Merlin’s favorite times of the year are the fall and spring, simply because that’s when windows can be open and he can watch (and smell) the birds and squirrels that he’d like to be outside chasing. Here, he peers intently at the back yard through the open window right next to my desk earlier this week. Merlin is the one who disappeared for a couple of days after an escape through a screen about two years ago. He doesn’t seem to eager to leave the comforts of home behind after that adventure.

Sad, but true: Neither Ron Paul nor any libertarian has chance to win
The more I understand humans, the less I really comprehend us
My utopia’s different from your utopia — and that’s just fine
Federal budget numbers too big to comprehend? This makes it simple
Like an alien, I move through a world I can see but never touch
Tradeoffs about values leave me feeling like ‘double-minded man’
Obama’s delusion about ‘explaining’ illustrates all-too-common narcissism
I don’t understand YouTube fame, but I’m drawn toward it anyway