France May End ‘Marital Duty’ To Have Sex

by Hugh Schofield BBC    France is one step from enshrining in law the end of so-called “conjugal rights” – the notion that marriage means a duty to have sex.    A bill approved on Wednesday in France’s National Assembly adds a clause to the country’s civil code to make clear that “community of living” …

The Weather Outside Was Cold, Not Frightful

by Kevin Burton    Those color-coded national weather maps always showed the true snow calamity hitting other regions. We in Central Kansas were to be spared.    But there were breathless local forecasts calling for eight inches of snow on Saturday. My “rule of half” said we would get about four.    Sure enough, by …

More Mysteries Of Cat Psychology, Behavior

by Kevin Burton    Though cats don’t speak our human language, there is a lot we can know about what is on their minds.    We do that by learning to speak their language. What they do, how and when they do it can tell us a lot.    We’ve been walking through an article …

Opportunity Lost, Conscience, Laundry Clean

by Kevin Burton    I set the phone down in the office, just long enough to go downstairs and start a load of laundry.    How virtuous is that!    But alas, in doing so, I let a precious opportunity slip away. “Kicking myself” is not the half of it.    I don’t often leave …

Quibbles And Bits: Introductions Are In Order

by Kevin Burton     As you know, fantasy football is over for the year. Yesterday was Tuesday but I didn’t have any waivers to do, no lineups to set, no injuries to check on.    Nothing to do really.    So over the course of the season I have been noticing there was this woman …

Rebuilding My Personal Wall And Temple

by Kevin Burton    Contemporaries Ezra and Nehemiah were key figures in rebuilding the nation of Israel after Babylonian exile. I hope to hang out a bit with those boys this year.    The Old Testament book of Ezra describes the rebuilding of the temple and Nehemiah the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem. The …

Lakin Loves Boxes, Any Size, Anytime

by Kevin Burton    We’ve got a cat fact today that is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, at least for our youngest cat.    I’ve been piecing through a Good Housekeeping article, “20 Surprising Cat Facts You’ve Never Heard,” presenting the facts and responding to them.   “How well do …

Vet Says: Your Cat Only Has Meows For You

by Kevin Burton    How well do you know you cat, asks a Good Housekeeping article that my brother sent me.    Well I am in tune with our two cats, enough so that my wife Jeannette calls me a cat whisperer. If you have cats you know whispering doesn’t always get it done.     …

Examining The Desires, Behaviors Of Cats

by Kevin Burton     “How well do you really know your cat?” asks writer Alesandra Dubin in a Good Housekeeping piece, under the headline “20 Surprising Cat facts You’ve Never Heard.”    Good question.    Everyone knows cats are mysterious, hard to define or explain.  I could go all Joni Mitchell on you and say “I’ve looked …

Talking Turkey And Thanksgiving Terms

by Dictionary Scoop     Thanksgiving is more than just turkey, family gatherings, and football games; it’s a time stuffed with unique words that make perfect sense in the spirit of the season.    The holiday’s vocabulary is as rich as the meal itself. Join us as we explore ten Thanksgiving-related words that carry meanings, histories, and fun trivia. 1-Bounty: …