A whole cold hole

It was a bit surprising when Sandra's parents reported that they didn't have any running water this morning. It's been this cold before (-4°F) this winter and certainly much colder in the past few years. Their kitchen and bathroom sinks are on outside walls, but, even so....
Woody had a small electric heater that he put under the cupboard beneath the kitchen sink. The heater warmed up the pipes nicely, but still no water. Hmm.
Their apartment was added on to our house when we moved in together in 1982. The core house itself dates back to 1816. There are lots of little cellars and crawlspaces, reflecting the history of adding-on, a kind of stone soup housing project. One of the little cellars runs the length of the house. You get in there via a trap door under Marley's bed in the laundry room. Most of the cellar is about three feet high, stretching out to maybe five feet at the far end.
A plastic pipe runs from our water main, through this mini-cellar, back into the ground, and then around back to the MacGregor's apartment. It's worked fine for more than 25 years.
What's new this winter is a hole in the foundation, perhaps a foot in diameter, dug out by some animal or group of animals. We've heard some noises under the family room and suspected that some critters had moved in. Indeed. This hole let in the sub-zero air which fell to the bottom of the mini-cellar and froze the pipe.
We talked with Mike and got the name of plumbers who'd worked with him, good guys, all. Plumbers are busy on days such as this, however, because lots of folks have frozen pipes. Luckily, we had a portable hair-dryer.
With care, I warmed the pipe enough to get the water flowing again. Sandra could tell my comings and goings by the thumps under the floor which resulted from my hitting my head on another water pipe or floor joist. We brought a small heater into the cellar to raise the temperature above freezing. In the meantime, Sandra stuffed an old pillow in the invaders' tunnel.
Mike and Michael Francis came by a short time later and, with a bit of magic cement, patched the hole. We'll have to come back to in the spring when we can get at the foundation more easily. I was able to tie up the pipe, getting off the lowest part of the cellar floor, away from whatever other cold air falls in.
We suspect that some critter(s) will be quite surprised when it comes time to go out for a bit of fresh air, but we'll all deal with that another day.

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

Holden

Monday, January 5

7:37 a.m. Ammunition to be destroyed
9:00 a.m. Complaint about detail working at Worcester-Holden line
1:53 p.m. Large hole and bridge joint separating; MassHighway informed
2:20 p.m. Suspicious large truck on South Rd. with Mississippi plates
5:45 p.m. Repo agency spoken with
8:35 p.m. Caller reports person in reflective vest struck telephone pole with vehicle then left scene

Tuesday, January 6

1:57 a.m. 911 Shrewsbury St. resident reports hearing noise outside house; no footprints or vehicles noted
10:24 a.m. Citizen reporting large amount of water coming up from the street on Kendall Rd.; natural spring, no water problem
2:40 p.m. Individual walking on the ice on Salisbury St.

Wednesday, January 7

4:47 p.m. Walk-in to talk to officer regarding issue with comic books

Thursday, January 8

3:06 a.m. Three broken windows, alarm going off and footprints in snow at Holden Hills; window damage is from golf balls this summer, alarm an ongoing issue
9:49 a.m. Report of solicitors on Newell Rd.
11:26 a.m. Caller regarding accident; didn't happen in town; referred to state police

Friday, January 9

7:46 a.m. 911 Caller witnessed motor vehicle accident; accident is in Worcester
8:13 a.m. Dog in road on Malden St.; owner took control
9:18 a.m. Well-being check on Oak Crest Rd.; resident hasn't shown up for work in Princeton; resident arrived at work
9:24 a.m. Debris in yard at Jamieson and Lovell making it difficult for drivers to see
1:35 p.m. Solicitors in neighborhood reported by caller
5:33 p.m. 911 Caller reports contractor refusing to leave on Main St.
7:43 p.m. Three youths wrestling in parking lot on Main St.

Saturday, January 10

5:02 p.m. Caller complaining about church goers parking on Eagle Terrace; vehicles parked on both sides of road; church will be contacted to post it in newsletter and at church
7:01 p.m. Illegal burn on Bailey Rd.

Sunday, January 11

10:21 a.m. 911 Tailgate missing from truck on Quail Run
11:26 a.m. Neighbors shoveling snow into pile that may obstruct view of traffic on High St.

