges of maples, so while this fall was one of the most spectacular I've been in the middle of in the last decade, it was the quantity of changing trees in hues of yellow, gold, orange and brown (with the occasional bright red maple), that really captivated.

While many of my neighbors (including the National Park Service) have succumbed to the scourge of humanity known as a leaf blower, we went out and purchased a super-sized rake to deal with our problem. But, not being silly or inclined to do more work than is necessary, I'm not going to be the first on our block to rake up the earthy, decaying, golden-brown bits of carbon! That would be silly...because of entropy.

Smart = Cool?

Maybe being the Smart Kid will become cool.
Kristof said it better than I could in his most recent column, Obama and the War on Brains.

Swinging No More...We're Blue, Baby!

My new adopted home state is, in fact, as blue as the great big sea.
With relief and gratification, I can sleep easily!
Congratulations, President-Elect Obama!

Cake by Obambastic baker, M. Dolan

Obama Wins Election

By ADAM NAGOURNEY

Published: November 5, 2008

Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Tuesday, as the country chose him as its first black chief executive.

Swinging For A Little Bit Longer!

I cast my vote a few hours ago and, yes, it felt good! No lines, no waiting and the Diebold didn't flip my vote so far as I could tell. It seems we're in Swing-State Limbo still for the moment, but things are looking good and Obama is in fact in the lead in what I figured to be this McCain stronghold of southern VA. Mark Warner pulled out a can of whoop-ass on Jim Gilmore for the Senate seat! Woohoo!

In other election news, bummer that Tom Allen couldn't unseat Susan Collins in Maine, but it looks like a few more Senate seats are going to the Dems with Tom Udall, Jeanne Shaheen, and Kay Hagan with early wins!

Hoping the West Coasters got out the vote and we can wrap this thing up as soon as the polls close on that coast!