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.
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.
Mrs. BD is a big fan of live music. She loves opera and chamber music. Yes, she also loves the NYC Ballet. Yes, she loves New York. So do I.
As with church, I find feeling confined in a seat difficult. ADHD? Who knows. I am restless. Most of us know Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, but it is interesting to watch the 10-12 musicians. Instead of getting a wall of sound from a recording, it's easier to watch each musician making a sound.
I understand why chamber music was meant to be performed in a room where you can move your chair, maybe talk with somebody, have a cocktail - and not in Alice Tully Hall. You can barely hear the harpsichord in an auditorium.
Regarding brains, how does the bass fiddle guy remember every note to play for 6 Bach concerti? Or everybody else on the music team? It is complicated music.
Nice cozy place, not too interesting food. Pub food, really. Nice to see places with ribeyes, but I tend to go for the mussels. I can make ribeyes at home.
Around the HQ, we stick with the un-Yankee, Southern Italian/Sicilian Christmas Eve fast, which means seafood. In past years, I have had the real 7 Fishes with fried baccala, steamed mussels, scungilli, etc etc. A wonderful fish feast which it would be a stretch to term "fasting." The Catholics are very clever with their concept of fasting.
The best-known Sicilian Primi is Pasta Con Sardi - pasta with anchovies (ie small sardines) - what I term Pasta With Minnows aka Pasta with Bait.
What is an "anchovy"? Never, ever use those tinned brown over-salted anchovies that they put on cheap pizzas. Disgusting stuff, cat food for a cat you hate. If you can't get fresh anchovies (they are white) at your local fish market, use the canned white anchovies in olive oil. Tasty. Good Italian markets have good fresh or oiled white anchovy filets.
Here's the recipe. Yes, to be authentic it needs the breadcrumbs. And here's another Vigilia favorite: Fried Baccala Balls. I've also had these with mashed potato in the cod mix to hold it all together. Nothing is more delicious.
Traditionally, you have to have Struffoli for dessert even though I find it inedible.
Truth is, in recent years we just make poached salmon with yogurt-dill sauce, to be ready to serve at room temp. after getting home from church.
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The best-known Sicilian Primi is Pasta Con Sardi - pasta with anchovies (ie small sardines) - what I term Pasta With Minnows aka Pasta with Bait.