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.
Nothing would sleep in that cellar, dank as a ditch, Bulbs broke out of boxes hunting for chinks in the dark, Shoots dangled and drooped, Lolling obscenely from mildewed crates, Hung down long yellow evil necks, like tropical snakes. And what a congress of stinks! Roots ripe as old bait, Pulpy stems, rank, silo-rich, Leaf-mold, manure, lime, piled against slippery planks. Nothing would give up life: Even the dirt kept breathing a small breath.
Capt. Tom thought we needed to post some Django Reinhardt. He emailed me a good one, but I think we'll start with the famous duo of Reindardt and Stephane Grappelli.
Perfect timing: Comedy Central developing Jesus Christ cartoon. I really could not care less. Bad taste is part of pop culture, but it no longer serves to epater le bourgeois. It just seems stupid and adolescent.
Congressman Joseph Cao, elected to replace "Ice Box" Jefferson in Louisiana, faces an uphill battle to keep the seat. Cao is unafraid of speaking up for what he believes.
Recently, the Vietnamese government asked him to arrange meeting with the US Vietnamese community for Hanoi to present its case. As Cao replies, Hanoi has no case.
In his reply letter, Congressman Cao says the premise for the request is misguided. The Vietnamese left their homeland because they rejected tyranny. Until the government of Vietnam demonstrates real changes, respecting human rights and freedom, it will not be taken seriously by the Vietnamese-American community: release political prisoners, stop oppressing democracy activists and religious freedom, respect the rule of law.
That's just a quick summary. Read Cao's entire letter for much more. It is eloquent, heartfelt, and quite an education for those not familiar with the conditions in Vietnam.
The California Republican primary on June 8 will decide the nominee for Governor and for US Senator.
Sarah Palin just endorsed Carly Fiorina as best chance to unseat Barbara Boxer.Congressman Tom McClintock endorsed Steve Poizner to take on former governor Jerry Brown who is trying to leave his Oakland exile (mayor) for Sacramento again.
Most California Republicans have a weak preference among the primary contenders, according to the polls. Heck, even Hugh Hewitt, of California, who usually has a sharp political opinion on most things has not written at his blog about Republican US Senate contenders DeVore, Campbell or Fiorina.
This lack of excitement is due to having to make hard or distasteful choices.
I attended the funeral of a colleague and pal of 20+ years early this afternoon. Jewish funeral, very short notice. Just took him and his wife to dinner ten days ago. Massive stroke. Second close death for me in one week. They played Louis Armstrong. The last year of his life was probably the best he had ever had. Recently retired (wife still working), biking through Asia with his lovely Mrs - who is a doctor, a month in Cabo, visiting kids in Lake Como and in California. Loved four things the most: deep thinking, bicycling long distances, his family - and good meals with good wines. Always cheerful, except when stupidity or dishonesty pissed him off. So modest, I never knew he was a Harvard grad til today at the funeral. Full scholarship, worked as a janitor for spending money. Tough for me to lose two special pals who loved life so much, in one week: I am not old yet. It connects to this "passing through" theme for me right now:
The issues around being a Christian in the real world are a regular topic for Bible study groups - and likely for students and followers of any religious discipline. "In the world, but not of it" is the way a part of John 17 is often paraphrased, viewing this life as a swift passage to another version of existence.
Anchoress posted this well-known (but new to me) second century letter to Diognetus, presenting an ideal version of A Christian In The World, in her Paradoxes of Christianity:
Christians in the World
Christians are indistinguishable from other men either by nationality, language or customs. They do not inhabit separate cities of their own, or speak a strange dialect, or follow some outlandish way of life. Their teaching is not based upon reveries inspired by the curiosity of men. Unlike some other people, they champion no purely human doctrine. With regard to dress, food and manner of life in general, they follow the customs of whatever city they happen to be living in, whether it is Greek or foreign.
And yet there is something extraordinary about their lives. They live in their own countries as though they were only passing through. They play their full role as citizens, but labor under all the disabilities of aliens. Any country can be their homeland, but for them their homeland, wherever it may be, is a foreign country. Like others, they marry and have children, but they do not expose them. They share their meals, but not theirwives.
They live in the flesh, but they are not governed by the desires of the flesh. They pass their days upon earth, but they are citizens of heaven.
Quickest way to increase grad rates would be to simply sell degrees, or to hand them out for free like the Wizard of Oz.
Now I do realize that a "college degree" no longer necessarily means a Liberal Arts degree as proof that one has mastered a language or two, calculus, sciences, masterworks of philosophy, theology, and literature, etc: many colleges today entail various combinations of remedial education, high-school level coursework, and job training. Flunking out is a thing of the past, so lots of folks must just figure it's not worth the trouble. They could be right.
It's a bit technical, but the legal doctrine of "honest services" is, in my opinion, hopelessly and dangerously vague. Too close to a government power to prosecute anybody you don't like.