Paxton

Monday, Jan. 5

6:03 p.m. Male with a broken arm hanging around Paxton Liquors, appears to be intoxicated.
7:38 p.m. Cell caller advising tenant is trying to break into his apartment; drill heard in the background, Asnebumskit Rd. Tenant was installing a lock on the common door. Not a violation.

Tuesday, Jan. 6

10:29 a.m. Wounded deer wandering around Marshall St.
3:55 p.m. Resident in station says his smoke detectors will not silence since his power was restored

Thursday, Jan. 8

3:56 p.m. Woman returned to strange odor at her house, unsure if her cat is alive, Nipmuck Rd.; odor determined to be boiler problem

Sunday, Jan. 11

4:30 p.m. Walk-in requesting vacant house form, due to burst pipes
4:44 p.m. Vicious dog in the area of Camp St. Negative contact.

Princeton

Monday, Jan. 5

12:43 p.m. Suspicious incident, Mountain Rd.

Sunday, Jan. 11

12:46 a.m. Suspicious person, Westminster Rd.

Rutland

Monday, Jan. 5

9:27 a.m. Caller wants to speak with officer about employee issue, Main St.
9:20 p.m. Snowmobiler and male party arguing near pond, Maple Spring Dr.

Wednesday, Jan. 7

12:24 a.m. Traffic safety hazard, Main St./Pommogussett Rd. Bottles fell off truck, in road

Thursday, Jan. 8

1:30 p.m. Unmarked cruiser making visits on Kenwood Rd.

Saturday, Jan. 10

9:42 a.m. Caller wants to speak with officer about failed inspection sticker, Main St.
2:35 p.m. Loose horses on Maple Ave. headed toward Paxton
3:43 p.m. Report of three young males darting across Rte. 122
5:21 p.m. Young child came home to empty house, Simon Davis Dr.

Sunday, Jan. 11

1:03 a.m. Traffic safety issue, snowballs thrown at motor vehicles, Prouty Ln.
6:25 p.m. Kids threw snowballs at vehicle, Main St.

Sterling

Tuesday, Jan. 6

5:25 a.m. Assist citizen who lost front tire of vehicle, Leominster Rd.
11:19 a.m. Large coyote in yard, Squareshire Rd.

Wednesday, Jan. 7

7:56 a.m. Animal, possibly hybrid wolf, seen in Trinity Ave. area; Shrewsbury caller reported same animal seen in that town
1:05 p.m. Stray dog, appears very cold, near overpass on John Dee Rd.
4:16 p.m. Report that "hybrid" wolf walked through yard on Worcester Rd. headed toward Mortimer/Bean Rd. area
8:10 p.m. Three dogs running down middle of Clinton Rd. towards Lancaster
8:19 p.m. Restraining order delivered, Clinton Rd.
11:45 p.m. Missing dogs from previous call spotted, heading toward Ashton Ln.

Thursday, Jan. 8

5:46 a.m. Caller advises three dogs have been found, in garage to keep warm, Redstone Pl.
6:31 p.m. Boxer dog found, injured front paw, Taft Rd.

Friday, Jan. 9

8:28 a.m. Person lost cell phone, Pineview Rd.
8:53 a.m. Boston terrier loose, owner requesting assistance, Princeton Rd.
1:20 p.m. Caller wants officer to listen to annoying phone message, Redemption Rock Trl.

Saturday, Jan. 10

3:40 p.m. Suspicious black SUV driving around property, Beverly Dr.
5:06 p.m. Report of German shepherd that appears injured, Meetinghouse Rd.
7:32 p.m. Stray cat hanging around home, Jill Ln.

Sunday, Jan. 11

1:38 p.m. Caller lost two Labrador dogs, Redstone Pl.

Why go to Bangalore when Dubuque is so close?

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that IBM is opening new computer-services center in Dubuque, Iowa. This is IBM's largest facility that the company has opened in 10 years, although Big Blue wouldn't say if this would result in a net increase of U.S. jobs.
The plan includes a package of loans and commitments from the state, including $10M that the state's community colleges will pay IBM to train new employees. Yep, the colleges will pay the company to allow them to train IBM's employees. (The colleges and state claim that the increased income tax revenue from the newly-trained employees will offset the $10M.)
A bit of subtext in the announcement also notes that some of IBM's customers would prefer to have state-side computer-services facilties.

