Swami is under water

I received a funny email from Jim M yesterday regarding my soothsaying abilities in reference to the recent SCOTUS ruling:

Better get a new brand of tea for when you do your next"read".

I guess when I read the tea leaves so publicly, I should expect a certain amount of blowback when my divination goes astray.

However Jim is right, I certainly didn't see this one coming. Roberts rises up a notch in my book with his newfound independent break from the eastern wing of the court . Last time he gets invited to the company picnic.

Of course the toughest part of the Affordable Care Act is the burden it puts on doctors who are already underfunded by Medicare. Where are they going to get the money to take care of these patients?

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The Texas GOP has just ascended to a new exalted state with their new platform that opposes the teaching of critical thinking.

We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.

Imagine. A Republican party that is against critical thinking?

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I had a fright last month when my water bill on the building where we work came in. It had doubled. The utility district sent Todd, a very nice supervisor out and he put a new highly accurate meter on this month to try to get a more accurate read. For years my bill, which covers three units, one not even my own, rose to $150 last month from the normal $75.

When I got my bill from the Fallbrook Public Utility District the day before yesterday, I just about had a coronary. Take a look.

$8743.76 smackers. For three bathrooms and a sink. I am starting to sweat. Could there be an underground leak destined to scuttle my ship?

Because at 8k a month this boat was going down.

Dark thoughts of conspiracy started dog paddling in my head. Is this what happens when one publishes unfavorable anonymous letters about the local municipality on one's blog? Small town justice? Very old school. I made a few frantic calls. Nine hundred thousand gallons would theoretically submerge several football fields three feet deep and was a feat even beyond whatever karmic debt I have managed to acquire. Got the all clear yesterday. Technical error. Whew!

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Went to the best restaurant in North County with good friends last night for the waning days of fois gras. Vincents in Escondido. Such a shame. We had two, a pate with prosciutto and fig and a warm liver with poached pears. Then confit and a tart.

I read recently of free range ducks chasing the farmer around the barnyard, loudly requesting their gullets be filled with the grainy goodness. What will the poor normal sized liver birds do now?

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DeGoff sent this over a few weeks ago, worth pondering:

Below is a  brilliant and humorous response to the notion that the bible is the ultimate justification for any conflicting viewpoint in this day and age. Owning A Canadian On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, written by a U.S. man, and posted on the Internet. It's funny, as well as informative: Dear Dr. Laura: Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination ... End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how to follow them. 1. Leviticus 25:44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians? 2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? 3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of Menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. 4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them? 5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it? 6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination, Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination? 7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here? 8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.  How should they die? 9. I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves? 10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them?  Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14) I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I'm confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging. Your adoring fan, James M. Kauffman, Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. Of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education University of Virginia P.S. It would be a damn shame if we couldn't own a Canadian.

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Hopefully this won't sound too snarky but isn't Colorado Springs the headquarters of Focus on the Family? You would think James Dobson would have some special in that could keep these sorts of things from happening...