Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

Yeah, I know, I've been away for a while. I like to think that that is a good sign, as I've been sleeping through the night and actually sleeping in my bed. Sometimes, I still get up, and sometimes, I don't have anything to say. But, that's okay too.

However, I'd be remiss if I didn't report on the weather conditions here in our little corner of the world/tri-cities area.

The current temperature according to the FPMS (Front Porch Mounted Sensor), which sends its information to my DTWS (Desk Top Weather Station), is 32° under partly cloudy skies. We had a high-temperature yesterday in the upper 40s and that caused a great deal of melting of the piles of snow that were beginning to overwhelm the environs of the PE (Palatial Estate). Now, we have puddles of water that have frozen into icy patches on the streets and sidewalks. Be careful what you wish for I guess.

At any rate, the sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set later this evening @ 5:31 p.m. In between the day will be cloudy and the high temperature will continue to fall throughout the early morning hours until we reach today's high, or is that a low, of 26°.

I am currently listening to CoasttoCoastAM with host George Noory, and he is talking to Ecological Biologist, David Blume. They are spreading what I consider disinformation regarding the energy needs/demands of this country. Mr. Blume is a believer that the petroleum industry is suppressing the development of alternative fuels such as alcohol-based fuels made from corn. He would make sense if we were able to move away from feeding cattle and making ethanol from that corn to the benefit of humans.

However, the amount of water used to grow that corn to feed cattle and make ethanol is more than offset by the farm equipment that is used to sow the seeds, spreading the petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides, and harvesting the corn before it is sent to market in trucks. In my view, we'd be better off without those activities and chemicals. In addition, growing animals to produce meat for the protein we need is not good for the animals nor us.

Cow's milk is difficult for humans to digest and many people, if not all, become lactose intolerant as they age. That's why I recommend plant-based kinds of milk, such as almond milk. Yes, I know, there have been studies done that show that almonds need a great deal of water to grow and then be processed into milk, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives to animals and people. If you think about it, the idea behind any mammalian-based milk is to grow babies into adults. So, after that, the purported benefits are no longer a reality. Remember, that goes for cheese, sour cream, and other dairy-based products, including eggs. Plus, the conditions on factory-farms where too many animals spend their lives in confined quarters needs to be considered.

Mary and I have been vegan for several years now. For me, the sight of pigs on their way to market in the back of a truck was the final straw. If you have pets like dogs or cats, you probably do whatever it takes to make their lives better, ie, veterinarian visits and the like. Why should farm animals be treated less humanely? Chickens have been seen looking for their missing eggs. Dogs know how many puppies they have, and all animals show an ability to recognize their offspring. So, you judge for yourselves. Oh, did I mention that the same protein that comes from animal products can be found in legumes, ie, beans? Oh well, I've been on my soapbox long enough.

In other important news, the annual MLB spring-training dates are mostly available now. My beloved Red Sox are asking their pitchers and catchers to report to Florida on February 14. The Cubs have asked their pitchers and catchers to report to Mesa, AZ the next day, February 15, 2018. Yes, my friends, there is baseball on the horizon. In fact, to get everyone in the mood, I have included a link to the speech delivered by James Earl Jones from Field of Dreams that still gives me goosebumps. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6U1p0hehtg.

Oh well, I've been ranting long enough. Ciao.