This theme hits home with me. This early offender had a heart attack last October, the 22nd. And yes, I do in part blame obsessive worrying about a bleak future for my grandchildren due to easily avoidable mistakes. (Particularly the One Big Ass . . .)

As a person who invested his own money to become a trained energy economist and now a thirty year practitioner I have always been amazed at people (mostly on the left, but not exclusively) who treat what I have to say about energy policy like a preference for italian over french food. I tell them, you listen to what a doctor tells you about medicine, don’t you? The answer is, not really, not any more. Anyway I end up feeling like Cassandra, watching a clearly viewed and gloomy future coming at me, while Troy parties on. So I get a great relief from the BC with like minded people; Buddy, Doug, Habu, Whiskey, geoffgo, eggplant, LOTM, charles, Nahncee, and the m.c., wretch of course. You are all invaluable.

Joseph Sturkey @103 reprimanded conservatives for mysticism. . . well sir, we honor what is good in life. If you have never had a religious or spiritual experience, too bad. A serious religious person is not out to convert or proselytize you. But if you think that means we will keep our culture of love and life out of the public square and national political life, you are wrong. I loved your Ayn Rand quote too. I think her view of liberty and ethics flows (although without acknowledgment) as much from the Judeo-Christian ethos as the Enlightenment. This segues very nicely for me because I wanted to mention that the sales level of “Atlas Shrugged” is another hopeful sign that America may wise up in time.