Guardedly Pessimistic:Can the Sundial Be Turned Back?

I have been told that I am pessimistic. Guilty as charged. I still think that things can get better, but the path to this better future is filled with rocks and a sheer cliff on one side. Thus I refer to myself as guardedly pessimistic. I obviously did not invent this term, yet when you search this term my blog gets top billing.

I ran across a quote from I, Cladius, the PBS miniseries I religiously watched in the 70's. The quote sums up why I am pessimistic. I learned a lot from the series, like the health benefits of farting and belching. I also learned of the strong relationship between the Imperial family and the Jewish aristocracy of the time, like King Herod's family. The corruption of Rome was portrayed accurately and in horrific detail.

The quote is from Livia, grandmother of the hero of the series and wife of Emperor Augustus, an all around blackguard.

And it’s no use arguing with you republicans. You refuse to see that one can no more reintroduce republican government at this stage than one can reimpose primitive feelings of chastity on modern wives and husbands. It’s like trying to turn the shadow back on the sundial: it can’t be done.

While it took 400 years for Rome to fall, it did fall. Can the sundial be turned back? Can the sundial be turned back to renewed unquestioned US international dominance? Absolutely. Will it? Should it?

I doubt it. History has moved on.

Interview with Jim Grant

Señor Healthcare

If you think I am pessimistic, you should read this article from Forbes:

The Trustees of the Medicare program have released their annual report on the solvency of the program. They calculate that the program is “expected to remain solvent until 2024, the same as last year’s estimate.” But what that headline obfuscates is that Obamacare’s tax increases and spending cuts are counted towards the program’s alleged “deficit-neutrality,” Medicare is to go bankrupt in 2016. And if you listen to Medicare’s own actuary, Richard Foster, the program’s bankruptcy could come even sooner than that. 

What? Three years? Can this be right? 

Exercise will reduce future medical expenses. I am not ready yet. I think it was in the early 80's that I understood that I would be on my own when I was older—no help from the government. At the time philosophically this made sense to me, and it still does. I have tried to be ready for this, but I have not yet finished my preparations. Are you ready? Do you really expect the government to cut you a check every month until you die? Even a great skeptic like me expected a few years of senior welfare. Instead I think we will have señor welfare where large number of seniors with moderate means go to southern countries and pay cash for their health care—saving about 80% of the cost. For me this would be Russia. 

My wife was recently charged $1000 for antacid at the hospital. This was after the insurance paid their part.

What can't go on, won't go on. Are you ready for the coming crisis? I do not know how or when it will start, but it will come eventually. I have been saying 3 to 7 years if the current trends continue. I have been guardedly pessimistic and hope for a series of mini reforms to keep the wolf from the door. But it looks to me like the wolf is already in the house and in bed pretending to be grandma. 

If you are my age, I am 58, be sure to treat your children with respect—they do have that spare bedroom now that your grandchild has left. That bed might look pretty good in a few years. 

When will it break?

If You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!

Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there. WILL ROGERS

There is a certain virtue in patience, but there does come a time to act. If you never change your oil, your car will do fine for a while. But eventually it will stop. If you are anything like me then you have several areas where a little action is in order.

It might be as simple as getting up 15 minutes earlier than your norm, along with going to bed a half hour early, as many of us are not getting enough sleep. I like Jay Leno as much as the next guy, but sleep is better.

What will you do with that 15 minutes? I suggest that instead of hurrying your morning and rushing to Starbucks for a coffee and a pastry on the way to work, or worse a McMuffin, that you make breakfast.

I know you are dying to know what your favorite blogger had for breakfast this morning. I doubt it takes me 5 minutes. I make Senseo coffee, about three cups. I add a little stevia and use a little half and half. The result is a good imitation of a $5 cup of coffee at Starbucks. My coffee does not cost $1. Then I start making the oatmeal. I begin with a scoop of soy powder. (I realize that I just lost a portion of my readers as soy is controversial in some circles, but maybe in another post I will mention the benefits of soy for men with prostate issues.) I add a little stevia, 2 Brazil nuts, and 8 almonds. I then put in 1/4 cup of oatmeal and 1/4 cup of a high fiber cereal called Sensato. I would prefer a product without artificial sweeteners like Sensato has, but right now this works for me. I add one cup of hot water, stir, and let it set for a minute. I then microwave it for 45 seconds. I add the left over half and half (1/2 cup for both) to the oatmeal. Yum.

While it may be, (and is!), somewhat anal to talk about my breakfast, I do so to make two points.

First one can eat oatmeal on a low carb food plan. My breakfast is 23% protein, 22% carbohydrate, and 55% fat, very close to my planned eating of 25, 25, 50 for the day. I know that many of my friends are on various low carb eating plans, (no diets, it has the word die in it) so this idea might help them incorporate more fiber into their diet. This is a big, and valid, criticism of a low carb lifestyle. My breakfast just gave me 9 out of the 22 grams of fiber I am told we need. (I will later eat a Quest bar which will provide most of the rest.)

The second reason is that I am convinced there is great value in thinking about the details of our individual lives. We tend to coast through life, and then wonder where it went. Inertia is the great ally of the system, or as I call it, Babylon. What decisions you make are your decisions, make them. Or as Yogi Berra said, if you come to a fork in the road, take it.

Every day we come to many decision trees. Do not necessarily go along with the crowd—think about your choices and make some changes if you need to. Relatively minor changes add up. Making breakfast for yourself is a lot more important than you think.

Oh, what do I do with that extra ten minutes I gained by getting up a little earlier? Many of my friends have made the commitment to go through the Bible in a year. I have joined them. I have purchased the Bible Experience on CD and listen to it as I eat and drink my coffee. We modern humans have the historically unusual ability to read, or listen, to God's word. If you think the Bible is God's word, are you acting on that belief?

Find out where you need to make changes. Make those changes. Act now. 

Update on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 at 1:56PM by [Positive Dennis]

I wanted to add two points. First my Senseo machine died and I have switched to a different coffee machine, I am not happy. Second I have for the time bine eliminated oatmeal from my diet as I am gluten sensitive. 

Dancing Rita

I thought I would post another one of these old movie clips set to modern music. Enjoy.