Musing on government policy and swing dancing (no they're not related)

The way government policy can make things weird: fixed rate mortgages for houses are really unusual in a global context because it is a big transfer of risk from both the borrower and the lender to the government. And Canada and Australia actually have higher homeownership rates than we do here in the US, without fixed rate mortgages or the hidden subsidy of the mortgage interest tax deduction!

There is hope for American Chestnuts with new strains that are highly resistant to chestnut blight. I hope I get a chance to plant one soon!

Swing dance photography from Mark Simonson. I'm not in the pictures but you can get the flavor of the Battle of the Bands dance on May 24. It was really fun. (No I'm not nearly as good as the folks in these photos!)

And I turned a giant pile of lambsquarter from the garden into cooked and chopped greens last night. I can freeze it then use it later like spinach in pasta and soup.

Here's a couple of shots from swing dancing at Dupont Circle Sunday afternoon.

Popsicle dancers!