Daily Stoic Week 20

by | May 13, 2022 | Advice, LifeSkills, Musings | 214 comments

Last Week

The Daily Stoic

The Practicing Stoic

Meditations

How to Be a Stoic

If you have anger issues, this one is a great tool, H/T mindyourbusiness:

The Stoic Challenge

Disclaimer: I’m not your Supervisor. These are my opinions after reading through these books a few times.

 

May 14

“Those obsessed with glory attach their well-being to the regard of others, those who love pleasure tie it to feelings, but the one with true understanding seeks it only in their own actions. . . . Think on the character of the people one wishes to please, the possessions one means to gain, and the tactics one employs to such ends. How quickly time erases such things, and how many will yet be wiped away.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 6:51, 59

I can’t depend on being happy if I use other people or outside things to give me that feeling. External forces are fickle. Pleasure as an end in itself leads to over indulgence and bad decisions. If I keep anger at bay, do my job, and try to be a good person, I can control my happiness.

 

May 15

“Don’t set your mind on things you don’t possess as if they were yours, but count the blessings you actually possess and think how much you would desire them if they weren’t already yours. But
watch yourself, that you don’t value these things to the point of being troubled if you should lose them.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.27

There are a few things I wish I had: a newer car for myself and my wife, a lift in the garage, a house with more land in the middle of nowhere, and some other things along those lines. There are also many things I have that are very nice: I put my truck back together and she is a joy to drive, a large garage with an 80 gallon air compressor and a well stocked tool chest, a house with no neighbors with a half acre on the lake. I try to remind myself that I have about 90% of my wish list and 90% is pretty damn good. If I lost these things, I would be troubled, but I was poor once, I can survive being poor again, if it all goes south.

 

May 16

“If you don’t wish to be a hot-head, don’t feed your habit. Try as a first step to remain calm and count the days you haven’t been angry. I used to be angry every day, now every other day, then every third or fourth . . . if you make it as far as 30 days, thank God! For habit is first weakened and then obliterated. When you can say ‘I didn’t lose my temper today, or the next day, or for three or four months, but kept my cool under provocation,’ you will know you are in better health.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.11b–14

I haven’t been angry for a week and a half. Even though last week I flew to Florida for work. I HATE the TSA, and while going through security did bother me, it did not have me seeing red like I used to.

My return flight got delayed leaving, and then we had to divert to Philadelphia because of weather. The plane refueled and we made it back to Norfolk through a gap in the weather. I then had to drive 45 minutes home. I got home around midnight. The next day my wife said she was expecting me to be grumpy when I arrived, but I was only tired. This is a lot of words to say that I am still a long way from perfect, but I am a hell of a lot better than I used to be.

 

May 17

“Show me someone sick and happy, in danger and happy, dying and happy, exiled and happy, disgraced and happy. Show me! By God, how much I’d like to see a Stoic. But since you can’t show me
someone that perfectly formed, at least show me someone actively forming themselves so, inclined in this way. . . . Show me!”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.19.24–25a, 28

To be a perfect Stoic might be impossible. It might not even be desirable, unless you become a hermit. I am trying to blend my humanity with Stoicism and using it to better myself is a worthwhile goal. I like the title to The Practicing Stoic because it implies I am not fully there and have to practice the things I want to improve.

 

May 18

“Pay attention to what’s in front of you—the principle, the task, or what’s being portrayed.”
—MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 8.22

I screw up when I try to do 2 things at once. Usually this is when I try to read and listen to a podcast or TV show at the same time. I have severely cut back on my podcast listening as a result of not being able to listen and work in my garage. Either I rewind the podcast, or I forget where I put a tool or some bolts. If I actually pay attention to what I’m doing I have these problems less often.

 

May 19

“That’s why the philosophers warn us not to be satisfied with mere learning, but to add practice and then training. For as time passes we forget what we learned and end up doing the opposite, and
hold opinions the opposite of what we should.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.9.13–14

It is good to recognize when an opportunity to actually use the Stoic philosophy happens. At a layover in Baltimore, I realized I forgot my ID. Without my ID, I might not be able to get on the base or onto the ship. I know last year I would have been pissed at myself for forgetting and dreading what might happen when I tried to go on base. I was able to say “It is what it is” and not worry about it the rest of the trip, but that took some effort. Once I got to the base, I was able to get on with two forms of ID after security called the ship for verification that I was expected. That would have been a lot of internal stress and anger for no reason.

