JOBSEARCH: DOD’s TA is just the first of many benefits to go

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-death-of-tuition-assistance-redux.html

SATURDAY, MARCH 09, 2013

The Death of Tuition Assistance, Redux

*** begin quote ***

We called it almost eighteen months ago, and it looks like our prediction is coming true. This week, both the Marine Corps and the Army announced an immediate halt to the tuition assistance (TA) program for active duty personnel, members of the Army National Guard and reservists. The cessation of benefits–which was blamed on sequestration–eliminates tuition payments for off-duty education programs.

Under the now-halted program, Marines and soldiers received up to $4,500 a year for voluntary education programs. Tuition assistance paid 100% of tuition costs, up to $750 a course, with benefits being capped at the annual limit. As of this writing, members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Air Force are still receiving $4,500 annually in tuition assistance, while sailors receive $4,000 a year. There has been wide speculation that the other services will also halt their TA programs in the coming days, in an effort to save money.

Sadly, the demise of TA was all-but-inevitable.

*** end quote ***

The interesting part is so much “education” is available free on the net.

Everyone will have to rethink the value of “papers”.

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MACBOOKAIR: bought a new macbookair; lets call MCBA12

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

MacBook Air

11-inch, Mid 2012

Processor  1.7 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory  8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Graphics  Intel HD Graphics 4000 512 MB

Serial Number  C02JD02XF67K

Software  OS X 10.8 (12A269)

 

Let’s see how long this stays out of the obsolete file.

Brought up all my standard software

Tonight I’ll put together a manifest

Need to figure out the old MacBook Air’s software that was bought from the App Store; it didn’t come over. 

Scrivner is the only thing not over yet.

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INTERESTING: THINKING ABOUT THINKING

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201302/what-type-thinker-are-you

Turning Straw Into Gold
Life through a Buddhist lens
by Toni Bernhard, J.D.

*** begin quote ***

Here’s an example: “People are sick or people are healthy.” For many years after becoming chronically ill, those were the only two possibilities I saw: I was sick or I was healthy. Each night I’d go to bed, hoping to wake up healthy. When I didn’t, I considered myself to be sick. It was one or the other.

Along with that, I thought I only had two possible courses of action: I could be a law professor or I could do nothing with my life. That may sound extreme, but that’s how I saw it at the time. Not wanting to do the latter, I forced myself to keep working, even though I was too sick to do so. It didn’t occur to me that I could be in poor health and lead a productive life.

Here’s another example of convergent thinking. When I considered how friends responded to me when I became chronically ill, I saw only two possibilities: those who stuck around cared about me and those who didn’t stick around didn’t care about me. I wasn’t able to see that people could drop out of my life and still care about me.

*** end quote ***

Interesting in that what else is there between “sick” and “well”?

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POLITICAL: Conservative Welfare State — an oxymoron?

Monday, March 11, 2013

http://reason.com/blog/2013/03/09/do-republicans-need-a-conservative-versi

Do Republicans Need a Conservative Version of the Welfare State to Win?
Shikha Dalmia|Mar. 9, 2013 2:51 pm

*** begin quote *** 

In short, the ideal conservative welfare state would be a libertarian dystopia of even bigger proportions than the liberal welfare state. There is less welfare and more state in it.

But what is deeply ironic is that a magazine that accuses libertarians of isolationism because they oppose American military interventionism has no qualms about recommending a restrictionist immigration policy to keep foreigners out and a protectionist trade policy to keep foreign goods out. If I had to pick a term for this foreign policy, I’d call it neo-isolationism. And maybe I lack imagination, but it is hard to see how a party that wants to engage the world through its “fearsome military” — rather than through voluntary exchange and mutual cooperation — could gain enough moral high ground to craft a winning political message, especially in a war-weary country.

*** end quote ***

Sorry, but that is just tyranny with a different label!

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HARDWARE: Watching ESPN3 on the big screen via Apple TV

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Watch the Manhattan College Jaspers on ESPM3 over the internet.

“Threw it” from the IPAD to the Apple TV which puts it on the TV.

Neat!

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INSPIRATIONAL: Online education

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Has anyone looked at ITUNES lately?

It seems that ANYTHING that you would like to learn is there!!!

