This is very old-fashioned of me.

This is very old-fashioned of me.  Deal with it.

Progress in Paradise...

Progress in Paradise...  I visited a dentist yesterday, for the first time since moving up here.  Like just about every other “first” experience, this was a good one.  My appointment was for 1 pm, with Dr. Lance Gunnell.  Figuring there would be paperwork, I showed up at 12:30.  In fact, there was a thick wad of paperwork to fill out, and I sat down with a clipboard loaded with forms with tiny little boxes to fill out.  Partway through the first of these pages, a young lady came out and called my name – and at 12:40 I was seated in the examining chair.  Just before I finished the paperwork (between a tech's taking X-rays), at 12:46, Dr. Gunnell showed up. 

He'd already reviewed my X-rays, and launched into a detailed explanation (complete with diagrams he drew as he was talking) of exactly what was wrong with my tooth – an infected root, on a tooth with a porcelain crown.  There's also the possibility of a different root on the same tooth being cracked.  Recommendation: he'd drill through my crown, trying to preserve it, then clean out the accessible infection in my tooth.  He'd then pack it with antibiotics, stuff it with gutta-percha, put a temporary plug in the hole, and send me to an endodontics specialist for the actual root canal.  By 1:20 pm he had actually completed all this (with the aid of two assistants and impressive organization) and I was out the door.  Next stop: Reed's Pharmacy, for the antibiotics and pain meds that would sustain me until my appointment next week.  Dr. Gunnell told me there was a 50/50 chance that the antibiotic would knock the infection down to the point where there was no pain, and it looks like I won the bet: I haven't needed any pain medication since last night.  Woo hoo!

This morning I mowed our lawn and blew the driveway clean, at which point the heat plus my mostly sleepless night caused me to call it a day...

City governments are worried...

City governments are worried...  Because driverless (automated) cars will not run stop signs or red lights, or speed – and city revenues from ticket sales fines will plummet.  The progressive reflex will be to ban driverless cars.  Then after deeper thought, they'll realize it's a new tax opportunity...

Just put this country out of its misery, huh? Part III...

Just put this country out of its misery, huh?  Part III...  This is not The Onion – it's an official Health and Human Services Administration web page:

You should be prepared when Aunt Janine says something like, “Obamacare hasn’t helped anyone!” So here are a few points to remember during this long holiday weekend:

Situation: Uncle Ted claims Obamacare is a train wreck and has cost jobs.

You say: Uncle Ted, you’ve gotten ahold of some old talking points. With greater access to affordable, quality health insurance, the Affordable Care Act is helping individuals and strengthening our economy!

Since the main components of the law went into effect, we’ve reduced the number of uninsured by 16.4 million, the largest increase in the insured in decades. Before the ACA, the U.S. economy faced rapidly growing health costs that put enormous pressure on businesses and consumers. We paid more than any country without better health results, and millions of Americans were one illness away from bankruptcy. Today, we’ve seen the slowest growth in health costs in half a century, improved patient safety has saved an estimated 50,000 lives and $12 billion, and employer premiums for family coverage grew just 3 percent in 2014, tied with 2010 for the lowest on record back to 1999.

Meanwhile, since the ACA was signed, the private sector has added 12.8 million jobs over 64 straight months of job growth, extending the longest streak on record. The increase in employment over that period is due almost entirely to higher full-time employment. The number of people working part-time who would prefer to be full-time has fallen by 2.6 million from March 2010 through May 2015, including a decline of 1.1 million since December 2013.

Now, would you like more corn?

Speechless, I am, at the squandering of even more of my tax dollars.  I'm afraid to know how much of my money was spent creating this garbage...

Just put this country out of its misery, huh? Part II...

Just put this country out of its misery, huh?  Part II...  Crying, I am...

“Just put this country out of its misery now, huh?”

“Just put this country out of its misery now, huh?”  So says Ace, and it's easy to see why...

Unemployment is down...

Unemployment is down...  At least, the official number is.  But if you look at labor force participation (a much more useful measure, in my view), it's down to 62.6% – a number last seen in 1977.  For those of you who are less ancient than I am, let me remind you that 1977 was Jimmy Carter's first year in office.  The country was suffering from a terrible recession, partly driven by skyrocketing oil prices.  In that context, consider that our labor force participation rate has just declined to a level matching those parlous economic times.  Yeah, that's how good our economy is doing!

For the government to claim that unemployment is falling sounds like Orwellian doublethink, no?

Race vs. violent crime in the U.S...

Race vs. violent crime in the U.S...  Some interesting data here, with more confirmations than surprises.  Violent crime is disproportionately committed by blacks, including (perhaps especially) blacks on blacks.  Black on white crime, as I'd expect, is far lower than perceived by whites...

Lunch for a hot summer day...

Lunch for a hot summer day...  I just cubed a tomato, an avocado, a roasted red pepper, and a thick slice of ham.  Tossed it all with a tablespoon or so of Duke's mayonnaise.  Ate it with a glass of ice cold apple juice.  Oh, yum!