We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.
It's no mystery to anybody, at this point. As we have said, this is war but I am still not sure what this war is about. Bathrooms? Or just to hamstring a player who is not on your team?
Even Megan McArdle can't really see what the fuss is about. She says the administration is asking these simple questions which any federal government should ask:
- Can the government actually make this problem better?
- If so, must this problem be solved at the Federal level, or could it be done as easily or better by the states?
- Even if the government might help solve this problem, would the associated costs in terms of loss of freedom, deadweight losses from regulation or taxation, and the declining accountability and manageability of government as it grows, actually be worth the benefit?
Thanks to California rains, the Anza-Borrego Desert Park is experiencing one of its rare wildflower superblooms. There is plenty of usually-hidden life in deserts. Maggie's Farmer Bruce Kesler sent me some of his pics -
Good. In my high school, we had randomly-assigned tables rotating every 6 weeks, with a teacher at each table. That was good, civilized, and over time everybody met a lot of people that they might have never spoken with.
Fair enough, but he's done many more things than I have and at least he lacks false humility. Seems to live with a sort of reckless abandon, or maybe that is his persona. He did teach at Harvard for many years, and is apparently now his university's most popular prof because he brings life to his topics. I like him even though he seems like a prickly SOB. I don't mind prickly SOBs as long as they seem to like me.
Here's Peterson's Self-Authoring Suite . Yeah, it is a self-help thing but it seems intelligent. Lots of people are stuck in their lives.
Good stuff. I would add that DiCaprio, like Al Gore, could convince me, at least, of his seriousness if he got rid of his many giant houses, giant boats, and constant private jet travel. My view: conspicuous, fashionable virtue-signaling by people who would not recognize a virtue if they stubbed their toe on one.
I will recommend, for anyone who can, visit Cuba now. On one level, it will provide a great appreciation for everything we have in the US. In addition, the food is so good (and inexpensive) you will wonder how they got so many great chefs. Finally, the culture is unparalleled, an amazing amalgamation of past and present.
Visiting Cuba provoked many thoughts about what could have been, as well as visions of the past. I will post as many as I can, but I will start with a simple travelogue. It’s the best way to introduce the country, and the city of Havana, without provoking much commentary about such a wonderful destination. Still untouched in many ways, clearly this will not be the same country in 10, and possibly even 5, years.
There is a raw beauty to Cuba. It is almost impossible to not fall in love with this country upon arrival. The people are friendly, the climate nearly perfect, while the cityscapes of Havana and surrounding country retain an air of the not-so-distant past. Bt, it is a crumbling place, the majority of exteriors falling apart, much of the infrastructure antiquated and in need of update, and modern services and conveniences (for locals who can’t afford to pay) subpar. Even tourist spots are in the process of updating. They are improving rapidly. Often, entering a building you are convinced must be a hole-in-the-wall, only to find a modern and beautiful interior with wonderful food and music.
The bonus is a performance of Merce Cunningham's masterpiece Summerspace and Martha Graham's Diversion of Angels. Cunningham has always been my favorite Modern Dance choreographer because the movements are so oddball and unpredictable. And I can try to put John Cage's "music" out of mind.
A reader recommended this good piece: A Job Study Guide. The author's point, in short, is that the good man Job needed to repent to connect with God. Not to repent for any things in particular, but just to fully humble himself before God.
5:1 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
5:2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
5:3 And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
5:5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
5:6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
5:7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.
5:8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
5:9 Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.
5:10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.
5:11 But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Mrs. BD thought you might like to see some of her snaps from the annual Philadelphia Flower Show (since 1836) this week. This is a show put on by professionals, not amateurs.
I learned from a 4-star chef hunting friend that, having cooked meals all of my life, I still knew nothing about the basic principles of cooking. Spending time with him in a commercial kitchen was eye-opening and, in a small way, life-changing.
What I knew was how to throw stuff together and make edible, nourishing food. It prevented starvation, but it had no art to it and I had never been taught the fundamentals. Nowadays, we lazily specialize in Thai take-out but I love learning more about the fundamentals of serious cuisine. Sometimes I wish I had gone to the CIA - the real one, not the one in Langley.
Jonathan Haidt on "the Coddling of the American Mind" and How We Should Address It. Students rather than deans are calling for less speech and expression. That should worry us all.
One of the reasons that the costs of medical care services in the US have increased more than twice as much as general consumer prices since 1998 is that a large and increasing share of medical costs are paid by third parties (private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Department of Veterans Affairs, etc.) and only a small and shrinking percentage of health care costs are paid out-of-pocket by consumers.
Mary sat musing on the lamp-flame at the table Waiting for Warren. When she heard his step, She ran on tip-toe down the darkened passage To meet him in the doorway with the news And put him on his guard. “Silas is back.” She pushed him outward with her through the door And shut it after her. “Be kind," she said. She took the market things from Warren’s arms And set them on the porch, then drew him down To sit beside her on the wooden steps.
The stuff is too much with us. You only need one of everything you need and, sometimes, less than one. Except for money, less is more.
Every two years, we do a deep Spring Cleaning. Step one is getting rid of things. Step 2 is deep cleaning with cleaning helpers and fresh painting afterwards, as needed. Some years it takes a dumpster, some years our yard guys with a truck, and some years it's just throwing trash bags full of clothing into the back of the Suburban to go to Good Will, Salvation Army or, if really good stuff, Thrift Shop.
We do have a "storage room" in the cottage. Four antique and beautiful andirons. A "brown", once thought elegant, dining room table. Spare brown dining chairs. Extra bookshelves. Spare beds and bedframes, etc. Why? Waiting for what? Death and the Final Dumpster, the Dumpster of Doom? Or the Garage Sale of Death?
One of our projects this year is to convert a college kid's room into a lovely guest room. This means the kid's books into boxes to the attic, the kid's childhood desk and furniture to charity, a new Queen bed, and painting/redecorating.
Projects:
- Any book in the house never to be re-read by us or wanted by kids: Recycling or donated
- Any old surplus furniture not tagged by kids (esp old "brown" furniture): Dumpster if yard guys don't want it Can't give that stuff away.
- Carpets: We have enough antigue oriental carpets to furnish a palace. Mostly in a closet with mothballs. Some won't fit in there. Entirely out of fashion and unwanted but we love them and they once had value. We will not buy another house just to use carpets and paintings. Maybe consign them? Probably not worth the trouble.
- Closets of clothing: If not used in one year, it's gone. If ugly, gone. How many sweaters do you need? It is a liberating experience.
- Boxes of old photos and photo albums: Dumpster if nobody in the family wants them. Seems like a shame, but past is past.
- Knick-knacks, goo-gaws, and misc. decorative items and things kids made in grammar school out of clay - dumpster. It's not immortal art. Getting rid of stuff is painful, but the good, cleansing pain like having a wart removed.
- Excess kitchen and serving items: Unload on your kids, donate, or dumpster.
Duh. It's Tammany Hall writ large. It's a shame in a place like America but, at one point or another, almost anybody can be a Gimme Voter. Dems have persuaded people, over the years, that there is nothing shameful or undignified about getting stuff for free.
West Virginia 
Mrs. BD thought you might like to see some of her snaps from the annual 
NYC ‘mega-pastor’ Tim Keller 
Here's What Happens to Your Brain