Monthly Archives: March 2013

Atrocious Hideousness

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

Many American numismatists may have heard this expression, used by U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt in a 1904 letter to Secretary of the Treasury Leslie Mortier Shaw to describe US coins: “I think our coinage is artistically of atrocious hideousness. Would … Continue reading →

Posted in Coins, History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Feel the pain

Posted on March 24, 2013 by

Yesterday I walked around the Tidal Basin in Washington DC and found out that the little buttons they hand out as souvenirs every year at the for the National Cherry Blossom Festival aren’t available this year “due to the sequestration.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Hiking, News, Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Joy

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Now and again during our troubled journey through life we reach little oases of almost perfect happiness, set jewel-like here and there in the thorny wilderness of time. Sometimes these are hours of mere animal content. In others they are … Continue reading →

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Burke Lake

Posted on March 17, 2013 by

Bleak morning at Burke Lake, blue herons watchful waiting for snow to fall. A 5-mile walk at Burke Lake, VA, map here.

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Rethinking the mattress

Posted on March 17, 2013 by

Maybe putting your money under the mattress isn’t such a bad idea after all: Bank depositors in Cyprus learned today of a planned heist on their funds. It was a well organized one that will take 6.75% of all small … Continue reading →

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The Big Rock

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

Last Sunday’s walk was a visit to “The Big Rock,” a little-known landmark along Pohick Creek in Springfield, Virginia. Little-known perhaps in a broad sense and a little hard to find, but knowing how kids like to explore, I imagine the rock, … Continue reading →

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Curiouser and curiouser

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

Here’s an interesting tidbit about curious happenings in the gold and silver markets, from a recent interview of investment analyst Eric Sprott by Toronto’s The Gold Report: Eric Sprott: This will sound like a conspiracy theory, but unusual things are happening … Continue reading →

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I’ve seen some things, man, and some stuff…

Posted on March 9, 2013 by

The stereotype of the disturbed war veteran, originally created by opponents of the Vietnam War and handily resurrected by opponents of the Iraq War, is clearly the image Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has in mind when she thinks of our veterans. Feinstein’s … Continue reading →

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Potomac Heritage Trail Hike

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

Sunday’s hike  was a loop along the Potomac Heritage Trail in Arlington, Virginia. It was a little chilly when we started, but there’s nothing like 4.5 miles of stream crossings, climbs, and scrambling over boulders to warm you up! The route … Continue reading →

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