Lost in Translation

I think I included both. Rent control consumes the landlord's profits, disincentivizing him from maintaining the property above the minimum level. This harms the landlord and the tenant. Minimum wage cuts into the business owner's profits, hampering his ability to hire employees and it eliminates low skilled jobs that are needed by those just entering the job market. Well meaning legislators may think they are helping but generally they don't. The free market has a way of maximizing good even though it may not always look that way on the surface.

Someone once said "a wise man hears of Tao and practices diligently every day, an average man hears of Tao and thinks of it at some times and forgets it at others, and a foolish man hears of Tao and laughs out loud. If the foolish man did not laugh it would not be Tao." I suppose the same could be true of Alkufa. Stranger things have happened...

Does it look like this?

This is quite unfortunate but it a hallmark of much well-meaning legislation. For example rent control starts off good until the landlord stops maintaining the building and it turns into a slum. Minimum wage is good until it eliminates jobs that young people need to get their start in the labor market.

Lima, you are a very strange man. 😝

My cat is dying. A blood clot came loose and lodged in his right foreleg. He's lame in that leg and in pain. The vet suggested I put him down. The other option was to put him in hospital while the doctors attempted to treat him, with the understanding the the underlying problem would remain and further clots were likely. I was crushed. I had thought it was a simple sprain. Yes, he's an old cat, but a blood clot? I told the doctor to give him pain killers and I took him home to rest. The drugs ease his visible pain. He spends most of his time sleeping. This is only a temporary measure. He's dying. There is no denying that. The only question is will I have the strength to give the order to put him down when his pain grows too great, or will he mercifully pass on his own before I am forced to choose? Equanimity. It's easy to talk about, then someone you love is stricken and the forces of heaven call your bluff. It's not easy.

Cat.

Last I was in BC the B&B owner mentioned this. It seems the tax is a response to a lot of Chinese owners who buy property and sit on it until their kids go to college or they retire. Lots of houses sit vacant apparently. This B&B was in a neighborhood where about 2/3 houses were empty, and these are large McMansions in an older part of town so it wasn't new construction. The world is changing...

Go to bed early. I mean really early. Plop your bod in bed at 9:00 PM. Stay in bed until 6:00 AM, or whenever you are supposed to get up. Don't worry if it's boring. Do it anyway. And no television in bed. If you really can't sleep then drink one ounce (no more, no less) of 40% whiskey and 12 ounces of water before going to bed at 9:00 PM sharp!

That sucks. A friend told me about a nightmare tenant of his uncle. The tenant kept knocking holes in the walls and calling the house "unlivable". He stopped paying rent until the holes were fixed. After fixing them he'd knock new holes in walls. Long story short he lived rent free for over a year, and my friend's uncle had to pay thousands of dollars to get him to move. The kicker: California took the renters side. Unbelievable.

It has been five days and no one has seen him. I went to the local SPCA and animal control center. Nothing. At his age and health it is possible he's alive, but it would be a miracle. I don't think he is. The hardest part is not knowing, but that's a cat for you - very private creatures. Cat's final lesson to me: You can't heal suffering without first experiencing suffering. I love you, cat. Good bye.

Is "ONE" available yet?

I think I'll wait until someone changes their name then take their old name. God, that will be confusing!

From Ta Chuan to armpit farts. Taoists are weird.

Ain't nuthin' gross about Gwen!

I would expect an ALPHA male to know.

I wish you a safe flight and happy travels!

This is good, an excellent insight.

That's a good book. I've read almost all his books. I also recommend The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and Starship Troopers.

Oooh, the gauntlet has been dropped!

Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein. Dune, by Frank Herbert. Tarzan of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Three amazing books that should be required reading for any teenage mind.

I ran the numbers above through a spreadsheet to calculate the first I Ching number. Count 28 Count of 2s 5 Count of 3s 23 Percent of 2s 17.86% Percent of 3s 82.14% You'll recall that the only way to receive an initial 2 is with a sum of 9, e.g. 1+4+4. There are three ways to achieve a 3 (sum of 5), e.g. 1+3+1, 1+2+2, 1+1+3. So the textbook example says there is a 25% chance of finding an initial 2. However, from your numbers we see a 17.86% chance of finding an initial 2. This is an example of how the textbook percentages vary from the real world usage we had discussed in other threads. Please keep us informed of your additional tests. I'm curious to see where this leads.

Three days ago I fed the cat his dinner with cream. I picked him up, petted him, groomed his face, and placed him gently on the ground. He looked fine, all things considered, and wanted out so I opened the door and watched him step onto the porch. I haven't seen him since. Neither have my neighbors. I fear the end has come. I try to hold out hope but it's difficult. The last three weeks have been borrowed time. I have enjoyed every single moment. Please let the cat be OK, and if his life is over I pray the end was quick.

Quite true! There can be no shadow without an object to cast it. When that happens one side of the object must be bathed in light. To lament the shadow is to also lament the light.