I surely do not blame Obama for Islamic terrorism and jihad, but I also suspect that he and his admin imagine that love and appeasement are effective strategies for dealing with hateful killers. Shiver agrees.
The Democrats and their lapdog media love having it both ways. In the span of 24 hours they went from hinting it was evil right-wingers that left the bomb in Times Square to warning about the right being racist toward Muslims.
Graduating from Yale is like leaving Paradise? Well, graduating from any college (or high school) is like leaving the womb - unless you are somebody who is eager to take on the world and to test yourself against tough reality.
Volvo town bans plastic water bottles. Talk about meaningless gestures. If they really cared, they would ban all use of plastics, heating oil and auto fuel.
Statistically, do Liberal men tend to be girly men? Perhaps in San Francisco and in academia, but, in general, I am not convinced.
There is no such thing as a financial package or instrument that is inherently "good" or "bad," "better" or "worse" than any other. These packages simply offer different profiles of risk and return. They can be "better" or "worse" only for a particular client, based on what the rest of the client's portfolio looks like and thus what kind of additional exposure to risk and return is optimal for that portfolio. The exact same financial instrument could be a very good investment for one party and a very bad investment for another. It all depends on the desired risk exposure.
Some of those opposed to Arizona’s new illegal immigrant enforcement law, which by the way is consistent with federal law that those not citizens must carry proof of legal entry, want the MLB All-Star Game to be moved from Phoenix.
Commissioner of major league baseball, Bud Selig, is in a difficult position.As is Arizona’s population, about 30% of MLB players are Hispanic.
If any player wants to express an opinion, that’s their right.If Selig wants to express an opinion, however, that is his right but not his job.
Any player from another country who wants to play in another country should try that, but otherwise is bound to play where they are told.Bud Selig, as well, should find another job if he is not up to avoiding the politicization of baseball.
Even this sports analyst, opposed to Arizona’s law, says:
Selig’s job, as the commissioner of baseball, is to help protect his players. When a player signs with an organization, he has a legitimate reason to be in this country. That doesn’t take away the reality that he may be forced to carry proof in his pocket.
I’m afraid Selig’s only potential response to that is, “Sorry, fellas, it’s the world we live in.”
And, this is the United States of America, with legitimate borders and laws.If Selig wants to open the gates at all baseball games to unrestricted free entry, that would do more for the sport.
Currently, the U.S. has the highest legal immigration in the world. Every year, we allow 750,000 immigrants to enter the country legally and make them eligible for citizenship within five years. Two hundred and fifty thousand aslyees are also permitted to enter annually. Those legal immigrants have the right to work and earn a living; the asylees are eligible to work six months after applying to work. If we need more immigrants, as many think we do to expand the workforce of our graying population, then we can easily increase the number of legal immigrants.
If we give the current illegals amnesty, you can be sure that 20 or so years from now, there will be a clamor for another amnesty bill as the illegals will continue to pour in.
I was watching TV clips of the Greek riots. The bottom line rationale of the Greek rescue effort is the transfer of known and predictable near-total losses on Greek debt from the investors, banks and governments holding that debt to the taxpayers of the EU and the taxpayers funding the IMF in order to try to protect the euro until the next crisis.
Kondratiev's predictions are:
1. There is no way Greece will ever repay the $146 billion; either (a) the austerity measures if accepted and complied with will plunge the country into deep recession, or (b) the general strikes that the austerity measures inspire will cause depression.
2. In either case, the Greek government will fall for agreeing to the austerity conditions, and the government that gets elected will repudiate both the austerity measures and the euro. Because the European Central Bank is not the issuer of euro notes and because that function has been left to individual countries, all Greece needs to do to "unpick" from the euro is to declare that each Greek-issued euro note (one with a serial number starting with "Y") is now a drachma note and will be exchanged 1-for-1 by the Bank of Greece.
3. Then Greece will go back to devaluing and inflating and devaluing and inflating just as it used to do.
The euro has been fabulous for European trade, but with a majority of Germans polled saying they opposed the Greek bailout, something will have to give. I hazard a couple of guesses, first that the euro might split into a soft euro for the PIIGS and a hard euro for the other countries, or that the rest of the PIIGS would follow Greece and return to local currencies.
Bottom line: if you are holding any "Y" euro notes, deposit them in your bank as soon as you can for their full face value.
Root Cellar 
Cask-aged vintage Dominican Romeos
Not kidding. 
Ah, there the two of you are:
The issues around being a Christian in the real world are a regular topic for Bible study groups - and likely for students and followers of any religious discipline. "In the world, but not of it" is the way a part of 
I surely do not blame Obama for Islamic terrorism and jihad, but I also suspect that he and his admin imagine that love and appeasement are effective strategies for dealing with hateful killers. 
I was watching TV clips of 