Worcestershire Journal - What you see and what you don’t see

Worcestershire Journal - What you see and what you don’t see : Real Worcester - Worcester News and Blogs

Something better for everyone

On Sunday evening, we had a small birthday party in advance of Krista's 13th birthday on Monday. Just the family gathered around for pizza and conversation.
Cassie was vibrant with delight because she had picked out a present for Krista - a cupcake maker.
She was even quite eager to help Krista unpack the kit and make the first batch of cupcakes. We tried to explain to her that Sandra had brought a Wacky Cake with 13 candles for our birthday girl. Cassie reluctantly yielded to the promise of cake now, instead of cupcakes later.
At the other end of the table, a few of the adults concluded that everything is improved when bacon is added.
Well, thanks to the brilliance of the Interwebs, we find that we now can have it all: bacon cupcakes.

Oh, and, by the way, ...

Charter offers some tips on how you can save money on your cable, Internet, and phone bills. Then, in the fine print below, they mention that your data might spill out on the driveway, but they're not sure, but it's not their fault or problem:

http://connect.charter.com/cas/portal/content/Newsletters/2009/january/articles/list3.aspx

Joe the Plumber's First War Report [VIDEO]

Joe believes that the media should not be reporting about war.

"I think media should be abolished from reporting. You know, war is hell.... If you're going to say, 'Look at this atrocity,' why you don't know the whole story half the time. So, I believe that the media should have no business in it."

Joe the Plumber's First War Report [VIDEO]



Thanks, Joe. Now, go home and do some plumbing or something.

A month after the storm

Except for the stories that we tell, about all that's left from December's ice storm (and subsequent 11-day power outage), is a large pile of brush in the back yard. The pile is probably 15 feet tall and maybe 30 feet square. In addition, we've been able to cut up the larger branches as firewood.

The town will let us burn the brush, but we're not in much of a hurry. For one thing, birds, squirrels, and the occasional rabbit have found sanctuary among the branches. Also, because the wood is both green and frozen, it'll take a lot to get a fire going and keep it going. We're better off waiting for a couple of months or longer.

Amazon.com: 45 pounds of Gatorade for sale, new or used

The idea of buying 45 pounds of Gatorade, at any price, gives the ol' brain a boggeroo, but, ...

Amazon.com: Quaker Foods & Beverages #03969 32PK21OZ Lemon Gatorade: Office Products via kwout

having the opportunity to buy it used, well, I think it's time to give Mr. Brain a time-out.

Amazon.com: Quaker Foods & Beverages #03969 32PK21OZ Lemon Gatorade: Office Products via kwout

Free Whooper for defriending 10 friends. Wait, what?

Let's see, what do I need more - 10 friends or a Whooper? To paraphrase an adage from the 60s, friends will get you through times with no Whoopers more than a Whooper will get you through a time with no friends.

Free Burger King Whooper (Refer 10 Friends) at Buxr.com via kwout

Crime in suburbia

From The Landmark (subscription required):

Holden

Monday, December 29

10:00 a.m. Individual dropped off shotgun shells
10:40 a.m. Large amount of copper being loaded into truck on Princeton St.
12:35 a.m. Car repossession on Main St.
5:10 p.m. Caller reports losing car mats off top of car as he drove away
9:00 p.m. Parent in about son; advised son is an adult, information cannot be given out

Tuesday, December 30

4:50 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Marlen Rd.
11:40 a.m. Report of utility crew working on Main St.
5:05 p.m. Second call regarding suspicious motor vehicle on Marlen Rd.

6:02 p.m. Third call regarding suspicious motor vehicle on Marlen Rd.
6:15 p.m. Sandy Glen Dr. resident reporting lights shining in house from neighbor's house
6:24 p.m. Large group of children on bikes on Main St.
10:25 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.; ok, dropping car off for service
10:34 p.m. Suspicious motor vehicle on Main St.
10:49 p.m. Caller hit deer on or near Manning St.