 

May 20

“What’s the point of having countless books and libraries, whose titles could hardly be read through in a lifetime. The learner is not taught, but burdened by the sheer volume, and it’s better to plant the seeds of a few authors than to be scattered about by many.”
—SENECA, ON TRANQUILITY OF MIND, 9.4

I have read many books, but there are some that I reread, and some that I have read many times. I have gotten more out of reading the auto biography of Frederick Douglass many times than if I had read many other books once. The books listed at the top of this article are a small sample of the Stoic books available, but I think they all hold up to multiple readings for a deeper understanding.

 

About The Author

ron73440

ron73440

What I told my wife when she said my steel Baby Eagle .45 was heavy, "Heavy is good, heavy is reliable, if it doesn't work you could always hit him with it."-Boris the Blade MOLON LABE

214 Comments

  1. PieInTheSky

    How to Be a Stoic – that is easy to say when you dont have 40k lines of undocumented old DRC to translate from diva to assura

    • UnCivilServant

      So, the original was outsourced to India?

      • PieInTheSky

        Not exactly. An exterior consulting firm that had some complex script to create rules automatically based on a certain syntax in the manual. So the manual has the weird syntax but does not describe tje rules in words.

      • R.J.

        But, you are getting paid to do it correct? See my comment below. I was angry, and it did not help me complete my task. Even worse, I made painful mistakes from not remaining calm and cautious.

      • PieInTheSky

        I am geting paid but not enough for losing my damn mind.

      • UnCivilServant

        So what’s that have to do with Devas and Asuras?

      • PieInTheSky

        You are not funny UCS you just look that way

        Also assura was a typo. I meant calibre

      • Ted S.

        He’s not wearing his humor gloves.

    • PieInTheSky

      Diva to calibre

    • PieInTheSky

      If i had been able to make 1 million in crypto which i could have were i not a looser i could quit and be more stoic

    • ron73440

      When you’re immortal, you have plenty of time to figure it out.

    • Ted S.

      I’m sorry your code is a diva. Does it flounce off in a huff?

  2. db

    Stoic of the Day:

    2HSO3-(aq) + Mg(OH)2 ⇌ MgSO3(s) + SO32- + H2O

    • db

      guess wordpress doesn’t like sub and sup tags

      • Mojeaux

        No. No, it does not.

    • PieInTheSky

      Make mine a double

    • Ted S.

      Stoicism is the patience to balance the equation. 😉

      You’ve got four hydrogen atoms on the left and only two on the right.

      • Ted S.

        I believe it should be SO3 with a -2 charge on the right and 2H2O?

      • mindyourbusiness

        That’s heavy, man…

  3. db

    I really enjoy reading these, although it takes me a little while to get through all of them.

    I never considered myself to be very Stoic, but the more I read, the more I realize that I have grown into a sort of stoicism, mainly through learning and maturing over the years. I’ve never been an overly dramatic person, but with the wisdom of the years, I realize that I am more in control of myself and my emotions than I used to think. I wonder how other people aren’t.

    These are lessons I hope I can pass on to my children-to-be, as early as possible.

    • DEG

      my children-to-be, as early as possible.

      You made an announcement I missed?

      • DEG

        Excellent!

    • ron73440

      I hope they are helpful.

      • db

        Yeah, I’m gonna get them started on mowing the lawn early.

      • ron73440

        I was talking about the articles, but that works too.

  4. R.J.

    Your Stoic series seems psychic at times. I am very glad you publish it. I was angry over loading the car last night and this morning, to the point of distraction where I smacked my head on the tailgate.
    My anger was counter productive as the car needed to be loaded with or without my anger. Now I need to reset my anger meter to ‘1 day’ as of tomorrow.

    • PieInTheSky

      The word tailgate implies you were drunk

      • R.J.

        Nope. Sober.

      • R.J.

        That is great. I am saving that link.

      • MikeS

        Glibertarians

        The winner: “Irritable Nags”

      • MikeS

        “Alibi Granters”

      • Nephilium

        Football season isn’t for another couple of months.

      • db

        There’s plenty of other things you can tailgate and pregame.

        For instance, when my two friends got married, a third got a mail-order ordainment and officiated the ceremony. We (the groomsmen and the officiant) drove into town (the wedding was in a state park) and pre-gamed the ceremony at a nice bar with good beer. Best wedding I’ve attended.

      • Timeloose

        What the USFL is too good for you! Go Generals!

    • ron73440

      Now I need to reset my anger meter to ‘1 day’ as of tomorrow.

      #metoo

      Thursday I was pissed off all day for no reason, when I got home and sat on the couch, I died for an hour and a half.

      Sleeping enough probably would have prevented that.

      • EvilSheldon

        “…I died for an hour and a half.”

        At least it wasn’t for two hours.