–30–

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GUNS: No one wants to face a gun

Saturday, March 9, 2013

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/02/28/texas-man-holds-3-burglary-suspects-at-gunpoint-until-cops-arrive/

CRIME

TEXAS MAN TAKES ON 3 HOME INTRUDERS WITH A RIFLE — FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED

Feb. 28, 2013 6:58pm Jason Howerton

When Randy Magdeleno arrived home Wednesday morning, he found three burglary suspects running around his Houston home. It was a terrifying situation, he said, but thankfully he had his gun to protect him.

The problem was, the .22LR bolt-action rifle was unloaded. But the burglars didn’t know that.

The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Magdeleno said he heard voices as soon as he entered his home after dropping his wife off at work.

*****

The only problem was that his gun was left unloaded.

It’s like a fire extinguisher that’s uncharged!

Argh!

–30–

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SURVIVAL: One risk that you can’t plan for

Friday, March 8, 2013

http://lewrockwell.com/rep4/sinkhole-map.html

Do You Live in Sinkhole Territory?

U.S. Geological Survey

Sinkholes are common where the rock below the land surface is limestone, carbonate rock, salt beds, or rocks that can naturally be dissolved by ground water circulating through them. As the rock dissolves, spaces and caverns develop underground. Sinkholes are dramatic because the land usually stays intact for a while until the underground spaces just get too big. If there is not enough support for the land above the spaces then a sudden collapse of the land surface can occur. These collapses can be small, as this picture shows, or they can be huge and can occur where a house or road is on top.

 *****

This is scary stuff!

–30–

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QUOTE: Restraining great power?

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Scientific progress makes moral progress a necessity; for if man’s power is increased, the checks that restrain him from abusing it must be strengthened.”

–Anne Louise Germaine de Staël, Swiss author

–30–

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RANT: The illusion of “free speech” about the Gooferment!

Thursday, March 7, 2013

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/03/conservatives-liberals-media-advocates-rally-behind-man-jailed-for-criticizing/?test=latestnews

Conservatives, liberals, media advocates rally behind man jailed for criticizing Indiana judge

Published March 03, 2013

FoxNews.com

A group of free-speech advocates is rallying behind an Indiana inmate serving two years for his online rants against a judge who took away his child-custody rights during a divorce case.

There’s no disputing that Daniel Brewington’s words were strong and angry — found in hundreds of emails over the course of the related, two-year divorce case.

But the group is asking the state’s highest court to decide whether they indeed amounted to criminal behavior.

Brewington was convicted in 2011 of perjury, intimidating a judge and attempting to obstruct justice — with the attorney general’s office successfully arguing that his threat was to expose the judge to “hatred, contempt, disgrace or ridicule.”

However, the group recently filed an amicus brief with the state Supreme Court arguing an appeals court decision in January upholding the felony intimidation charge threatens constitutionally protected speech about public officials.

*****

Don’t think we have “free speech” in this country?

Sorry, but the “courts” are merely there to provide an illusion of legitimacy!

Argh!!!

–30–

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INSPIRATIONAL: Overcoming

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

http://99u.com/articles/7300/The-Stax-Records-Guide-To-Overcoming-Setbacks?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+The99Percent+%28The+99+Percent%29

The Stax Records Guide To Overcoming Setbacks

by John Caddell

In 1968, Al Bell, president of Stax Records, the pioneering R&B music label, learned that the expiration of his company’s distribution arrangement with larger Atlantic Records would deprive Stax ownership of its own back catalog of music – the songs and albums the label had released since its founding in 1959.

Since much of the worth of a record label came from its back catalog, Stax Records was, in effect, starting over as a business without the steady residuals a large catalog could provide. Confronted with this reality, Al Bell decided to create a brand-new catalog.

*****

Wow, how many people can “reboot” themselves?

Hard to imagine. But if you have no choice, then choices are easy?

–30–

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INSPIRATIONAL: TED talks!

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

http://www.georgeambler.com/10-great-ted-talks-for-leaders/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ThePracticeOfLeadership+%28Leading+in+Turbulent+Times%29

10 Great TED Talks for Leaders

February 11, 2013 by George Ambler Leave a Comment

TED is just about the best place to visit if you have a few minutes to kill. TED offers lectures by brilliant people doing amazing things in areas including technology, entertainment, design, business and science. Listed below are 10 great TED talks on leadership for leaders.

