November 28, 2010

Thankful Is A State Of Grace

by Ahansen

It’s snowing out today, and a sharp wind is blowing hard through the mountain hollow. The electricity has gone out, which means I have to keep a fire going to keep me warm and my pipes unfrozen. It also means that I can’t pump any water to the house, which means I have to ration what I’ve got stored and disburse it by hand and on foot to the critters milling around the ranch waiting for same.

Which is a muddy pain and makes me think unkindly thoughts about the people who are so reliable about sending me a monthly bill for the kilowatts I’ve pulled from their (heavily taxpayer-subsidized,) electrical grid.

I have a generator, of course. No self-respecting hillbilly would be without at least one or two of them in some semblance of working order. Electricity, water, communications, roads are not things one takes for granted up here in the sticks—especially not in the rainy season. But in the many years I’ve lived here, and through the innumerable black outs I’ve endured, I’ve never been sufficiently moved to actually go out and use my generator. To do so would be like admitting defeat; acknowledging that I’ve given up all hope of
the Southern California Edison Company finding me in my darkened misery and literally reconnecting me to my fellow citizens.

So I’ve made it a matter of personal pride to ride through these lapses — no matter what. After all, the people who first settled this place certainly did so without their Mr. Coffees or Jacuzzis. (Although, in all fairness, they did have some nifty hot springs.) And I must admit that the hassle of hooking the accursed machine up, hauling in the gas and/or propane tanks, banging up my hands, knees, elbows, and (on the chance I actually get it going,) having to listen to the awful racket, mitigates against my caving to my inner wuss. I’d rather just wait it out. The power always comes back on.
Doesn’t it…?

My empiricist’s faith in the American power grid ensures that my generator remains under its canvas tarp, silent, unprimed; a shelter for the kangaroo rats, black widow spiders, and who-know-what-else that may have made it their home over the last decade. I don’t know what’s going on under there and I don’t wish to find out.

How many housed Americans do you suppose are of a similar mind? There is the ring of metaphor in here somewhere….

I would imagine that most of us never give a moment’s thought to not having running water on tap and sewage disposal on demand. We take for granted that when we flick a switch, a light will illuminate, and
when we set a thermostat, there will issue forth cold or hot air. That there will be gasoline at our fuel stations, and food in our grocery stores, and pixels aplenty when we turn on our handheld devices and press “send.”

But perhaps we shouldn’t be so certain anymore. I’ve seen for myself what happens when people make major assumptions that turn out to be catastrophically wrong. That the “value” of their houses will always
go up, for example. Or that our years of hard work will reward us with a comfortable retirement. That our savings are safe and our investments sound. That we will get out of our lives in proportion to what we’ve put into them.

Let’s just say that in my experience, you never know when you’re gonna get munched.

Which leads me to my point.

In the next days we will each in our way gather to be thankful for what we DO have. What surrounds us and warms us, be it a feast-laden table in company of friends and family, or a moment of spiritual clarity in the privacy of our own bathtub—this is what we celebrate.

Usually when I’m admonished to “be thankful,” my thoughts go immediately to those people who have it worse off than I do—and there are a soul-numbing heartbreak of such people. But I think that’s missing the point. We all have it worse off than someone, and we all have it better than others. Thankful isn’t relative, nor is it comforting. Thankful is a state of grace. A respite from reality. It’s knowing that the generator remains—for the time being, at least—uncranked.

On this day I would like to give an enthusiastic Thank You to the steadfast and courageous Ben Jones for maintaining this long-running forum for us in the face of ridicule, invective, and threat of directed retaliatory mayhem—and always in spite of the significant personal expen$e he incurs in doing so. (This is a hint, people.)

As dedicated and committed as our dear old Mums, Ben’s thehousingbubbleblog is every bit a gift of love as the turkeys on our tables…though in truth, “turkey” is probably not the most apt comparison here, as HBB is nothing of the sort—even if as individuals we sometimes have our moments….

The blog is our own alternative Congressional Record, complete with proposals, debates, screeds, and advisories, legislative analysis, malicious gossip, and self-important speechifying. (Who? Me…?) Its approaching-half-a-million individual comments are the real-time history of a nation in transition, our collective narrative, free of official spin and unsanitized by political “correctness.” Our posts represent the cumulative wisdom of a thoughtful and passionate congress of concerned and patriotic American citizens, the HBB Family—of which I am honored to be a part. And most thankful to all who contribute to this board.

Ahh, here’s power back on. Time to recharge…for now.

Eat lotsa turkey!




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44 Comments »

Comment by Mags57
2010-11-25 09:31:08

Nice post Ahansen, hope all enjoy the holiday

Comment by Zeus Matuze
2010-11-26 20:46:13

Well, I’m also thankful for Mr.Jones’s cyber effort not only for the valuable real estate info, but also the comment platform provided for HBB posters (some MUCH less appreciated than others).
Much success in your endeavors, Mr. Ben Jones….you’ve earned your “good scouting badge “ with this effort.

…and BTW, is it just me?… but when I read the buttery prose of “Ifoughtthepawandthepawwon”, I hear Sam Elliot’s grizzled voice alternating with Katherine Hepburn’s.

Please keep it coming, madam, until I can sort it out.

Comment by Carl Morris
2010-11-26 20:59:33

(some MUCH less appreciated than others)

I hear that :-). I enjoy all the points-of-view, but find personal attacks really annoying. Hasn’t been so bad lately, though.