Wednesday, December 31

7:59 a.m. Caller from Brattle St. reports someone struck trash buckets and broke one; advised to contact trash company
8:37 a.m. Private sander reported going wrong way at Big Y
10:17 a.m. Disgruntled resident regarding roads not being plowed
10:28 a.m. Caller regarding trees from yard, wondering if he can sell them to out-of-towners; only if not in quarantine area

Thursday, January 1

12:07 a.m. Call reporting large party on Shrewsbury St.
11:52 a.m. Dog found on Union St.
12:22 p.m. Civil issue with woman from town reported
2:12 p.m. Complaint filed regarding bump in road on Main St.
2:20 p.m. Husky found on Farragut Way

4:28 p.m. No water at residence on Marlen Rd.; advised pipes likely frozen
4:40 p.m. Caller asking if anyone's reported finding dog; given info
10:18 p.m. 911 Report of group of youths behaving suspiciously, then scuffling in parking lot

Friday, January 2

8:17 a.m. Dog found on Farragut Way
9:11 a.m. Mail in Town Hall box overflowing
1:35 p.m. Tractor trailer unit behavior reported
1:43 p.m. 911 someone yelling for help on Fisher Rd.; ok, yelling for dogs
2:20 p.m. Dispute with neighbors cutting trees/limbs down on Alpha Rd.
2:27 p.m. Caller looking for lost husky
5:06 p.m. Dog missing from Shrewsbury St.
7:53 p.m. Caller regarding dispute between siblings
9:13 p.m. 911 Report of kids playing in houses under construction on Hayfield Lane

Saturday, January 3

10:43 a.m. 911 Customer in Dunkin' Donuts swearing and making threats
11:45 a.m. Motor vehicle parked in wrong direction on Main St.
5:04 p.m. Dog running around neighborhood on Princeton St.

Sunday, January 4

4:23 a.m. 911 Caller reports being unable to turn off heat in her house

Paxton

Monday, December 29

5:57 p.m. Caller advising of dirty water at his Davidson Rd. residence. Informed him of water main break in Spring Dr. area and incomplete repair.
6:21 p.m. Caller reporting her daughter's car is stuck in mud in the parking lot next to St. Columba's.
7:17 p.m. Walk-in reporting he struck an owl with his car near Paxton Auto. Owl is just standing on centerline and not moving.

Tuesday, December 30

1:34 p.m. Caller reporting suspicious activity, West St. OK, people hired by owner to clean up brush.
8:08 p.m. Suspicious auto reported at Paxton Market Place for an hour. OK, parties were "kissy face."

Wednesday, December 31

8:14 a.m. Disoriented coyote walking in roadway, Maple St.

Thursday, January 1

9:34 p.m. Check at Worcester County Memorial Park. Party using headlights to illuminate a gravestone.

Friday, January 2

9:55 a.m. Dog on property causing unwanted noise. Owner contacted, Tanglewood Rd.
5:51 p.m. Caller reporting a skunk that "appears to be dying" in her driveway. Advised to let skunk be and dispose of it if it dies, Iron Forge Rd.

Saturday, January 3

12:07 p.m. Party in station asking if ice is thick enough to stand on at Illig Pond. Told department does not monitor ice.
12:14 p.m. Caller from Holden reporting she has hired tree workers who said the Paxton PD knew them. Advised caller the police do not know him and do not endorse services for private companies.

Sunday, January 4

2:30 p.m. Caller reporting brush fire making large amounts of smoke. OK, it's a legal brush fire.

Princeton

Monday, December 29

2:28 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Main St.
4:10 p.m. Person came to the station with a dog found on Brooks Station Rd.
6:19 p.m. Juvenile issue, Main St.

Tuesday, December 30

10:10 a.m. Suspicious incident, Esty Rd.
2:29 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Bigelow Rd.
9:00 p.m. Assist animal control officer, Bullard Rd.

Friday, January 2

4:34 p.m. Assist animal control officer, Rte. 140 North

Saturday, January 3

4:24 p.m. Assist animal control officer, Rte. 140 North

Sunday, January 4

12:50 p.m. Request for animal control officer, Ball Hill Rd.

Rutland

Monday, December 29

1:22 p.m. Tree in the road causing drivers to drive over caller's lawn. Caller wants tree removed, Ware Rd.
2:10 p.m. Tree fell onto neighbor's yard, neighbor is cutting it and returning it to original owner's yard. Officer presence requested, Glenwood Rd.
5:29 Walk-in to speak to officer about preserving peace.

Tuesday, December 30

1:53 p.m. Party reporting gunshots that sound close to the house, East County Rd.

Wednesday, December 31

12:07 a.m. Walk-in to report carbon monoxide incident, Main St.
11:18 a.m. Young female in dark clothing walking down the street. Caller is concerned for her safety due to snowstorm, Kenwood Dr. at Turkey Hill Rd.
4:54 p.m. Walk-in to complain about snowmobile rider who has been flying up and down Pleasantdale all day.

