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.
3/4, Monday, was full of a ton of news which is beginning to show how small portions of the Republicans, but mostly Democrats, are failing massively. SCOTUS eliminated almost all the anti-Trump ballot attempts - and the vote was 9-0, though some Democrats made a few key points. Democrats pushing for that, at the state level, failed. A certain troll seemed to say it was perfectly "legal" when we all knew it wasn't. Once more a silly attempt by this flawed idiot drawing attention to useless information sources and flawed politicians shifting laws to pursue their personal idiocy goals.
Also noted, massive flaws by Hunter Biden. Which most of us have knwon about for a long time. But it continues to be hidden by politicians and the FBI which was assigned as a "friendly source" by Democrats (2 former members of the FBI are friends of mine and have complained of this nonsense since they left 6 years ago). Non-FBI people will claim the FBI is always trying to protect legally. This simply isn't true. And more evidence continues to indicate their path of trying to support Demorats is flawing more and more.
A final note is that more information is coming out that many Jan 6 people who were found "guilty" may see more of this removed. It's a matter of time. Some of them certainly do deserve some guilt - let's be open and honest that several did some pretty bad behaviors. Most have not. So most of the ones found guilty are a joke of politicians exceeding their value. Demcorats and a few pro-Democrat Republicans who not only hid information, but destroyed quite a bit to protect themselves. I've known MANY people who went there on Jan 6. Several were called to be potentially found 'guilty' but managed to twist out with good lawyers. Many others have not had good lawyers and faced lawsuits against them.
There have been at least 10 calls or meetings with my doctors and learned several issues. It isn't that doctors withhold information, but sometimes trials and treatments are described certain ways to push for particular outcomes. In my particular situation, there are, literally, very few of great benefit. As a result, one we had originally signed up for early, we quickly dropped out of taking part as a member. We learned a lot about no outcomes at all for my particular issue. We also learned about significant reduced health as part of it and a switch in my chemo drugs - which have significantly lower results. So we dropped out and switched to the original chemo for sllightly better near term results. We shall see.
I also had to attend a speech therapist from the oncologists themselves. I took several tests and ran several case studies for an hour and a half. I found my math, history and speaking skills were better than my graduate studies. I also found my ability to remember music, movies and certain names of known actors or singers to be sufficiently less - but also that was common among people my age. Another test, which required my naming several word categories within a minute to be well done - except for one. Words starting with the letter "M" and no names, did well for 40 seconds and stalled as one word dropped out of my head and I was dragging behind to spell it out and remember it. This identified a very high area to help improve my mentality where I have stalled. That said, she asked many business and corporate questions which were not stalled or slow at all. She was rather shocked by this in media as I exposed several concerns with journalists I'd had issues with - and they were backed up in her data, as well as my ability to describe a lawsuit I had closed with a previous employer, as well as my description of several previous depositions which I'd taken part of and my ability to not only remember them (though dates I doubt I could provide) I did know what was covered.
Sorry, been extremely busy and traveling this past week. Many visits to my doctors and updates on starting my chemo and radiation tonight and tomorrow. Hoping for some extensions from benefits. The reason I am adding this was an hour with my Pastor. I'll write more about that meeting. However, we spoke about 1 Samuel 8, politics (and my specific reason for leaving masses due to political statements often misguided due to not speaking about 1 Samuel 8, and he admitted he was behind on it) and the fact I've written versions of this 3 times. Once in college for a class that earned me zero grades. Once in grad school which led to a shift in a former leftist set of professors who often misstated Biblical versions of political views. And the third was in 2011 here on Maggie's. Enjoy and feel free to comment. It will be my 5th writing (since I sent this and some updates) to all my friends recently).
The first political systems, from an institutional standpoint, were monarchies. Monarchs either considered themselves gods, chosen by 'the gods', or "Chosen by God". In almost every sense, the political system was tied somehow to the spiritual beliefs of the nation.
During a college course on Democracy, my professor spent the better part of an hour and a half discussing the implications of this concept. He pointed out that God Himself chose Israel's first king, and approved of their choosing a king. I immediately raised my hand and asked "But God didn't want Israel to have a king, did He? He considered Himself their king and allowed them to have Judges which acted as their spiritual and moral guides on earth."
20:2 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
20:3 you shall have no other gods before me.
20:4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me,
20:6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.
20:7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy.
20:9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work.
20:10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work--you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns.
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.
20:12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
20:13 You shall not murder.
20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
20:15 You shall not steal.
20:16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
20:17 You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.
