Press "Enter" to skip to content

Month: April 2016

Solve the medical mess: share this book

Published April 19, 2016 10:27 am by Claire

The High Price of Socialized Medicine:
A History of Government Meddling in American Health Care,
And How a Free Market Would Solve Our Problems
By Dr. James W. Brook
302 pages

I owe Dr. Jim an apology. It must be two months now since he sent me a copy of his book for review. I meant to get on it right away. But you know, I just could not bring myself to pick up and read that book.

It’s not that there was anything wrong with it. On the contrary, at a glance it was obviously a solid, professional piece of work. I already knew Dr. Jim, an occasional Commentariat participant, writes clearly with an amazingly light touch given the subject matter. The book is lucid, well laid-out, and easy on the eye.

I just could not force myself to endure a rehash of the hash that politicians are making of what was once (and in some ways still is) the best medical system on the planet.

Once I belatedly opened the cover, I realized I had nothing to dread.

Continue readingSolve the medical mess: share this book
5 Comments

A finity of full moons

Published April 17, 2016 10:38 am by Claire

When I think of death, I think of full moons. Full moons are a mundane experience, but seeing a fat red moon rising over the hills is as close to true magic as ordinary life comes. A few years ago, it occurred to me that each number of full moons alloted to a person is finite. An obvious observation, I know. But still one of those things that hits you hard at the moment you observe it. If life goes along in it’s merry way, I may have 200, even 300, full moons left. That sounds like a lot of…

Continue readingA finity of full moons
4 Comments

Weekend links

Published April 17, 2016 10:16 am by Claire

You recall DiFi’s insane and impossible encryption bill? Well, the second draft is out and it’s gotten even worse. These loons actually believe if you simply order someone to do the impossible, it must be done. Being so right and so wrong at the same time. Yes, it’s getting scary out there. Yes, it’s amazing how fast it’s happening. But no, it’s not caused by the mysterious collapse of Francis Fukuyama-style “liberalism” nor is it because the ordinary processes of civilization are too commonplace and boring. Legalization is back on the ballot in Maine. Two interesting takes on the transgender…

Continue readingWeekend links
12 Comments

Sorry; no post today

Published April 15, 2016 1:10 pm by Claire

Sorry for missing my usual Friday a.m. post. I’ve been sick all week. Nothing serious, but it has reached the point of brain death. Temporary brain death, I assure you. I’ll be back sometime over the weekend with (I hope) a renewed brain and a couple posts worth waiting for.

13 Comments

Forever high

Published April 13, 2016 3:21 pm by Claire

And speaking of the “just say no” crowd, here’s a flash story that would have them climbing the walls. Sent to me by a friend who’d never touch the stuff but defends the right of others to their choices.

3 Comments

How’s Mike Vanderboegh?

Published April 13, 2016 2:54 pm by Claire

David Codrea is posting news on Mike’s condition as he receives it from family members (or from Mike himself, if that proves possible). Probably best that Mike isn’t bombarded with too many emails or phone calls, even if they’re meant to remind him we care. UPDATE in comment.

1 Comment

Wars on weeds, privacy, common sense and other matters. (My wars make more sense than theirs.)

Published April 12, 2016 1:00 am by Claire

It was a good weekend. Saturday I declared war on the Dreaded Knotweed. I did not obey the Geneva convention.

While berserking and crusading against the Vile Vegetable, I hatched a scheme that might take care of my two problems at once: knotweed and hazardous trash — using the trash as part — only part — of an elaborate barrier against the weed.

Continue readingWars on weeds, privacy, common sense and other matters. (My wars make more sense than theirs.)
14 Comments

Friday links

Published April 8, 2016 12:15 pm by Claire

Talk about swords into plowshares! California city government v*tes to turn a former prison into a cannabis oil factory. Super high-tech tiny house. Pretty cool. (Helps to be a boatbuilder and cabinetmaker.) But c’mon. How much did it cost? (H/T MJR) 🙂 How not to take a gun selfie. And speaking of selfies, I assume this study (which concludes — wow, whodathunkit? — that narcissists are more likely to post and crave feedback on selfies) must have been funded by government. Not ours, fortunately. And speaking of governments: who’s named in the Panama Papers? Named so far, we should add.…

Continue readingFriday links
20 Comments

The Panama Papers. Duck! Here comes another moral crusade.

Published April 6, 2016 1:20 pm by Claire

I’ll be doing a little extra blogging this week because I’ve been doing physical labor (drywalling) and need a break from it. Also because … Panama Papers. I hadn’t heard of the scandal until Monday when jc2k linked to it in comments. By then it was already 24 hours old (ancient in Internet Time) and had been thoroughly clucked over by all the usual suspects. The collective bottom line seems not only to be, “OMG, gov-o-crats are hiding ill-gotten gains offshore!” (this is a shock to anybody?) but, “Offshore privacy should be done away with!” Um … yeah. Hasn’t offshore…

Continue readingThe Panama Papers. Duck! Here comes another moral crusade.
21 Comments