      • ron73440

        You coming to Gourmeltz next Saturday?

      • EvilSheldon

        Sadly, no. I have a work thing all that weekend.

        Drink one for me.

      • ron73440

        Hopefully next time.

  5. Tundra

    “If you don’t wish to be a hot-head, don’t feed your habit. Try as a first step to remain calm and count the days you haven’t been angry. I used to be angry every day, now every other day, then every third or fourth . . . if you make it as far as 30 days, thank God! For habit is first weakened and then obliterated. When you can say ‘I didn’t lose my temper today, or the next day, or for three or four months, but kept my cool under provocation,’ you will know you are in better health.”
    —EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 2.18.11b–14

    I have spent the last few days seething and it’s taking its toll. I even get angry that I’m angry – that I have so fucking many blessings, but the world pisses me off.

    Fuck it. My son is graduating college today. The sun is shining. My weightlifting is going great. I just got a couple nice orders.

    Good timing on this one. Thanks, Ron!

    • PieInTheSky

      Weightlifting is a gateway to the far right.

      • Tundra

        How far?

      • PieInTheSky

        I would tell you but the metric units would confuse you

      • R C Dean

        Pie is salty today.

      • UnCivilServant

        Duking it out with supernatural beings will do that.

      • PieInTheSky

        Depressed more than salty but maybe

    • Nephilium

      I’ve found my average speed is faster when I burn off anger going on a bike ride. We’ve got another day of nice weather here, so a bike ride will be done after work. I’m trying to convince myself to be good, and just ride instead of getting in some miles, and stopping for an unhealthy dinner.

    • R C Dean

      There was a time when I would have needed one of those AA coins to do this. Actually, I probably could still use one.

      • Ted S.

        As someone said at work today, “You’re only an alcoholic if you’re trying to quit.”

    • ron73440

      Sounds like a good day.

    • DEG

      My son is graduating college today. The sun is shining. My weightlifting is going great. I just got a couple nice orders.

      Excellent.

  6. R C Dean

    My personal Stoic project (not being an ass to other drivers) is actually going reasonably well. I don’t recall any cursing this past week; I seem to have settled on “Really?! Really?!” for the time being.

    Mrs. Dean asked me, w/r/t various news items, how I can just not care. I told her that’s like asking somebody how they can relax; it just happens, mostly. When asked what I do care about and why, I thought “That is a hell of a good question.” I told her a good starting place would probably be “Things that affect me pretty directly. Horrible people being horrible to each other in the Imperial Capitol just doesn’t really count in my world. Its all completely beyond my control or even influence, so I just laugh at them thinking they are so smart and so important and so right, when they obviously are none of those things. Anything else would probably lead to me drinking even more than I already do.”

  7. db

    NIH scientists have received an estimated $350 million in royalties since 2009

    Open The Books article.

    Data from 2009 to 2014 have been released, and show that 17,000 NIH scientists have received 22,000 royalty payments totaling $134 million. NIH is fighting release of more recent data, and the records that have been released are so heavily redacted as to make it impossible to determine *which* NIH scientists received *how much.*

    In principle, I have no problem with scientists being able to profit from their academic and professional work. Government work product, however, is usually considered to be public domain. I can imagine a justification for government scientists working on research that is partially funded by the private sector to be able to receive royalties in proportion to the amount of funding from private sources.

    However, any such “royalty” payments should be fully transparent and accountable. Without public accountability for these payments, we have no way of determining potential conflicts of interest that might show that government “scientists” have recommended policy that would affect their own remuneration.

    Additionally, it appears that these payments are likely concentrated at the highest levels of the public health bureaucracy. I can see a justification for a lab manager or lower level director, as well as lab workers receiving royalties for work they actually did. I cannot see justification for higher level officials doing so. That reeks of high level officials wetting their beaks with royalties they did not earn for work they merely authorized. The fact that they may be named on a patent or as a contributing author on a critical paper is simply dishonest–it’s unlikely for them to have contributed any meaningful technical work to the effort.

    • db

      (repost from earlier, sorry–thought others might want to see this)

    • R C Dean

      NIH is fighting release of more recent data, and the records that have been released are so heavily redacted as to make it impossible to determine *which* NIH scientists received *how much.*

      The idea that any of this should not be released should be completely unacceptable. Hell, there should be an ongoing disclosure, with names and amounts of course, of all amounts received by any federal employee from a third party, as well as any amounts received by any government agency that isn’t tax revenue, statutory fees, or fines.

    • Gustave Lytton

      a contributing author on a critical paper is simply dishonest

      Dr Faucci – most cited infectious diseases expert evah!

