Barack Obama on Wokeness
Barack Obama was preparing us for the current onslaught of Wokeness:
You Can Live Without Toilet Paper — And Be Cleaner for It
As I watched stories of people hoarding toilet paper during the pandemic, wiping out entire stores, I felt secure that the meagre five rolls that I have in my own house would last me quite a while, even indefinitely.
Two years ago, I gave up most toilet paper use. I found something cleaner, cheaper, and more comfortable. It’s also more convenient, as I don’t have to keep buying it – at least not very often. I use a homemade bidet and I love it! I especially appreciate my bidet when I am stuck in bathrooms where toilet paper is my only option.
The bidet (pronounced bid-day) is a bathroom fixture that washes your crotch after you use the toilet.
In some countries, a bidet is a separate fixture that sits right next to the toilet. There are also many types of bidets that can be retrofitted to any toilet seat. Some are simple and other bidets are super fancy models with heated seats, warm water, adjustable jet sprayers and air dryer – all powered with a remote control. A bidet is like a car wash for your bottom.
I considered installing a simple bidet on my toilet, but then it occurred to me that bidets essentially squirt water. That’s not plumbing science. Lots of things can squirt water. I did a little research and found some squeezable plastic lab bottles with bent squirt nozzles. They were $4 each. Perfect. Then I went to a thrift store and found some cheap but luxuriously soft washcloths. Now before you get grossed out – bear with me. What I’m doing is way more hygienic than what you’re doing with toilet paper!
After peeing, instead of wiping with dry toilet paper, I rinse off with water from my squeeze bottle bidet and pat dry with a soft dry washcloth. The first time I tried my system, I was amazed at how much better and cleaner it felt than toilet paper. It was like walking out of a shower and toweling off. It’s kind of luxurious.
Ok . . . so what about pooping? I do use toilet paper for that, but just a fraction of the amount I used to use. When cleaning with a stream of water first, I only need a very small amount of toilet paper to finish the job. I have considered a system that uses dry washcloths for that too, and probably will. Having washed cloth diapers when my kids were little, I know that this system is doable and not anywhere near as gross as you’d imagine. I’ll get to that in a moment.
I use my squirt bottle bidet in my master bathroom and it was an easy experiment because I’m the only who uses that bathroom. The only thing keeping me from putting it my guest bathroom is that it’s a little awkward to tell guests how to wipe.
But change is initially changing a mindset and then changing habits.
Why Flu Shots Rarely Match the Current Flu, and Why You Should Get One
As any science guy recognizes, evolution is a fact of life. If an environment is inhospitable to a population, that population dwindles and another prevails. Flu shots are designed every year to prevent the premier emerging strains that are likely to become dangerous, either through virulence in the body, or…
The Most Recent False Justification for War
Of course there is no evidence that there was any imminent attack, even according to Mark Esper, the U.S. Defense Secretary. That's because Trump's claim of "self-defense" was torn right out the well-worn US Playbook of War Justifications. It's the chapter right after the two chapters dealing with "The Gulf of Tonkin" and "Weapons of Mass Destruction."
When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. The U.S has such a enormous arsenal of war machines that it makes military actions an almost irresistible temptation. It feels so good to do something--almost anything--rather than doing nothing. The focussing illusion makes launching an attack feel like the right thing to do even when the big picture shows that a killing of a prominent leader of a country could stir up massive intense hatred toward the United States. Trump's inner circle of warmongers (which apparently might not include Esper) are true believers that a show of military force is powerful, effective and bitter medicine for Iran. Maybe so, but those who stir up intense hatred should be careful when their country has thousands of soft targets (schools, shopping centers, airport lobbies, banks, stadiums) that are realistically indefensible. And this is especially true in that we also have dozens of realistically indefensible big cities that could be horrifically paralyzed by dirty bombs, biological weapons and cyber attacks well within the means of a technologically sophisticated country like Iran.
I'm sure that Trump felt really happy--probably orgasmic-- when he killed Qassim Suleimani. But based on how he has handled many things, including North Korea, I am fairly certain that he didn't think through the long term consequences of that feel-good moment.
Quotes about Parenting
My two daughters are now living far away, attending college. I thought it might be a good time to reflect on what it means to be a parent. I looked hard for some quotes that reflected my experiences:
"Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories. " John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester (1647-1680)
"One thing I had learned from watching chimpanzees with their infants is that having a child should be fun." Jane Goodall
"Parenting without a sense of humor is like being an accountant who sucks at math.” —Amber Dusick, blogger
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