Thanks Mr. Millar, "this area of the world" might have meant the entire U.S.A. or North America, I'm glad you finally narrowed it down to just Michigan. I suppose I should just assume all the incorrect things you spout only apply to your specific tiny spot in the world. Remember when you made this grand pronoucement? "Compost piles that freeze in cold weather have too much moisture in them." It would have been funny if you had not been serious. It appears you might be trying to be somewhat more accurate by including a reference to geography and climate, you're almost there. It took a few years but you are getting a bit better, I have hope that eventually you'll get it correct. ;-) Lloyd

However, Mike... the effort is good. Perhaps not enough research or perhaps it is the spelling mistakes. Kinkakji is a representation of the mirror image, no? Was not Buddhism overlaid onto Shinto for acceptance? Are not these early Shinto values retained throughout Japanese culture? Is not the deer associated with the Kasuga cult. Perhaps she misunderstood 'Heian' as the time period of the building rather than name? shrug,.. there is also the difference in stories of Susanoo-no-mikoto, the difference of slaying Amano-hahagiri [Vol.1 4th Appendix] or Yamata-no-orochi (section 8, first volume Jindai- Urabe Kanekata version of the Nihon Shoki) "Yamata-no-orochi also covers eight hills and eight valleys and has trees on his back,... which is one of the original templates of the garden 8 valley-8 hill type, ?-> 8 pine basis for the tsukubai area] back to Amano hahagiri, which is also now believed to be the basis for the rope/snake markings of the koshiki cooking pot of the Yayoi period as based on the ryuhebisama -> Oimi festival/Izumo shrine, - or biro/ajimasa/hoki is also representative of the snake belief. Therefore was the dragon snake evil? for an article it is quite good, simple, and like everything has room for improvement or further research. Being only an article, simple, I would still read carefully and ask whether the sources are correct or written/transcribed correctly. a while ago, I found a rather old and seemingly accurate compilation of Japanese customs in English, handsewn rice paper etc. I asked a Japanese friend who was looking through it, if he thought if it was accurate... he smiled and commented, 'accurate? is it written in English? (or kanji?)' ... a rather telling remark... edzard

I love the cartoon! So so true! We bought a floor model 30" all gas Viking range in the 90's. We'd heard of Viking and that's about it. So we went for it, no research, no stress, and it's been wonderful. Now we're redoing our kitchen and the bigger space and our cooking needs really call for a larger range. So we're getting a 36" range. And the research, and worry and looking and more research and so on is ridiculous! Thanks for sharing this.

As a naturally messy person, I would love to agree with the opinion of that article. But even I cannot. It just seems to make an excuse for not trying harder. I am most comfortable with a "lived in" look. Steve's kitchen pic is pretty, but, to me, it looks like no one uses it. So if I were a guest in that home, I'd be afraid to get a glass of water. Even as a teen at home, when I cleaned my room I would finish by turning down the bed covers, laying a book on it and putting some papers and a pen on the desk. Like life was in progress there, then it felt right to me. As a mother, I need a certain amount of organization in the house. But the effort to keep it perfect cannot consume my mind, then I'd be the housekeeper not the mother. When my kids are grown and on their own and someone asks them "Did your mother keep house like a neat freak or a slob?" the best I could hope for would be "I don't remember." I don't want my housekeeping standards to be what they remember about their childhood. I don't want them to remember that it was so perfect they weren't allowed to have fun or have friends over. (Like DH remembers, and no pets b/c they're messy.) I also don't want them to remember it as so messy they couldn't have friends over for embarrassment. So anyway. I'd like to celebrate my messy side like the article encourages. But I know there is a time for both creative messiness and peaceful organization. There is value in keeping both in your life, not either or.