-LorenV.com-

Yes, my lovely website is hacked. Running an outdated version of WordPress does not help.

It will take me a while to clean out all the code, back up, and update. If I should succeed, I plan to resume regular posts. I am thinking of writing a doozy about making policy decisions based on proxy data.

Stay tuned.

I can’t think of a more soundly presented argument to go invade New Zealand than this.

http://www.invadenewzealand.com/

Here is some photo journaling of our time at South Bend. This issue’s hilights include the famous Notre Dame locker room and St. Mary’s College.

http://www.lorenv.com/pics/sbsw/

There are many factors that play into decisions on renting or buying. This is far and away the best tool I have found for this type of decision.

 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/10/business/2007_BUYRENT_GRAPHIC.html#

Who likes green? Who likes holidays?

Guinness has a great marketing stunt going. They are pushing to make St. Patricks day an official holiday. I for one can back this initiative 100%.

Sign the petition!
http://www.proposition317.com/stpats.html

 http://www.saunisbigjump.com/

My brother-in-law has been working very hard on his music project and he is starting to see the fruits of his labor. You should enjoy the aural fruits as well and visit his website above. Like the music? You can buy the full album too.

This is an update for friends and family using this little website to keep tabs on us. Carrie and I will be moving away from Colorado this summer (my first time living anywhere but here) and heading to South Bend, Indiana where I will be attending the University of Notre Dame. We will be there for about one year then come back to Colorado.

Here are some pictures of the school.

http://www.nd.edu/campus-and-community/sights-sounds/virtual-tour/

This Fall Carrie and I found the word ‘dog’ coming up in our conversations more and more often. I had never really imagined we would get a dog at this time of life but I had to admit the idea sounded good. After more talk we found ourselves at the Larimer County Humane Society, and then again a few hours later for a second visit with Stella.

Stella was a good dog 90% of the time - and very cute. Even at 3 months old she was was very ’solid’ and growing stronger, which is where her problems became accentuated. Stella had a dominant tempermant around other animals and around us - and she enforced that with her mouth. After working Stella with Laurie Buffington over at Dog Days Training Center (Laurie is one of the top people in her field and comes highly recommended) we felt that even with the progress being made that Stella would never be trustworthy dog in dynamic situations. I drove Stella back to the Humane Society with Lose You by Pete Yorn playing on the radio.

Stella was adopted again very quickly by another family and we learned alot about the importance having of a dog that fits you. It isn’t fair to you or the dog to try and force a fit. The hard part is finding a fit. Picking a dog simply by playing with it for 20 minutes is not easy. Fortunately Laurie trained us things to look for in a dog, and we applied that to the next dog we visited.

Our next visit was in our own home from dalmatianrescue.org. This allowed our home to be screened while we screened the dog, a 7-10 month old Dalmatian-Whippet mix. You may mix those two names however you wish from Dalpet to Whipmation. Long story short, out home is now shared with an athletic spotted critter named Avie (as in Avalanche). After a few weeks she is fitting in better all the time and has shown us what the right match can mean.

 She also can jump like a basketball player, gazelle, and cheetah rolled into one dog sized package and has muscles bulges I can never dream of having.

Sleeping IN the Christmas Tree.

Sleeping during Christmas decorating.