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.
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.
Federal failure is a critical issue because the government controls so many aspects of our lives. Federal spending represents more than one-fifth of the nation's economic output, and federal regulations infiltrate many state, local, and private activities. When the government fails, it can create widespread harm. This essay examines structural features of the executive branch that are generating frequent failures in federal policies.
Red Tailed Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Mourning Dove Purple Grackle Cowbird Redwing Blackbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker WB Nuthatch Chickadee Robin Blue Jay House Finch Cardinal Fox Sparrow SC Junco Song Sparrow Tufted Titmouse WT Sparrow Goldfinch
From time to time I'm called simple minded. I take it as a compliment and thank my accuser for noticing. Few things are as complicated as they're made out to be. Examples: before ObamaCare there was no ObamaCare. Duh. It made things worse. Repeal it and make things better instantly.
Nullify and denounce every federal, state and municipal gun control act, law and regulation ever passed, including the commerce clause stuff. The Constitution prohibits government from interfering, in any way, with our right to keep and bear arms. So stop doing it.
And illegal aliens. They have to go. It's the law. Don't like it? Change the law. Until then it's the will of the people, duly enacted. Either enforce it or stop saying 'representative democracy' and 'rule of law'. => Insert "it's not that simple" and pictures of baby seals here <=.
And why is it a routine winter snowstorm can cross the whole country unremarked until it reaches the east coast, then it becomes a blizzard emergency with a name and 'round-the-clock national breaking news?
Most would agree that a Pepsi (Or RC or Dr Pepper) and a Moon Pie is the ultimate redneck breakfast, but another classic is Grits with Coca-Cola Hot Dog Red-Eye Gravy. Red-eye gravy needs Coke and Coffee.
To go upscale, use Country Ham on the side and skip the hot dogs. Here's another classic: Hot Dog Gravy & Biscuits. Everybody loves biscuits and gravy, but spare me the hot dogs.
Medicine has a long history of unproven and dubious treatments, but it is discouraging to see it approached deliberately. A quote: “[Hospital executives] talk of patients as customers. Customers have demands. Your job is to sell them what they want.”"
No it's not. It's to give them your best opinion on what is best for them, with maybe some choices or maybe not.
All examinations discriminate among people. That's their purpose. The purpose of bar exams is to discriminate on knowledge and skills. Medical licensure examinations discriminate on knowledge and skills. And let's discuss commercial pilot's licenses.
When you look for something that tests discriminate on, you can find it. IQ, study habits, educational background, character traits, family background, race, age, height, etc. You can find whatever stats you look for, but all the tests are looking for is to see who can do the thing, and who can not do it. That is discrimination of the able from the unable. It's the individual that matters.
For Christ's sake, if you can't understand simple written English, how can you be paid teach it? You might almost imagine that teaching was just a government job.
Young doctors are not "exploited". Young doctors do not complain about 80-hour work weeks, because it's a high privilege to work long and hard taking care of people in trouble.
Only the weak would complain. They need the clinical experience as fast as they can get it. Furthermore, they need to learn how to function under stress and without adequate sleep. Physical and mental endurance need to be learned. When a multi-car crash results in 10 victims in your ER at 3 am and you're on duty, there is no choice but to rise to the occasion. That takes practice, and it is why older doctors are wiser. They have put in the hours. They can find their second wind because they have done it many times.
Nobody in America wants a doctor who would say "I've worked my 8 hours" or "I'm too tired." Maybe they are thinking of socialized medicine or unionized medicine, because those authors seem to feel that working long and hard is something terrible instead of something wonderful. Some people are not aware than some surgical procedures can take over 10 hours to complete, and, just then, an emergency comes into the OR.
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