Fields Wicker-Miurin: Learning from leadership’s “missing manual”

Leadership doesn’t have a user’s manual, but Fields Wicker-Miurin says stories of remarkable, local leaders are the next best thing. At a TED salon in London, she shares three.

*****

TED TALKS are like a quick MBA!

–30–

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POLITICAL: Obamacare and the fiscal implications

Monday, March 4, 2013

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/133198.html

March 3, 2013

The Early Stages of ObamaCare

Posted by Karen De Coster on March 3, 2013 04:06 PM

Here is a great talk given at The 21 Convention in 2012, by Doug McGuff, MD, a prominent member of the ancestral health (paleo-primal) community: “Fitness, Health, and Liberty.” Doug, an emergency room physician, is well known for his ‘Body By Science’ program, a high-intensity interval training program.

This is an important presentation because Doug presents the historical picture on how the physician-patient relationship went from a fiduciary relationship between provider and consumer to a 3rd party morass of collectivized medicine that sacrificed individual services to the needs of the masses in general in order to conform to the rules outlined by the medical establishment-insurance industry alliance.

*****

Yes, if the “golden rule” is the driver — he who has the gold makes the rules — then the patient can no longer trust the objectivity of the doctor or the medical establishment.

–30–

 

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GUNS: Are you sure the liberal Democrats don’t want guns banned?

Saturday, March 2, 2013

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/03/01/popular-standard-shotgun-could-be-banned-under-proposed-bill/

Popular Standard Shotgun Could Be Banned Under Proposed Bill
March 1, 2013 8:48 PM

*** begin quote ***

Greg Brophy, Gun Control, John Hickenlooper, Pump Shotguns, Semi-Automatic Shotguns, Senate Bill 1224, Shaun Boyd, Trending

DENVER (CBS4) – A popular hunting shotgun could be banned under one of the bills moving through the state Capitol.

A pump or semi-automatic shotgun is the gun most hunters in Colorado use. It’s a gun state Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, says could be banned under a bill that’s already passed the House and Gov. John Hickenlooper says he’ll sign.

*** end quote ***

Argh!

New York, Colorado, California …

Resistance and secession!

Molon Labe

from my cold dead hands … …

… now or later in the camps, the result is the same!

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INTERESTING: Bonnie Franklin passed

Friday, March 1, 2013

Does anyone feel sad that Bonnie Franklin died?

Maybe I’m being sappy. But I like the show, I liked her. And, find that she was a tireless worker and interested in “her girls”.

Reminds my of “Our Girl”.

But then almost everything does.

p.s., found the watch she gave me. on the day of “final goodbyes” two years ago.

–30–

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POLITICAL: FLOTUS gets a selective edit from ABCNEWS?

Thursday, February 28, 2013

http://washingtonexaminer.com/abc-defends-editing-michelle-obamas-automatic-weapon-claim/article/2522628

Politics
ABC defends editing Michelle Obama’s ‘automatic weapon’ claim
February 26, 2013 | 4:11 pm | Modified: February 26, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Michal CongerStaff Writer
The Washington Examiner
Email Author @michalconger

*** begin quote ***

ABC is defending its decision to edit out an apparently erroneous claim by Michelle Obama in its broadcast of the first lady’s interview on Good Morning America today, saying it made the changes “solely” for the sake of time.

As The Washington Examiner reported this morning, the first lady claimed during an interview with Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts that 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton, who was killed in Chicago shortly after performing during the President’s Inauguration, was shot because “some kids had some automatic weapons they didn’t need.”

*** end quote ***

Unfortunately, FLOTUS is a political operative. Supporting BHO44’s agenda. And that of the anti-gun gun control aka “Victim Disarmament” “skrule of thought”.

HRC did the same for Bill on Health Care. 

But, the moment you step into the political arena, then you become fair game. 

In this case, a SUPPOSED news operation gave political cover to FLOTUS and demonstrate that they can be trusted. 

(I wonder if there’s a vast right wing conspiracy over in the inet division that put the whole thing online? I bet there is a witch hunt going on now!)

In any event, let’s examine the flaws.

(1) In the US, there are NO legal automatic weapons.

(2) In the cited incident, the bad actor used a handgun. 

(3) The keyword “need” is in the “liberal” narrative; what I “need” has no bearing in the context of the RKBA.

(4) There has been no reporting, but the Chicago violence is probably rooted in the “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” and an immoral lackadaisical culture and civil society.

