The Old House Is Gone

Back from Las Vegas

Elise and I just came from Las Vegas. We'd gone out there for my cousin's wedding. I played a lot of three card poker and did pretty well. The wedding was awesome, and we had a grand time hanging out with that segment of the family. It was great fun.

I griped about the coffee a lot. There was Charbucks, Dunkin, McDonalds, etc., around, and then I spied a Krispy Kreme. When the topic came up I said of all the coffee on the Fremont strip, the Krispy Kreme was what I'd recommend. So this morning, Elise's valentine gift to me was a cup of KK "Rich" coffee. It was perfect! Yum.

Since I'd come out ahead on the trip, my gift to her was springing for first class upgrades for the flight back. She got the pregnant mom treatment from the flight attendants and had a great time. She'd had a particularly crappy flight out, so the improvement seemed particularly extreme. She loved it.

On This Day 200 Years Ago

Two great men were born.

The first, Abraham Lincoln, is nearly universally recognized in the USA and elsewhere as a great, great man. He kept the young republic from fracturing, and along the way abolished slavery.

The second, Charles Darwin, is not nearly as universally recognized as a great man. Yet what he wrote in Origin of Species has had a far deeper and more powerful effect on our world than what Lincoln did. Darwin's essential insight allowed us to see more clearly the evolutionary connections between the creatures of our world. The signs of evolution are everywhere for those who will look.

Both of these men shared an essential humility, a great regard for human nature, and a deep sense of humor.

Happy Birthday, Gentlemen.