Friday, January 2

8:26a.m. Problem with the heating system, Main St.
1:37 p.m. Walk-in to complain of a large pot hole, Main St. near the plaza
1:37 p.m. Party had a tree fall on his car, Pleasantdale Rd.

Sterling

Tuesday, December 30

7:44 a.m. Suspicious person leaving Town Hall, Park St.
1:44 p.m. Suspicious male walking through yards and woods on Riverview Rd.

Thursday, January 1

2:12 a.m. Assist Leominster Police Department, large fight in progress, Mechanic and Spruce Sts.
12:38 p.m. Dog wandered into yard on Beaman Rd.

Saturday, January 3

3:24 p.m. Report of coyote in yard bothering dogs, Lakeshore Dr.
5:49 p.m. Caller reports that a coyote is at his back door and would like the animal control officer to set a trap, Lakeshore Dr.

Sunday, January 4

9:49 a.m. Dog and coyote in contact, Lakeshore Dr.
10:14 a.m. General offenses, person received a fake $5 bill, Main St.
11:13 a.m. Complaint about coyote, Gates Ter.
11:58 a.m. Complaint about coyote, Lakeshore Dr.
3:25 p.m. Caller reports a coyote in her driveway playing with her two dogs, Squareshire Rd.

Just because you can't see blood doesn't mean that their injuries and deaths aren't real

Getting shot out of the sky can get you a medal, while coming home with suicidality that only you, your family, and your friends can see will barely get you a hospital bed.

Purple Heart Is Ruled Out for Traumatic Stress - NYTimes.com

“I’m glad they finally got something right,” said Jeremy Rausch, an Army staff sergeant who saw some of the Iraq War’s fiercest fighting in Adhamiya in 2006 and 2007. “PTSD can be serious, but there is absolutely no way to prove that someone truly is suffering from it or faking it.”

...a Pentagon-supported service group, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, has strongly opposed expanding the definition to include psychological symptoms, saying it would “debase” the honor. “Would you award it to anyone who suffered the effects of chemicals or for other diseases and illnesses?” John E. Bircher III, director of public relations for the group, said Wednesday. “How far do you want to take it?”

“You have to had shed blood by an instrument of war at the hands of the enemy of the United States,” [Mr. Bircher] said. “Shedding blood is the objective.”

Blame Canada

According to this Chicago Tribune article, the massive forests in the Great White North are not only not cleansing the atmosphere of greenhouse gases, but rather are pumping out even more of the evil stuff.

Earth's lungs have come down with emphysema. Canada's forests are no longer our friends.

The mountain pine beetle has been able to survive through the comparatively mild winters and continues its destruction of the northern forests. (Editor's note: we don't hear  much about the effects of acid rain on the forests. Instead, we're cautioned not to allow our kids to eat snow.)
Oddly enough, a solution to the plight of the northern forests might be to increase the amount of logging, cutting down old trees that are susceptible to the pine beetle and reforesting with younger and stronger stock.

Layoffs at EMC

This announcement came across the wire shortly after the U.S. markets closed yesterday afternoon: EMC celebrates record revenue, axes 2,400 heads • The Register. The Worcester Telegram reported this morning that 600 of these layoffs would be in Massachusetts.
Good luck to family, friends, and former co-workers.

Worcestershire Journal - Life as a customer : Real Worcester - Worcester News and Blogs

Worcestershire Journal - Life as a customer : Real Worcester - Worcester News and Blogs

Linux is still not ready for the show

1. When I tried to set up a printer on the Linux operating system that I'd recently installed on my laptop, the print service (CUPS) would display the message "Starting Printing" and then die silently.
   A bit of Google research showed that, somehow, I'd installed a stackless version of the Python language and it had become the default version. The print service, which relies on Python, tried to use the stackless version and failed. The solution is, of course, to rename the stackless version of Python so that the regular version is the default version and all is happiness in the kingdom. It just needed the following command:
   
   sudo mv  /usr/local/bin/python  /usr/local/bin/spython
   
   
After fiddling with Windows Printing via SAMBA, the service needed to connect to a printer that's connected to a Windows system, I learned that there are no supported Linux print drivers for our printer. One forum writer called the printer a 'paperweight'. I might be able to get the printer to work in an emulator, but I've had enough fun for this morning.

