Music Mondays and Train Tuesdays [combined this week]
This week’s featured song is Fireball Mail by The Lawmen, who are Norfolk Southern Railway’s bluegrass/country band. Featuring locomotive sounds during the intro, this is a good, hard-driving from their Just Trains album.
If you’re interested in classic country, you might also like Roy Acuff’s recording of Fireball Mail.
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We had snow/sleet/freezing mist last night that left some neat rime ice formations on the trees. My other Virginia Wildlife and Weather Photoblog has the photos.
Quote of the Week is from Audrey T. Hingley in the January 2012 Coop Living magazine’s Saying NO to the e-Addiction:
I want to have a life and as much as possible, real human interaction. I refuse to be tethered to the newest/latest/greatest electronic gadget 24/7.
Lastly, I was sad to hear the news that the founder of our favorite chain restaurant passed away. Here’s a story from the Washington Post.
Best Cartoon – Kids Category
Curious George
While there are a number of educational cartoons on television, Curious George wins this category because it manages very effectively mix its humorous and educational elements. My favorite episode is the one where George accidentally throws out the yellow hat with the trash and has an adventure trying to recover the yellow hat. I see no need to pay for cable (and Nickelodeon) when there are great shows like Curious George available over-the-air for free.
Best Cartoon – Adult Category
I admit I don’t watch the Simpsons as regularly as I once did, but the show remains the best cartoon on the air for adults. I recently saw a funny episode where Marge becomes a food blogger and sends Homer away from a trendy restaurant. Again, while shows like Southpark on cable are also popular, there is plenty of cartoon humor available on the free tv channels.
Recommended TV Antenna for Free TV
What you’ll be able to pick up over-the-air will depend on your location, but I suggest trying out an antenna to see what you can pick up. Since the best cartoons are available on over-the-air television, I highly recommend cancelling expensive cable tv subscriptions and going back to low-tech over-the-air tv viewing. If you are satisfied with free tv options in your area, you could save $60 or $100 per month by cancelling your cable subscription.
If you have an old tv, you’ll need a Digital to Analog TV Converter Box 
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Music Mondays and Train Tuesdays [combined this week]
Continuing the series of railroad related songs, this week I’m featuring a couple from Crooked Still. They are a progressive bluegrass band that my wife likes. Currently, they are on hiatus, but their music is still readily available.
Here are the songs as chosen by The Low Tech Times. List shows band, album, and song:
See Also: The Best of Crooked Still
Quote of the Week from Russia, A Nation Shaped By Tragedy And Hardship
“My personal opinion is that progress makes a person absolutely weak. He loses his strength because he doesn’t need to think how to survive,”
Other stories:
Hi-Tech Addiction: Addicted! Scientists show how internet dependency alters the human brain
Low-Tech Solution: 10 Uses for Vodka