Diary

All of a sudden, we seem to be having a normal winter again. This is probably because there is currently a La Niña effect, making the temperatures cooler here. They say it may not last, though. There has been snow on the ground since Thanksgiving, and I've put up the birdfeeders. This year, the birds came almost immediately. The chickadees always come first, and they were followed by tufted titmice and nuthatches. There are usually juncos in the yard, and they joined in. After a few days, the hairy and downy woodpeckers found the suet. The goldfinches always form the largest group, but they build up slowly, because they prefer to come in flocks; I've only seen a couple of them so far. All of the squirrels are coming over and having a try and failing at the sunflower kernel feeder; they eventually give up. So now I have something to look at outside while I'm sitting at my computer. The squirrels can be a little annoying at first, because they crawl all over the outside of the house. Also, some of the woodpeckers tap on the house occasionally. They don't seem to do any serious damage, but I check to make sure that they don't create any large holes. One nice thing about log cabins is that the siding is durable and low-maintenance. I spent many hours painting clapboard in Middlebury, and it also rots. I don't seem to have a carpenter ant problem, and there are no termites here. 

This is the beginning of cabin fever season, and I'm attempting to read more now, since I don't spend as much time outdoors. I've been dabbling in a couple of biographies but so far haven't become excited enough to finish one. I've also started on a scientific book that attempts to explain the evolution of human language from the time of our earliest ancestors to the present. This is right up my alley, and I will definitely finish it. I agree with Ian Tattersall and think that human language is what distinguishes us from other primates and is the source of our particular cognition. This is an extremely difficult subject, because you can't go back in time to see exactly how it developed, and there aren't many cultural or physical clues. Nevertheless, it would be nice to know, because that is what makes us distinctively human. Ironically, I don't think that this type of research will end up making us feel better about ourselves: we'll just find out that through ordinary biological processes, mutations and the right mix of environmental conditions we came into existence; God didn't roll out the red carpet for us, and we don't even know why the universe exists.

Speaking of red carpets, I just watched The Silence of the Lambs again and can see why it won so many awards. Although the plot has lots of holes in it, the acting by Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster, and even Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill), is quite good. The problem is that the film is based on a popular suspense novel and I don't think that anyone exactly like Hannibal Lecter or Buffalo Bill ever existed, though there have been serial killers with some of their characteristics. One scene is borrowed from the actual Ted Bundy. I also didn't like the fact the the FBI and police are depicted as inept throughout the film. On a side note, there are internet discussions about whether the film is anti-transgender, since Buffalo Bill behaves in a transgender manner. Anyway, I found the film entertaining, but wouldn't call it art. Without the acting, I don't think that it would have been as impressive.

Like many people, I am attempting to follow the news without paying much attention to Donald Trump. It is somewhat of a consolation to think of Trump as a complete idiot and recognize that as harebrained as his ideas are he can't have much effect on world history. You have to consider that he was named one of the worst presidents ever by political experts after his first term, and he hasn't changed at all. He isn't in the least bit creative, and right now the only thing he's doing is coming up with new versions of his old bad ideas that didn't work. Because of his ego, he never admits mistakes, so he tends to repeat them. You can see his little mind working and look ahead to his future certification as the worst president in American history. So far, many of the Republicans in Congress are still supporting him, but I think that their loyalty is wearing thin. He may be just a couple of blunders away from being impeached again. If he damages the economy at all, he won't have anything to hang his hat on.