(5) Is there a correlation between “the strictest gun laws” and the level of violence? Like the bumper sticker says, “when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns”!

(6) ABCNEWS should have it’s “news” broadcasts post a disclaimer, like the do on the infomercials, “edited for dramatic content”, or “this is a fairy tale”, or “We waive our First Amendment claim to be the Free Press; we’re whores for the Left!”.

We should have “Truth in Advertising”.

Boycott the mainstream media!

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EVLYNN: Funny story yesterday

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

For the better part of almost a year now. I roll out of bed, shape up, and go to work arriving between 7 and 8 AM.

Clock work!

So on Monday, knowing I’d be late, I could my senior coworker and my Boss.

Went to Mass.

Come out and turn on my phone and berry. They start to have a nervous breakdown. Email, calls, texts! 

Did the building burn down? Did our pool with the lotto? Was there an asteroid on its way to 22102?

NO!

My coworkers missed me at my appointed time and feared the worst.

They were getting ready to send a expedition over to the condo to see if I died in my sleep.

(LAFF, I should be so lucky!)

And, they even involved my senior coworker, who forgot about the conversation.

Hysterical!

I guess they are creatures of habit too and you’re not allowed to deviate from the norm.

Maybe next year, they’ll remember.

I thought it was quite touching and funny.

It was the cherry on a lousy morning!

(Or should that be mourning?)

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RANT: 1M$ gooferment employee!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

http://watchdog.org/62420/co-secret-energy-lab-spawns-million-dollar-govt-employee/

CO: Secret energy lab spawns million dollar govt employee

By Tori Richards / November 24, 2012 / Colorado Watchdog

*** begin quote ***

GOLDEN, Colo. – The federal government’s dream of a renewable energy empire hinges on a scrubby outpost here, where scientists and executives doggedly explore a

If you live outside Colorado, you probably haven’t heard of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL for short. It’s the place where solar panels, windmills and corn are deemed the energy source of the future and companies who support such endeavors are courted.

It’s also the place where highly paid staff decide how to spend hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars.

And the public pays those decision-makers well: NREL’s top executive, Dr. Dan Arvizu, makes close to a million dollars per year. His two top lieutenants rake in more than half a million each and nine others make more than $350,000 a year.

*** end quote ***

And no one can figure out how to cut the budget?!!!!

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EVLYNN: February 26, 2011 — a day that I’ll never forget

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Evlynn Marie Mahoney Reinke
(July 1, 1947 – February 26, 2011)

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What can I say?

My life changed that day.

And the rush for the finish line began. 

To catch up.

It’s like … missing an essential part of what was “me”.

I don’t know how other folks doit.

One foot in from of the other, I guess.

No sympathy; no pity needed.

I have a great 40+ years. More than most; less than some.

I only regret the days I didn’t treasure what I had.

This ends what I call the “yucky season” — starts are Halloween (She loved the kids at the door and always made a game out of it!) and end at the end of February. Only bad day the rest of the year is 7/1 her birthday.

“This too shall pass.” 

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_too_shall_pass 

The phrase appears in the works of Persian Sufi poets, such as Sanai and Attar of Nishapur. Attar records the fable of a powerful king who asks assembled wise men to create a ring that will make him happy when he is sad, and vice versa. After deliberation the sages hand him a simple ring with the words “This too will pass” etched on it, which has the desired effect.

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POLITICAL: Cut Defense Spending

Monday, February 25, 2013

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/16-ways-to-cut-defense-spending-7/

16 Ways to Cut Defense Spending
The greatest threat to our national security is how much our militarism costs.
By JON BASIL UTLEY • February 22, 2013

*** begin quote ***

1) The military is top-heavy with officers and generals compared to enlisted men, with far more proportionately today than during World War II. The military is still trained and designed mostly for mass mobilization to refight World War II: tanks, aircraft-carrier strike groups, and fighter planes for dogfights and to shoot down bombers only Russia has. Yet Russia’s military is a shadow of its former self, plagued and demoralized by Putin-era corruption. China is dynamic, defensive, and prospers with peace.

Basing one’s military on past wars’ lessons is nothing new. British generals entered World War I with horse cavalry and the strategy of Napoleon. It’s common to start wars with the strategy of 75 years before.

*** end quote ***

What a joke.