    • kinnath

      This is fucking insane. As an employee of megacorp, they get all the rights to my inventions. We get a token payment for filing patent applications and a lovely plaque when it is awarded. But there are no royalty payments.

      It’s unfathomable that government employees get royalties for patents owned by the government.

      • R C Dean

        Or that the government lets them own patents for work they did on the government dime.

      • kinnath

        That is also unfathomable. Someone paid the 10+K to get that patent. I assume it was the government.

      • R C Dean

        I suspect that a lot of these royalties are participation in patents owned by industry.

        And probably their share is way disproportionate to their contribution. It stinks of a long-standing money-laundering/bribery channel.

      • kinnath

        That would be pure graft.

      • MikeS

        I keep trying to quote the chorus, but keep getting an Internal Server Error.

  8. Mojeaux

    I screw up when I try to do 2 things at once.

    I have said for many years that multitasking is a myth. You just screw up a whole lot of half-assed things at the same time.

    • ron73440

      But you feel so productive!

    • R C Dean

      About the only example of true multi-tasking that I have run across is playing an instrument and singing at the same time.

      • Tundra

        Hockey. Lot’s going on at the same time.

      • UnCivilServant

        That only counts if they’re playing a different song from the one they’re singing and don’t cross the melodies.

      • Gender Traitor

        I’ve long wanted to hear someone “layer” these two great old pop standards, but I never thought to go looking for it! ?

      • R C Dean

        I think singing and playing an instrument are different tasks. There’s a lot of people who can do one or the other, but not both at the same time.

      • Gender Traitor

        ??? Curious about your definition of “not both at the same time.”

        ::thinks of any number of musicians seen singing & playing piano/guitar/bass/drums/banjo/ukulele/accordion… pretty much anything but a wind instrument::

        Fun fact: As far as I ever saw, the great B.B. King couldn’t play & sing at the same time. If you watch, he’d play a hot blues lick, stop & sing a line, stop singing and play another hot lick, etc. But he was not the norm.

      • kinnath

        Yes. BB said as much. I saw an interview where he said that he couldn’t play and sing at the same time.

      • R C Dean

        Simultaneously playing piano/guitar/drums/whatever while singing. You notice the people who can do both at once ( a lot of frontmenpersyns for bands). But I think there’s a lot of people who can do both, but not simultaneously.

      • Gender Traitor

        Well, most people can talk (ideally, not on the phone) while they’re driving…

      • MikeS

        In my experience that’s only true if the driving is simple stop and go. Once you have to focus on passing or, lane changing in traffic, or something like that, most people will stop mid sentence, make the maneuver and then resume talking.

      • db

        Phil Collins
        Geddy Lee
        James Hetfield
        Adrian Belew

        just off the top of my head

      • ron73440

        Dave Mustaine was too drunk to do both when they filmed the

      • ron73440

        Dave Mustaine was too drunk to do both when they filmed theNo More Mr. Nice Guy video, so the director had to film him singing and playing guitar separately.

      • Plisade

        Watching Mustaine play & sing live and up close was one of the most amazing things I’ve seen. He must’ve been stone cold sober. How he can carry a melody while playing those insane riffs and not looking at the guitar is a mystery to me.

      • ron73440

        I saw him opening for Slayer once, they did the entire Rust in Peace album.

        It was a hell of a show.

      • Swiss Servator

        Listen to a podcast while working out.

      • ron73440

        I can listen to one when I run or drive, but if I’m lifting weights, my mind drifts and I don’t really hear it.

    • Raven Nation

      I’ll sometimes use an adapted version of task method that someone else told me about (the name of which I don’t remember). There are days when I have grading to do, reading for class, e-mails, and one or two other tasks. So, I set my day up to grade, say, two papers, then read a chapter, then spend 20 minutes responding to e-mails, etc. Doesn’t work for everything, but in certain situations it works quite well.

      • Mojeaux

        I’m pretty much a one-thing-at-a-time person. I won’t even think about another project while I’m involved in my current one. “Send me an email.” “Text me.” I want everything in writing so I can refer back to it at the appropriate time.

        Now, if I get a call from a client while I’m in the middle of something, I’ll say, “Can you hold on a sec?” I clear my head, push my project back, gather a pen and paper, and then talk to the client.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        When I get overworked, I start “flapping” between projects. It’s a good sign that I need to reduce workload or push some deadlines out.

        Sometimes it can’t be helped (super urgent!!!111!! request from way up the chain!!1!1!), but I try to work each task to completion before starting the next one. Thankfully, most of my tasks take hours, not days.

      • Ted S.

        You could make it easier by giving everyone an F and going on to the next task.