I must also note that printer vendors, including Dell, Canon, and Epson, don't provide Linux print drivers, at least for the home office printers that I've checked. There's a circular problem here - few Linux systems in the home office, so no printer offerings, meaning that there will be few Linux systems in the home office.

Well, maybe a bit more experience might be helpful

Periodically, I check various open-source project sites to see if any of the projects need documentation help. I found this one this morning:

Layoffs at IBM?

I saw this rumor on the Screwdd site earlier today. Apparently, IBM is readying itself for substantial layoffs in a few weeks - IBM Singing the Big Blues? | John Paczkowski | Digital Daily | AllThingsD. Good luck to my friends and former co-workers at IBM.

One (anonymous) manager is quoted as saying, “All divisions in IBM will be affected. Get all your ducks in a row. Time is running out.”

What does it mean to get your ducks in a row if you may lose your job?

Anyway, good luck to my friends and former co-workers at IBM.

Fwd: Winter Storm Watch for Holden, MA

"Ice accretion" is one of those phrases that's ugly and ominous for good reason.

Then, again, we ought to think about those poor folks in Palin-land who had to postpone their celebrations of their 50th anniversary of statehood; they wouldn't be able to see the fireworks because of ice fog. High temperatures are forecast to be -30-50F° in the valleys.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Weather Underground Email Service <emailer@email.wunderground.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 3:35 PM
Subject: Winter Storm Watch for Holden, MA


Winter Storm Watch
Statement as of 3:33 PM EST on January 05, 2009
...Winter Storm Watch in effect from late Tuesday night through
late Wednesday night...
The National Weather Service in Taunton has issued a Winter Storm
Watch...which is in effect from late Tuesday night through late
Wednesday night.
This watch includes southern New Hampshire...as well as interior
northern and central Massachusetts.
Snow is expected to develop across the region very late Tuesday night.
The snow may become heavy at times Wednesday morning and accumulate
several inches. However...warm air is expected to move in aloft
changing the precipitation over to sleet and freezing rain across
most locations by late morning or early afternoon.
Most locations should see the temperatures remain below freezing for
the entire event. Therefore...once the change over occurs sleet and
freezing rain will continue through the afternoon. The potential
exists for between one quarter and one half inch of ice accretion...
with the higher amounts more likely closer to the Massachusetts
Turnpike where freezing rain may become the main precipitation type.
It remains uncertain what the predominant precipitation type will be
from this storm. If the low pressure system tracks closer to the
coast...more of an ice event can be expected with just some snow at
the onset. If the low tracks further south...we will be dealing with
several inches of snow with not as much ice. Regardless...the Wednesday
morning rush hour may be quite messy so plan accordingly.
A Winter Storm Watch is issued for the potential of accumulating
snow of 6 or more inches in a 12 hour period...or 8 or more
inches in a 24 hour period. Anyone traveling in the next 24 to
36 hours should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to modify
travel plans should winter weather develop.


--
Drink from the well and yield your place to another. - Jose Ortega y Gasset

Love thy neighbour: Why have we become so suspicious of kindness?

As a follow-on to my note about the sign in front of St. John's Episcopal Church, this Guardian article discusses the evolution (or, as some might argue, devolution) of our attitudes toward kindness.

The great paradox of modern capitalism, the ex-Thatcherite John Gray has pointed out (False Dawn, 1998), is that it undermines the very social institutions on which it once relied - family, career, community. For increasing numbers of Britons and Americans, the "enterprise culture" means a life of overwork, anxiety and isolation.

Nevertheless, in spite of our relentlessly resilient selfish genes, we manage to stumble back to kindness and generosity.

Yet still kindness is an experience that, so far at least, we have been unable to give up on. Everything in our contemporary ethos makes kindness sound sometimes useful (that is, effective), but potentially redundant: a vestige from another time, or just part of a religious vocabulary. Yet still we desire it, in some way knowing that kindness - the unromantic kindness, which encourages a feeling of aliveness as compatible with, indeed integral to, a feeling of vulnerability - creates the kind of intimacy, the kind of involvement with other people, that we both fear and crave. That it is kindness, fundamentally, that makes life seem worth living; and that everything that is against kindness is an assault on our hope.

via MeFi