Let’s reform into the Department of DEFENSE!

The Swiss have it right; be a hedgehog.

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PRODUCTIVITY: One way to KILL it

Monday, February 25, 2013

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/02/23/1634244/mayer-terminates-yahoos-remote-employee-policy?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed

Mayer Terminates Yahoo’s Remote Employee Policy
Posted by timothy on Saturday February 23, @11:34AM
from the gonna-ask-you-to-come-in-on-saaaaaturday dept.
An anonymous reader writes
“AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher reported and tweeted that Marissa Mayer (CEO since July 2012) has just sent an all-hands email ending Yahoo’s policy of allowing remote employees. Hundreds of workers have been given the choice: start showing up for work at HQ (which would require relocation in many cases), or resign. (They can forget about Yahoo advice pieces like this). Mayer has also been putting her stamp on Yahoo’s new home page, which was rolled out Wednesday.”

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Because if you can’t see people working, there’s just no other way to manage them.

I’d feel the stock!

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FUN: Ahhh young love is vunderbar

Sunday, February 24, 2013

HAD lunch with the bride-elect and the groom-to-be. And spare, spare’s lovely gal pal, Mom, and H. 

Argh! 

Makes me feel very very old.

Too bad Our Girl was called away early, I KNOW she’d have been joyous.

Tentative calendar entry 10-1x-2014!

Mozel Tov!

(Wonder if the wedding meme is contagious among eligible young women? Like when the hold babies, suddenly each one wants one of their own? It’s like the biological clock goes into a spin cycle! Similar to male menopause and sympathetic pregnancy?)

Two diverse memes!

# – # – # – # – #  2013-Feb-24 @ 21:32  

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MONEY: This economy, and lack of political fiscal discipline, is hardest on the poor

Sunday, February 24, 2013

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2013/0222/Why-is-Wal-Mart-worried-Payroll-tax-could-cut-consumer-spending.-video?nav=87-frontpage-entryLeadStory

Why is Wal-Mart worried? Payroll tax could cut consumer spending. (+video)
Recent reports forecast lower spending for this year, anticipating that the restored payroll tax will impact consumers’ wallets, especially low-income earners. Wal-Mart is adjusting its strategy.

By Husna Haq, Correspondent / February 22, 2013

*** begin quote ***

“It’s a big deal,” says Morgan Housley, a macroeconomic analyst with Motley Fool, an online financial education website. “The biggest impact is on lower-income households since the payroll tax is regressive, only applying to the first $113,000 of income. Wealthier households don’t feel the same pinch because the tax doesn’t hit all of their income. Lower-income households also spend a larger share of their income than wealthier consumers.… Low-income families are in one of the toughest spots they’ve been in since 2009.”

*** end quote ***

Anyone believe a less that 2% cpi?

Not me!

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Why is Wal-Mart worried? Payroll tax could cut consumer spending. (+video)Recent reports forecast lower spending for this year, anticipating that the restored payroll tax will impact consumers’ wallets, especially low-income earners. Wal-Mart is adjusting its strategy.

By Husna Haq, Correspondent / February 22, 2013

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RANT: the recent cruise ship debacle

Sunday, February 24, 2013

In reflecting about the cruise ship disabled, with a bunch of Americans aboard, was anyone as surprised that the US Navy did put anything alongside them. Like a capital ship capable of succor, support, or escue?

Maybe they did and it wasn’t reported?

Shocks me!

–30–

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FUN: Found the drivers license I misplaced

Saturday, February 23, 2013

I know I am ready for the home.

Remember I misplaced my new DL about a week after getting it?

Found it today!

Three guesses where.

Nope, nope, nope … … give up?

BEHIND the toilet?

How it got there I have no idea?

How long it could have remained there is an “interesting” question.

Argh!

Now where is my cellphone?

Behind the spare tire in the car? There is a spare tire in the car, right? They still have those. 

Just the other day, I went to the gas station, got a gallon of gas for 30 cents, and the attended washed the windows … …

… … in my dreams!

Argh!

Maybe I am in the home and this is all a dream?

Are we having pudding after dinner?

Argh!

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ADMINISTRIVIA: Donated a “double” of platelets

Saturday, February 23, 2013

On Friday, I did another “double”!

You doing anything important?

It is the Gift of Life.

Can’t get it any other way!

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