    • The Other Kevin

      Well said. I’ve been beating this drum a lot lately, but Biden is the president and his party is in charge. No matter who’s causing problems, it’s up to him to be a leader and take ownership of the situation.

  9. Rebel Scum

    Her copy of the Constitution must be different than mine.

    “Next week on the floor of the House, we will have another piece of our lowering-costs-for-the-American-people legislation,” Pelosi said. “House Democrats, led by [Washington] Congresswoman [Kim] Schrier and [California] Congresswoman [Katie] Porter introduced the ‘Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act.’ While families are struggling to pay higher prices at the pump, oil and gas companies are recording record profits, with [the] seven largest oil companies announcing buybacks that could total $41 billion this year alone. Again and again, we see gas prices rise, sometimes when the cost of oil drops, oil prices drop, and price gouging needs to be stopped. This is a major exploitation of the consumer because this is a product that the consumer must have.”

    “Again, the Putin [Price] Hike at the pump is a part of this,” Pelosi continued. “You would think that the oil companies would compensate for that rather than exploit the opportunity that it — so in this bill, what this bill does [is] — price gouging needs to be addressed, including new tools at the [Federal Trade Commission] to address those abuses. Our bill enables the president to issue an energy emergency declaration making it unlawful to increase gas and home energy prices in an exploitative and excessive way, which is part of the business plan of these companies.”

    I prefer “Biden Budget Buster”. But it is a good thing that price controls always work. Always…

    • R C Dean

      So we’re going to cap the profits of cyclical businesses, and then wonder why they go bankrupt when the cycle turns. Oh, wait, we’ll just print a bunch of money to bail them out. Never mind.

    • rhywun

      lowering-costs-for-the-American-people legislation

      Shameless.

      How about legislation to, gee I dunno, cut spending? Cut taxes? Cut regulations? Gut the administrative state?

      What say you, Nancy?

      • ron73440

        Our chocolate ration has been increased by the Ministry of Plenty.

        If you think you were receiving more chocolate last month, report to the Ministry of Love for re-education.

      • R C Dean

        Don’t tell me a certain prominent forest lawyer is the Secretary of the Ministry of Love. . . .

    • hayeksplosives

      This is the same Biden administration that just prevented Alaska to renew sales of its gas and oil drilling lease?

  10. DEG

    the possessions one means to gain, and the tactics one employs to such ends. …. and how many will yet be wiped away.

    /considers gun collection

  11. DEG

    There are a few things I wish I had: a newer car for myself and my wife, a lift in the garage, a house with more land in the middle of nowhere, and some other things along those lines. There are also many things I have that are very nice: I put my truck back together and she is a joy to drive, a large garage with an 80 gallon air compressor and a well stocked tool chest, a house with no neighbors with a half acre on the lake. I try to remind myself that I have about 90% of my wish list and 90% is pretty damn good. If I lost these things, I would be troubled, but I was poor once, I can survive being poor again, if it all goes south.

    I like this.

    • UnCivilServant

      I was poor once.

      I really don’t want to do that again.

      • PieInTheSky

        That is why you need to vote for the democratic party

      • DEG

        #metoo

        But, if I had to, I know I’d come out OK.

    • R C Dean

      If I lost these things, I would be troubled, but I was poor once, I can survive being poor again, if it all goes south.

      That’s pretty much where my head is at these days, as I contemplate retirement in the teeth of some kind of economic unpleasantness.

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Didn’t realize they were using it on smoke damaged houses. Interesting.

      Definitely some scary work practices in those videos.

    • EvilSheldon

      That is awesome. I want one.

    • R C Dean

      I can’t decide if the penny or the safety warning t-shirt is my fave.

    • kinnath

      These show up in my facebook feed every so often.

      They are mesmerizing.

      • robodruid

        battletech pulse lasers in action

    • mikey

      Damn, I wish I’d had one for my car restoration. Rust is worst.

  12. Rebel Scum

    Novel idea: Keep throwing money at it.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is proposing to fight inflation by spending an additional $18.1 billion from the state’s budget surplus, adding money to the economy at a time when there are “too many dollars chasing too few goods.”

    In a plan unveiled Thursday, Newsom’s office released several spending proposals to help Californians with high prices. Many of these are simply redistributive policies that spread money among key Democratic political constituencies, such as nursing staff:

  13. Semi-Spartan Dad

    I try to remind myself that I have about 90% of my wish list and 90% is pretty damn good.

    In a similar vein, I’ve been trying to do more fun activities with the kids as they’re hitting that post-toddler age. Not big ticket things, but just those regular little childhood things they’ll look back on and smile about.