We like our inboard Yanmar diesel, but outboards have become the thing these days. Multiple outboards, in fact. Three or four 200 hp outboards cost a lot more than a diesel engine.
I kinda like the diesel rumble, like a commercial fishing boat, but it is loud. Unlike a commercial boat, we are improving the engine sound insulation on ours right now.
More Evidence That COVID School Closures Wrecked Student Performance. California's poorly served public school students need more than a few more dollars diverted to tutoring programs. They need an escape hatch.
I’m a lean dog, a keen dog, a wild dog, and lone; I’m a rough dog, a tough dog, hunting on my own; I’m a bad dog, a mad dog, teasing silly sheep; I love to sit and bay the moon, to keep fat souls from sleep.
I’ll never be a lap dog, licking dirty feet, A sleek dog, a meek dog, cringing for my meat, Not for me the fireside, the well-filled plate, But shut door, and sharp stone, and cuff and kick, and hate.
Not for me the other dogs, running by my side, Some have run a short while, but none of them would bide. O mine is still the lone trail, the hard trail, the best, Wide wind, and wild stars, and hunger of the quest!”
Scott Adams claims that there is no reality accessible to humans. It's all narrative.
OK, it is hyperbole but I am sympathetic to his point, being a pathological skeptic. Scott also likes to imagine that we live in a simulation, which is an interesting narrative.
My closest encounter with a B-52 was during a hike in Montana. That airplane was doing a low-altitude run right over our heads. As I recall, we were near a cliff where the Indians ran bison off. Sheesh. Why a low-altitude run?
It's complicated. "Scampi" means a large prawn-thing in Italian, so the American menu item "Shrimp Scampi" sort of means "Shrimp Shrimp."
I've had scampi in Italy. They are not really a large shrimp, but more like a crayfish. They will put one on top of a seafood risotto as a garnish. You only eat the little tail but it is almost impossible to get it out so I tend to give up on that.
Shrimp Scampi is an American menu item, not Italian. It means Shrimp cooked the way Italians cook their crayfish-things - butter, oil, garlic, alone on a plate with parsley on top. In the US, it's typically served made with American shrimp on a pile of pasta as a main course. I know that I am annoying about these things, but that ain't Italian. Not too bad though. Italians do not make pasta as a main course. Italians tend to be skinny.
Yeah, their lunch is our dinner. Their evening meal is spartan, like some soup. True, they often nap after their midday meal and close up shop for a couple of hours.
The best real Italian meals I've had were in Volterra. We have not been to Bologna yet, though. The big tourist places tend to make stuff that Americans and Asians think is Italian - like red sauce. Wrong.
And, because of my mood today, I'll be more annoying: Pizza in Italy is awful. For good pizza, go to NYC or New Haven. Yeah, it's junk food but fun with beer. I have a favorite pizza + beer joint in NYC, near the High Line in Chelsea. It's called Artichoke.
Department of Incorrections - Rather than inform its readers about the potential pitfalls of the city’s proposed open-ended debit-card program for migrants, the New York Times prefers to attack my reporting.
I just caught up on his Sunday episode, having been occupied with a dying relative. Anyway, Scott has gotten woke. It's taken a while. Here's the youtube of his brief, brilliant Sunday episode.
A few quotes, more or less accurate:
Of course scientists lie.
Who believes you can take the temperature of the earth with a thermometer? Nobody.
Trump = dark, chaos, extreme.
Does anybody still think that the news is real?
Ukraine vs Russia is a fist fight between two gas stations.
When did the news become complete bs propaganda?
There are now 12 Trump/Russia hoaxes
The Democrat party is run by batshit crazy women
Getting cancelled opened his eyes, I think. Luckily for him, he can afford free speech. Can you?
Actually, it is just Tuesday Bob. I've never heard Taylor Swift but I am male and a bit over age 14. Few can recall, but it was the same with the early Beatles.
A giant Thank You for all of the good, caring, and careful work you do. Not just for the ailing person, but for the family. My lad, who knows about these things, half-jokes that hospice care is the best medical care in the US, and morphine is still medicine's greatest gift besides antibiotics. Morphius - the Greek god of dreams and sleep.
We lost my shanachie father-in-law this weekend after his long, cheerful, often joyful life, and the hospice people have been amazing. Never in a hurry either. A blessing.
Fortunately for our family, there is one new child waiting to be born to carry on, to carry on.
Why Is It
Police Warn Women
It's complicated. "Scampi" means a large prawn-thing in Italian, so the American menu item "Shrimp Scampi" sort of means "Shrimp Shrimp."
How a Special Diet Kept the Knights Templar Fighting Fit -