Around the blogs

After our post-election hiatus, here are a lot more interesting posts from the blogosphere.  Speaking of the election, there were several thought-provoking ponderings, among them the following:

• Library-Griffon, writing at The Ichneumon, vents about what's coming our way.
• Brigid considers beliefs in the context of politics, and concludes that the former trump the latter.  I couldn't agree more!
• My friend Gay Cynic considers options for resistance.
• Mike Vanderboegh at Sipsey Street Irregulars brings us a very relevant passage by the immortal H. L. Mencken.
• Anthony Martin "wouldn't bet a plug nickel for the survival of the United States of America".  I'm not that pessimistic, but he makes a strong case for his point of view.
• Rev. Donald Sensing believes that "The permanent sunset of the Republican party is begun".
• The Adaptive Curmudgeon has all sorts of fun with political callers.

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In honor of Veterans Day last Sunday, Dr. Grumpy brings us the heart-warming story of a proud four-legged veteran.

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I don't get too much feedback from readers about how they're using (or not using) my series of articles on emergency preparedness (see the list in the sidebar).  I was therefore very pleased to read how another blogger applied one of my articles to helping a friend prepare for Hurricane Sandy.  It's good to know that at least some of you find them useful!

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Joe Huffman uses a cartoon to point out the essential uselessness of the 'security theater' that is the TSA.

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Dustbury looks at the online dating limbo, where a man set up a fake female profile on a dating site and waited for replies.  It didn't take long . . .

He also links to another blogger's list of things her friends should do when she dies.  Interesting, quirky and frequently funny.

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Speaking of death, I came across a sobering but fascinating blog titled 'Diary Of A Sad Widow'.  As a clergyman I had to provide what comfort I could to bereaved people and families, so this subject is of pressing personal interest.  The author is chronicling the first year of her bereavement after her husband died in August.  Here's an example of her writing - deliberately chosen because it expresses the reality of the shock of losing a loved one better than almost anything I've read before.

Widows used to wear veils to block their view of the world; I’m wearing an invisible one.  Everything is fuzzy, the world is out of focus, and the edges blurred.  The color scheme of my life has changed to gray.  Everything is gray.  The knife-sharp blue brightness of the first few weeks is gone.  I’m more in control, less likely to break down without warning.  Our wedding picture still sits on my shelf at work, but I can look at it now without crying or even tearing up.  I have very little emotion now, about anything.  Mostly I just float through the day, a few laughs, a few smiles, none of it really meaning much.

This is not me.  I’m an emotional person, a terrible poker player, someone who can’t hide joy, pain, anger.  I need these emotions.  They are fuel for my life.  I’m running more slowly, everything dulled.  Friends compliment me on how strong I am, how capable, what a great job I’m doing.

I know this is not good, it is dangerous and unhealthy and a trap.  Feeling nothing is suppressing what I need to do, which is to feel everything: grief at your loss, anger at why it wasn’t prevented, sadness at the loss of our marriage, guilt at what I could have done better, joy for the fact that we did find each other, even if for less time than we had hoped.

So often, I was angry with you, for the way you choked back your emotions, for that unwillingness to face things that might be unpleasant or hard. I watched you turn anger into inaction, grief into depression and tried to get you engaged and moving and feeling.  You only trusted the good and happy emotions, never realizing that emotions, just like food, need to be balanced.

Now, here I am, perhaps doing an unwitting homage to you through my new inability to feel much of anything.  I really, really don’t like this.  I’m terribly afraid of being stuck in this state of eternal fall grayness.  I’d prefer anything else; winter with its sharp, cold brightness, spring full of wet, messy starts, summer’s lush, almost overwhelming ripeness.  Anything other than this gray, dull, fuzz.

There's much more at the blog.  Recommended reading.

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Og, the Neanderpundit, opines on possible uses for hibernating chipmunks.

(Gigglesnort!)

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The Senior shares a handy Excel spreadsheet he uses to calculate food storage for emergency preparation purposes.  He also provides a downloadable version.  Very useful.

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The Silicon Graybeard points out that our bureaucratic overlords in Washington are about to regulate our dishwashers into uselessness (much as they're planning to do to our washing machines).  I'm thinking it's about time for tar, feathers and rails . . .

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The Rifleman's Journal offers 'A Short History of Long Range Shooting in the United States'.  It's a lengthy article, but very interesting.  Highly recommended.

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Last but not least, Dr. Whitecoat looks at the controversy over government funding of contraception and asks, 'What about men?'

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That's all for this week.  More soon!

Peter