    They’ll never go to a movie theater, so I thought maybe creating a movie night type deal at home. Tonight kicks that off. I got a popcorn machine and even the flavacol salt to recreate that movie theater style. We’ll see if 3 Ninjas aged well. They really like Mario Kart and Smashbrothers on the Switch, but maybe instead we’ll start playing a board game too.

    • Tundra

      This is what winning looks like. Have a great time!

    • ron73440

      That sounds awesome.

    • Nephilium

      I started doing that with my nephews when the eldest turned 6, as his birthday is near the beginning of May, it became a tradition to go to Free Comic Book Day with him (and when his brother got to 6, both nephews). The last two years, FCBD was cancelled or shifted. This year, with the eldest now a surly teenager, they both still wanted to come.

    • Translucent Chum

      We still do deck movie night with our kids – freshman in college and senior in high school. We have some comfy furniture, propane fire table, big TV. It’s a blast. We usually do a comedy and a pick ’em. The daughter chose Young Frankenstein and son chose McClintock! for tonight.

      • Gender Traitor

        You clearly raised your daughter right. You should be proud.

    • DEG

      This sounds excellent.

    • Ted S.

      I try to remind myself that I have about 90% of my wish list and 90% is pretty damn good.

      It sure is

      • ron73440

        The wrong way, but faster?

      • Ted S.

        Gah, it should have been this.

    • DEG

      What could possibly go wrong?

    • CPRM

      It’s FAKE NEWS from a CGI group.

      • kinnath

        Sean’s link wouldn’t load for me. I assumed it was this video.

      • Sean

        Ah, makes more sense.

  14. Rat on a train

    Local derp.
    The struggle continues to restore King George’s former school for Black students

    >There’s also a 73-year-old building deteriorating from lack of usage. Efforts to refurbish the Ralph Bunche High School have been going on for longer than the school housed students.

    The school closed in 1968 and hasn’t been used for any purpose since 1998.

    The county got a $500,000 grant from the National Park Service last summer and Miller hopes efforts could produce similar results going forward.

    Your tax money.

    A second group, the Ralph Bunche Arts and Humanities Center, signed an agreement three years ago with the county—which owns the building—to raise funds to revitalize the school. It planned to open a museum, gallery and performing arts venue, with space for classrooms as well as catered events.

    Because there had been other unsuccessful attempts to renovate the building, the Board of Supervisors set financial benchmarks so the project wouldn’t languish. When the first of those benchmarks came due and the RBAHC had raised only $10,000 of $2 million pledged, the county let the agreement expire last year.

    Obviously taxpayers need to pay for your vision.

  15. Rebel Scum

    So you are for to say that we are Finnished here.

    Russia will halt power supply to Finland on Saturday due to lack of payment.

    According to Reuters, Russian utility Inter RAO will suspend the power supply to Finland due to non-payment since May 6.

    The Finnish grid company said it can replace Russian electricity supply by importing more electricity from Sweden.

    Sweden and Finland are both looking to join NATO.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      Everybody thinks this is another WWII. What happens when it turns out to be WWI redux?

      • Sean

        Remakes are all the rage these days.

        Now, with more trannies and diversity!

      • R.J.

        Wrong comment. This is the pun thread.

      • Sean

        Stop trying to spark a narrowed gaze.

      • R.J.

        I clearly failed to poke the tiger.

      • UnCivilServant

        Don’t go lion to me now.

      • Gender Traitor

        Swissy certainly turns the narrowed gaze on ocelot.

    • R.J.

      That will be a Swede Finnish to all this business.

      • Rebel Scum

        There’s Norway anything bad could happen.

      • trshmnstr the terrible

        Swiss is gonna narrow his gaze and Denmark this thread for a serious SMITHing.

      • Swiss Servator

        *Texts STEVE SMITH*

        *NARROWS GAZE*

      • DEG

        I bid on a Finnish-marked Swede m96 once. I lost the auction. Beautiful rifle though.

  16. The Late P Brooks

    “Pay attention to what’s in front of you—the principle, the task, or what’s being portrayed.”

    Pick something, and do it, I say. That would be a good start. Things are, shall we say, in flux, and I am not at all confident of an outcome wholly in my favor.

  17. Sean

    Oh great! A job applicant showed up for an interview!

    He’s wearing a mask. 🙄

    • R.J.

      Rubber Halloween mask?
      Gimp mask?
      Both would be acceptable.
      Cloth mask GTFO.

    • Rebel Scum

      Unless it is a plague doctor mask, turn him away.

    • Gender Traitor

      If it’s a Zorro mask, hire him!

