We started talking about "Italy, 2020", and calmed me down about traveling in a group of people. I have a permission slip to do what I want, when we're there. (Am I being a grumpy old man, or a spoiled child?)

Chris'&Mike's house, setting up for a party last week. When the Autumn leaves hit, we're hoping to get some nice photos of the place for hanging.

Getting to (long) overdue stair and wall repairs this week.

Today's best sentences (from a PG Woodhouse tale):

He had a shotgun in his hand, and this he was pointing in a negligent sort of way to my third waistcoat button. I gathered from his manner that he was one of those fellows who like firing from the hip.

Housework: Well, work is almost done around here, at least for this year. All that's left is to install the two living room floorboard radiators (tomorrow), replacing the big iron ones from 1940. Living room and basement (where the plumbing is) are a mess right now.

Another Lens: it's an addiction, I have always admitted to. Yesterday I bought a 1980's lens (Kiron 28mm,f2.0 in Minolta MD mount). Did homework before actually dropping my $90 on it - lens has an excellent reputation. I "need" a lens like I "need" another hole in my head, but we addicts are driven people.

Diet: doing well adding more mediteranean stuff to my food. But I am not a "strict vegan" or whatever.
Breakfast today was one large egg&cheese omelet, wheat bread brushed with olive oil and a shot of espresso.

Democracy: is it time to call it quits?

Driven by my disgust of current politics and how much we (Americans) hate each other, I ask myself "Why is democracy - 'government by the people' - such a freaking mess? Has democracy outlived it's historical moment of glory?"

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In the year 507 B.C., the Athenian leader Cleisthenes introduced a system of political reforms that he called demokratia, or "rule by the people". It was the first known democracy in the world. ..... The Greek system of direct democracy would pave the way for representative democracies across the globe.

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Democracy is a great and effective concept, in my opinion, when the population is relatively small, not terribly diverse in sub-cultures and is well-educated, or at least well-informed and thoughtful.
I feel that democracy is not a good system for a large, very diverse population where many people are mis-informed and/or don't like to think on their own (they need to follow a herd). And I think that's where we (US) are today. Too many misinformed (but opinionated) people who join a herd and stay with it for better or worse.

Today, there are 158,000,000 voters in the US (there were only 40,000 voters back in ancient Greece), countless diverse subcultures made up of people who must follow one herd or another, and are driven by the mis-information the glean from (God save the Queen) Twitter, Instagram, "some guy on Facebook", etc etc.

So the picture has emerged in my mind is that democracy in the US has outlived it's 230 years of well-deserved glory.

Drugs: Eliquis is up to $520/mo (retail price) and I have fallen through the "donut hole" or the "rabbit hole" or whatever it's called, and I cough up $120/mo for the stuff (on top of the $75/mo I pay for "prescrition drug coverage").

This is not the worst drug cost story out there, but it's mine and it sucks. I understand why people skip taking their drugs now and then. Not to mention the folks that have no medical insurance - they just die, I guess? God Bless America.

...... average annual costs per person hit $10,345 in 2016. In 1960, the average cost per person was only $146 - and, adjusting for inflation, that means costs are nine times higher now than they were then.

Turned on My Implant Today

The big event was today and it well extremely well: Turn-On #2

Here're 2 photos from yesterday's "European Motorcycles" lawn event at the Lars Anderson Museum. Hoping to post more later this week.

I'm learning some new tricks using The GIMP photo editor, so picture making is slow going these days.