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.
The words of the Teacher, [1] son of David, king in Jerusalem:
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"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
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What does man gain from all his labor at which he toils under the sun?
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Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
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The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises.
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The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course.
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All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.
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All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing.
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What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.
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Is there anything of which one can say, "Look! This is something new"? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.
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There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.
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I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
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I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
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I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
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What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
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I thought to myself, "Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge."
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Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
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For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
2:22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord
2:23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"),
2:24 and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."
2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.
2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.
2:27 Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law,
2:28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,
2:29 "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;
2:30 for my eyes have seen your salvation,
2:31 which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
2:32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."
2:33 And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him.
2:34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed
2:35 so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed--and a sword will pierce your own soul too."
2:36 There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
2:37 then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day
2:38 At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
2:39 When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.
2:40 The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.
I forgot to mention Caviar Pie in my authoritative American caviar post. This decadent concoction is perfect for a brunch, hors d'oevres, or munchies.
Some caterers make Caviar Pie which looks perfect, round, and daintily-finished, but the ones I've had at fancy New Year's Day cocktail brunches look a little raggedy, as in this photo. They don't have to look good because as soon as they are attacked by people armed with cheese knives or crackers it's messy anyway.
You scoop a piece out and put it on toasts, or bagel chips, or whatever. It goes fast.
As usual, one uses the most expensive caviar one can afford - or not afford.
Chopped red onion is key. Here's one recipe, but you can google for more. It's a real meal too if you want, with a glass of champagne. The height of decadence.
My annual Christmas present for my Dad used to be a tin from Petrossian. Worth every penny for the delight it provides.
We've learned a lot about hospice care lately. When people are failing with little to no hope of not failing further, in the US you can get hospice care. It's through Medicare which, when you think about it, you are indirectly paying for and for which the person in question already has probably already done.
All it takes is a note from the doctor, and the "health proxy" agreement in which you agree that no further aggressive medical treatment makes sense for the person in question - or for yourself...
Yes, paying for hospice is cheaper for Medicare than paying for costly, hopeless treatments.
We had been mistaken in thinking that hospice was only for people with terminal cancer, and the like. Nope. Bad Alzheimers, sure, but also for any hopeless situation. The hospice teams seem to be excellent, and even includes religious support. Yes, they can give you some morphine for comfort too.
We all have to go sometime. It shouldn't have to be a tortured, hospitalized ending. I'm not ready yet although I did joke with Mrs. BD about it during my food-poisoning ordeal. She knows that I will want the morphine and to float away into the stars.
In 2022, a mere 327 people accounted for nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in New York; apprehended and sprung from custody ad nauseam, like Batman villains, in total they were arrested and rearrested more than 6,000 times.
The Camel's hump is an ugly lump Which well you may see at the Zoo; But uglier yet is the hump we get From having too little to do.
Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo, If we haven't enough to do-oo-oo, We get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue!
We climb out of bed with a frouzly head, And a snarly-yarly voice. We shiver and scowl and we grunt and we growl At our bath and our boots and our toys;
And there ought to be a corner for me (And I know' there is one for you) When we get the hump— Cameelious hump— The hump that is black and blue!
The cure for this ill is not to sit still, Or frowst with a book by the fire; But to take a large hoe and a shovel also, And dig till you gently perspire;
And then you will find that the sun and the wind, And the Djinn of the Garden too, Have lifted the hump— The horrible hump— The hump that is black and blue!
I get it as well as you-oo-oo If I haven't enough to do-oo-oo! We all get hump— Cameelious hump— Kiddies and grown-ups too!
For most people, though, that math likely overestimates because due to rural and small towns, social class, religion, castes, etc., there was more inbreeding than the math reflects. Cousins of various sorts,, etc.
I do have the names, approximate addresses (towns), and burial sites of almost all of my ancestors back to around 1600 and some to the mid-1500s. After that, even church records have deteriorated. A DNA check is fun to go way back. I know mine.
That's my rule for myself, and Jocko and Echo Charles agree. Wish I could stick by my rules 100% - but I do with my workouts. Paperwork, maybe not so much.
Boxing Day is the traditional day to tip your helpers of the past year. Besides househeld help like Butler, Ladies' Maids, cook, sucllery maids, Housemaids, footmen, doormen, etc., best to include the early morning Dunkin Donuts crew, the garbagemen, postman, and other people who routinely make your life go better. At 5:30 AM on Christmas Eve, en route to my gym, I noticed the Dunkin tip jar filled with $10 bills. You bet, because everybody depends on them.
I like that quote from a reader from somewhere: Beethoven tells you about himself, Mozart tells you about human nature, and Bach tells you about the universe. That's a paraphrase.
We've been posting too many menus. OK, Christmas Eve here, after church, is usually poached salmon with yoghurt/dill sauce. I like that sauce more than I like salmon. Christmas Eve is sposta be a "fasting" thing.
Christmas morning? I make breakfast for Mrs. BD: Scrambled eggs with good caviar on top, and a stinky French cheese. We aren't much into the presents thing, but I do put the caviar in her stocking. Yum.
Christmas Day with some family? Made it easy for us: Spiral ham, roast carrots, roast brussel sprouts, mashed taters, and Grandma's Corn Pudding. Then a Santa cake.
1:26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
1:27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
1:28 And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you."
1:29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
1:30 The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
1:31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
1:32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.
1:33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."
1:34 Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?"
1:35 The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God.
1:36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.
1:37 For nothing will be impossible with God."
1:38 Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
I forgot to mention Caviar Pie in my 
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