    • R.J.

      *Man in white overalls and a bowler hat walks in
      *He raises a penis nose mask to his face
      *Music starts

      https://vimeo.com/49553745

    • DEG

      Barf.

    • hayeksplosives

      I confess I’ve been tossing the resumes that announce the applicant pronouns right in the trash.

      • DEG

        Good idea.

      • UnCivilServant

        Thankfully, I haven’t seen that yet.

        But I’d have to go through carefuly phrasing of justifications to exclude a candidate to avoid the appearance of illegal bias.

      • Timeloose

        I don’t get my jock in a bunch if some professional asked me to refer to them formally as some pro-noun, except I don’t refer to anyone by their pronoun if they work for or with me.

        What’s you name bub? “Bill”….. “OK your Bill…are we done here.” Same conversation if their name was Trudy, or Werewolf.

        How ever, I would never hire anyone on purpose who put their preferred pronouns on a resume.

        This is a place of business if you can do the job and get along with everyone for the most part I don’t care what your politics are. If you put your pronouns on your emails and correspondence you are going to most likely be a closeted PITA, no matter how well you do your job. This also applies if you use a title on a resume where I can see your degrees. This is my opinion based on real world exposure.

      • ron73440

        This also applies if you use a title on a resume where I can see your degrees

        Why do you hate Dr. Jill?

      • ron73440

        Why would you do that to yourself?

      • Ted S.

        Because it’s one segment in a half-hour program, and I don’t know how bad one or another of the segments is going to be unless I see it’s a repeat of a feature previously aired.

        The Radio Prague program I listened to today had a really interesting feature about Archaeological research into Bronze Age Bohemia.

      • Sensei

        I agree. Stuff unrelated to professional qualifications on a resume means PITA to work with and suggests caution.

        For professional qualifications it depends on what the role of the person is and if it is inward or outward facing.

      • Sensei

        You made me Google if this was being actively encouraged.

        It doesn’t appear that it is. Most of the “experts” realize that it could be problematic as well as potentially helpful. The “helpful” part being if your pronoun preference is part and parcel of your professional identity you may as well find an employer that feels the same otherwise you and the employer are unlikely to be happy together.

        While common outside the US a picture on a resume is general no no here because of the potential for discrimination. Many large employers still reject any application that comes with a photo so as to avoid an allegations. OTH, with Linkedin and personal social media this seems to be a bit of relic of the past.

      • R.J.

        <== Points to avatar. Ooooh! That explains why I don’t get callbacks.

      • rhywun

        Along those lines… why not remove all personally identifiable information from a resume? You don’t need to know my name or where I live or anything like that to make a decision. Hell, in many companies my first name is a strike against me.

      • Sensei

        I’ve worked some companies where they’ve done exactly that. Cut the candidates name and contact information completely off the resume.

        This was pre-internet days however. Now I’m going to want to do the Linkedin shuffle now. You can pretty much find somebody in your contact list who knows somebody else who knows the candidate.

      • Fatty Bolger

        Yeah, I’ve seen that where HR cuts off that kind of information before sending the resume to the hiring manager. They will also reformat it so no resume is “prettier” than any other, they’re all just text in the exact same font.

      • Tundra

        But Adolph is such a pretty name!

      • rhywun

        There it is.

      • ron73440

        Hell, in many companies my first name is a strike against me.

        Parents shouldn’t have named you Adolph.

      • ron73440

        Damn you Tundra!!!

      • Tundra

        ?

      • R.J.

        *Raises hand.
        Rasputin Jacksoffabitch here. I say my full name and people ask me to leave their place of employment.

      • Ted S.

        To be fair, who wants to work with the Welsh?

      • rhywun

        Joke’s on you. My real first name is associated with a different immediately-identifiable ethnicity.

      • Swiss Servator

        “K’mpec”

        He’s Klingon.

      • R C Dean

        Haysoos?

      • R C Dean

        I just got two resumes for the leading candidates for my job. A chick and a dude. No pronouns. The chick included her pic (sorry, pervs, it was the standard-issue professional headshot).

        Holy crap, are these resumes long. I always kept mine to two pages, maybe a little more on the last one. These are 4 1/2 and nearly 4 pages. Pretty much free of what I would consider red flags – the chick does throw our “diverse” a couple times, but that’s probably just good marketing in this job market. I dumped one semi-qualifed resume for my Associate GC because it was rotten with DEI committees and whatnot.

      • rhywun

        I would not willingly consider anything over two pages long. Nobody is that fucking “qualified”.

  18. Rebel Scum

    Saying the quiet part out loud.

