A beautiful essay, TB.  My Dad fought in Patton's Army at the Battle of the Bulge..."pretty damn good", indeed!

Thanks for  posting this.  Very sad.  I thank God I live and was born in a great country, Lil Wayne not withstanding.

Oh, my.  That's really beyond belief.  Except for the part about the gun.  Classic example of the ruling class with one set of rules for them and another for us.  I can't imagine anyone topping this.  Will you do an annual award out of all the weekly winners?  

When does the judging period start for the next set of entries?  I've got a candidate in mind.  Do they have to be politicians or can they be members of the commentariat?

It unfortunate, but many bureaucrats have never done anything other than work in a civil service position so they have no knowledge of the impact of their regulatory apparatus and no sympathy for the poor slob who is not employed by the bureaucracy, but whose tax dollars supports the whole darn thing.  Thanks, I think, for another depressing example of the glob.

Not possible to restrict hiring to one group.  I've been involved in projects where a manager has used a calculator to make sure the racial mix of hires meets that of the community demography.  To do any less is to open yourself up to a charge of discrimination.

Discrimination if determined by raw data.  Not intent.  If a racial class has a disproportionate amount of former convicts, that's just too bad for the potential employer.  

My guess is the push for reducing headcount through automation or outsourcing would be the likely result.

No, don't be tempted by the wish to exact your righteous indignation on a jerk.  Too big of a down side to your character.  

A great example of good 'ol American initiative.  Thanks, Bereket and thanks for the pretty pic!

I'll probably just retire to chocolates and mystery books  if Republicans fold like a cheap deck of cards.  There will be no need to work for or contribute to Republican candidates.  Just don't see how you rationalize open borders and an expanded welfare state in our current economic straits. If border security is not done first, we'll be in the same position in  very short order.  It won't be  another 25 year stretch between this and the next "reform".

You don't think it can get any worse?  Immigrants from Mexico come from  a land where teacher jobs are hereditary.  Imagine when the NEA enacts that agenda item.

Great read, Doc!

Remember to take a nap when she naps-don't try to do the 101 things that need doing.  You'll exhaust yourself!

My girls are now grown.  I remember during the overwhelming days of motherhood thinking how nice it would be if we could freeze dry this period and sprinkle it out in regularized doses throughout a lifetime.  Alas, this is not in the cards.  Enjoy the crush of motherhood, and all its myriad demands.  They're gone before you know it!

Thanks, CJ!  What is a moblie?  I'm still new at this.

I'll try to join, if I can figure it out. I'll be traveling so you may not hear from me.  But thanks, again!

Best,

M

My daughters agree with you!  I myself prefer plain Cheerios with bananas.

Sorta like nominal Republican David Gergen.  Great read, Franco!

Oh, what a dreadful affair suicide is.  It leaves family members feeling guilty-"why didn't I see this coming/I should have been able to stop this"-and it just a huge tear in the fabric of all those connected with the person.

Being a Southerner, I believe in the healing power of the human touch.  Don't worry so much about your words of comfort-do pray for the right words-but hug your friend, hold their hand, put your arm around their shoulder.

Alright, under the heading of a wiseacre p.i., may I suggest the Nero Wolfe series by Rex Stout?  There are a whole series of them and the all the good lines are owned by Archie, who assists Wolfe in the solving of crimes.

Next, a more current good book is Tom Wolfe-no relation- and his latest, "Back to Blood".  Funny, quick read, wry commentary.

All time favorite, The Anubis Gate, by Tim Powers, I think, about a Coleridge scholar who is hired by a wealthy man who's cracked the time travel thing and is taking back a group of people to observe an actual lecture by Coleridge. The scholar is along to provide "color commentary". Things go horribly wrong but in a funny way and it is a great read.  

My husband's all time favorite, the Flashman series of novels by George McDonald Fraiser.  Flashman is a rouge and a bounder who winds up playing a pivotal role in backdrops that include Bismarck, etc.

Finally, greatest murder mystery writer ever, Josephine Tey.  Anything by her.  Have fun!

ACTUALLY...

Wallace did start out as a Democrat and was one of many segregationist Democrats that occupied high office throughout the South.  He served four terms in total, all of them as a Democrat.  Plus the one time he was term limited by the State Constitution, his wife Lurleen ran a successful proxy campaign.   Imagine my surprise many years later, when I was in Montgomery standing on the steps of the Capital or other such building, there for an appearance by Presidential candidate Bob Dole, if memory serves me correctly.  I looked to my left and there too, was Wallace in his wheelchair.  I whispered to my friend on my right, "I didn't know he was a Republican!"  He had recanted his segregationist ways, apologized to civil rights leaders  become a borne again Christian later in life and somewhere along the line had switched parties!