people can remain irrational longer than you can remain sane

John Maynard Keynes famously observed that markets can stay irrational for longer than you can stay solvent. Building on that idea, people can remain irrational longer than you can remain sane, or people can stay irrational longer than you can stay sane. That's why it's important to have people to rely on to help you stay steadfast in your convictions. When it seems the world has gone mad, it is your tribe, your community, your network, your family that helps you as you express your fear and anxiety and stress, even as you go out into a world that seems hostile to you and what you believe.

Spanish Lesson 2, or Leccion de Español Dos

Thanks to a friendly USPS female employee who works at my local post office, I found out that locos gatos potones means crazy big-footed cat:


sick fearless bastard
Originally uploaded by Crazy Ivory

California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Yesterday, I finally had the chance to visit the California Academy of Sciences, motivated by my desire to see the Living Roof. They say if you live near a landmark, you tend to not make an effort to see it, and I believe that's what happened with me. Luckily, a friend from Belgium was in town, and I had the idea to show him and his wife the facility; unfortunately, plans fell through, but I decided to go alone. Every third Wednesday is Free Day. My advice: get in line as early as you can. I got in line at 8:40am, and the line was already fairly long. Doors open at 9:30am, and close at 5pm. By the time I left, at 2:45pm. the line was still extremely long, and people at the front had been waiting for 50 minutes.

http://www.calacademy.org/visit/

Photos are courtesy of SharpShooters.

Outside the entrance, doing my best scuba diver impression


Outside the "Extreme Mammals" exhibit, doing my best wooly mammoth impression (we're all showing our teeth)

Isabella at Disneyland, post 9/11

On July 21 and 22, my sister and brother-in-law took a trip to celebrate my beautiful niece turning the terrible 2. At the Magic Kingdom, the little princess explored a potential career as a freedom fighter in the war on terror.


Marine Corps sniper (223rd Battalion, Mickey Mouse company) Monica Wickman-Mroch spots a possible jihadist and instructs Isabella, private-in-training, on the finer points of target shooting:

1. Breathe in
2. Breathe out
3. Aim
4. Squeeze

The next day, at Dumpling House in Artesia, Monica Wickman-Mroch mulls a run for her assault rifle (not pictured) as my niece, in her dress blues, poses with my sister.


Isabella discovers an affinity for this thing called 'cake'. Seconds before, she performed a visual sweep of the table for any sugar packets, her favorite IED (improvised entertainment device).


Light, fluffy & sweet (don't think Isabella wouldn't hesitate taking your eye out with that fork!), cake is a refreshing change from the relentless battlefield stressors of people in costume, clowns, and tea cup rides.


The life of a patriot can make a freedom fighter hungry for food and company, as evidenced in this photo, seated with (left to right) Monica Wickman-Mroch, brother-in-law Brian Moffat, my dad, step-mom & half-sister, and Walter Mroch.