    House Majority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer:

    “It it unfortunate that in a time of war, we spend all the time blaming our own president.”

    • R.J.

      You can pretty much blame that guy for everything except teenage acne at this point. What hasn’t he tripped over and fucked up? His own President said not to under estimate Joe’s ability to fuck things up.

    • trshmnstr the terrible

      “Whycome traditional political stunts no work anymore?”

      /high level representative of the faction that blew up the traditional political system and replaced it with chaos

    • R C Dean

      We’re not at war. Or did I miss the Congressional session declaring war?

      • robc

        We haven’t been at war since 1945.

      • ron73440

        We haven’t been at war since 1945.

        That’s why it’s the Department of Defense instead of the Department of War now.

      • R.J.

        We’ve been at defense since 1945.

      • rhywun

        Department of Defend Yourselves, Here We Come

      • Scruffy Nerfherder

        Lol

  19. Rebel Scum

    Boss.

    Governor DeSantis on Monday signed a bill designating Nov. 7 as “Victims of Communism Day.”

    • R.J.

      I love that. It is much needed. That will have huge support in Florida.

  20. Aloysious

    Ron, this series that you do is a treat. Thank you.

    • ron73440

      Glad you like it.

  21. The Late P Brooks

    “It it unfortunate that in a time of war, we spend all the time blaming our own president.”

    If we are at war, let’s get on with it, instead of issuing schoolyard taunts.

    • hayeksplosives

      Biden (or any president), you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.

      No leadership.

  22. ron73440
  23. hayeksplosives

    I used to think Iohns Hopkins was respectable, but this strikes me as an ill-advised hiring choice.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10813233/Trans-professor-DEFENDED-pedophiles-minor-attracted-persons-hired-Johns-Hopkins-center.html

    The trans Old Dominion professor who was forced to resign after they defended pedophiles by saying society should refer to them as ‘Minor Attracted Persons’ has been hired by Johns Hopkins University.

    Get this: “they” is being hired into Hopkins’ MOORE CENTER FOR PREVENTION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE!!!

    • rhywun

      What is that gaping maw, fake “smile” called again? There’s a meme about it.

      • rhywun

        Found it. The “nu-male smile“, among other appellations.

      • MikeS

        “Soylent Grin”

        Heh

    • Scruffy Nerfherder

      Speaking as a graduate, Hopkins is a lost cause and has been for a while. I’ll never donate to them again.

  24. Rebel Scum

    I’m very confused. But so are they.

    This wins the award for most-woke activism.

    Generation hope markets these “inspiring videos” to “change makers” like the Diversity, Equity, & inclusion departments.

    They believe it’s still 1840.

    Not one use of the word “nigger”. Weak.

    • ron73440

      Come on, that can’t be real.

      • Rebel Scum

        It’s like unaware self-parody because proggies are that racist and absurd. It’s parody inception.

      • ron73440

        parody inception

        I like it.

    • Rebel Scum

      Moar.

      This is Woke porn

      The studio’s target audience: DEI trainings for workplaces and schools.

      It’s impossible not to laugh at the absurdity of how they view the world.

      They bill this as a “a real-life situation”

    • hayeksplosives

      She has terrible whip technique. They had to dub in the whip crack sounds because slamming a whip into the dirt like that doesn’t cut it.

    • Sean

      I can’t even with that.

    • rhywun

      OFFS!

    • Fatty Bolger

      Looks like a knock off of the Dhar Mann’s videos, they even use the same look on the title screens. I’d never heard of them until about a week ago, when one popped up in my YouTube recommended list. It was a film about a Mom getting on her kids for spending too much time playing games and using their devices, but eventually she relents (with some encouragement from Dad). The kids grow up and make a video game together, making them rich. They pay off Mom and Dad’s house and cars, and take them on a trip to Hawaii. VERY cheesy, but with pretty realistic dialogue and issues for parents/kids of that age (definitely recognized a lot of things I, my wife, and my kids have said over the years) and decentish acting.

  25. Sensei

    Remember folks the NADA and 50 state dealer franchise laws are all about making sure evil corporations don’t screw mom and pop businesses. They also, conveniently, make it very hard for new auto manufacturers to enter the US.

    Dealer Demands $100K Markup on 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06

  26. Sensei

    The Bee comes through again.

    Lobbyists Concerned Over Rising Cost Of Politicians

    “We got comfortable,” confessed Exxon Mobil Lobbyist Flitch Vandersneed. “We thought D.C. would always continue being a wretched hive of graft and corruption where we could buy and sell congressmen for cheap. Now, with inflation and increased competition from China, it can cost millions to buy out a corrupt senator to vote our way on a bill.”