 
Comment by ahansen
2010-11-27 01:58:20

Closer to the truth than you can imagine, my dear Matoose. I am flattered beyond even MY oleoginaety.

And truth be known, the real winner turned out to be my plastic surgeon.

xo
a

Comment by Zeus Matuse
2010-11-27 20:32:04

O.K.- I was bamboozled by the word “oleoginaety,” so
I googled it and got a combo of: oleomargarine/vagina/gaiety.

Umm…at this stage of my life it all sounds too tiring.

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Comment by ahansen
2010-11-27 22:44:39

;-)

 
 
 
 
 
Comment by scdave
2010-11-25 09:34:49

Ahh….Ahansen….What a gal !! Thanks so much for your musings & essays…I am so grateful I had the opportunity to meet and spend some time with you…And, we can never give enough thanks to Ben for all that he has done and continues to do…

A peaceful & joyful Thanksgiving to all…

 
Comment by Faster Pussycat, Sell Sell
2010-11-25 09:37:46

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I had tickets to the theater last night so I just finished slaving over some wild rice, cranberries and walnuts in an orange-walnut vinaigrette. And my celeriac, carrot and chestnut stuffing, and the turkey.

It’s all in the oven now.

Doesn’t that sound yum?

I hope everyone has a safe and fun holiday.

Comment by pismoclam
2010-11-25 20:04:17

When do we come to your house for leftovers ?

Comment by Faster Pussycat, Sell Sell
2010-11-26 18:54:10

I run a pretty open house food-wise so anytime.

I have an iron-clad rule though : if I have forgotten something, and I ask you to pick it up, that’s part of your job.

Doesn’t happen very often but I clearly run the above open-house that from sheer experience has mandated the above-mentioned “rule”. :-D

 
 
 
Comment by Hwy50ina49Dodge
2010-11-25 09:38:55

“…On this day I would like to give an enthusiastic Thank You to the steadfast and courageous Ben Jones for maintaining this long-running forum for us”

Hear Hear! …x3 Cheers for the Flagstaff “TrueTruthSlayer™:-)

(Was out looking for Mr./Ms. Bear in that bitter mtn. cold yesterday, he/she seems to have taken a recent fancy to wandering about the south end of the ranch…Mr. Cole was getting a lesson in animal tracks in the snow, …squirrel, rabbit, quail, little blackheaded birds hopping here & there, bobcat, deer (we actually spotted a young buck!) until I happened upon something bigger than all that & fresh…) Yikes!

Happy Turkey left-overs to you & yours Ms. Hansen, Mr. Ben and all the rest in this “I-remember-when-that-house-sold-for…” “maniaeconomical” boys & girls club of America! (& Brazil, New Zealand, Iceland, Hawaii, Liberia, etc, etc, etc,…) ;-)

 
Comment by REhobbyist
2010-11-25 10:31:47

Happy Thanksgiving back atcha AHansen. I hope you get your power and have a warm day.

 
Comment by Muggy
2010-11-25 10:41:09

Happy Thanksgiving!

 
Comment by Bill in Los Angeles
2010-11-25 10:56:42

Today I am thankful for what I don’t have. I like not owning much and I enjoy renting as much as possible.

I also wondered (as an atheist) who to thank on this day? The ones who I can no longer thank are long passed away - my parents. We never had much, but they raised me with common sense to avoid the seven deadly sins.

My father told me not to be a slave to my possessions. He also told me not to get my girlfriend pregnant. My mother provided me a lot of good financial security / privacy advice and it’s all second-nature to me.

I try to do the opposite on this day of what the mainstream expects you to do. I do not eat much. I exercise more. I recall past thanksgivings of 30 years ago where I could not sleep because my heart was racing after eating a lot. I was afraid for my health then. At 51 I’d be very paranoid about that now.

Comment by Arizona Slim
2010-11-25 11:41:28

Me? I’m going to enjoy Thanksgiving by not cooking turkey. Or eating it. (Slim’s just not into turkey.)

Instead, I’m going to sending good thoughts to my San Diego-dwelling friend who’s moving back to Tucson soon. Weather prevented her from driving over here yesterday, so I think she may be on the road now. (Be safe on the road, my friend!)

And, after KXCI plays the full-length version of “Alice’s Restaurant,” I’m heading out for a bike ride. Along the way, I’m going to have a meal at a vegetarian restaurant.

Comment by Bill in Los Angeles
2010-11-25 13:27:13

I hope you had a good bike ride Slim!

I recall years ago my ex and I used to go to Govinda’s for vegetarian. I remember it burned down at some point :(

Today was a great day for a five mile treadmill run. Under 8:11 per mile. I’m going out to the grocery store to find something healthy. It sure feels great to have a good workout today.

Comment by Arizona Slim
2010-11-25 16:23:54

I did have a good bike ride, but I had to cut it short.

Reason: The digestive thingie that was messin’ with me yesterday is trying to make a comeback. So, no Thanksgiving meal at Govinda’s for moi.

Maybe next year.

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Comment by Zeus Matuze
2010-11-26 20:53:40

I had a “Problems of American Democracy” Teacher (John Forbes) back in the jungle school of FDMS on Guam who told our class to never “worship the bitch goddess of Success.”

Totally screwed up my climb up the corporate ladder, but made my lil’ old life completely satiated.

Sounds a lot like your ol’ man.

 
 
Comment by cobaltblue
2010-11-25 11:23:55

“Thankful isn’t relative, nor is it comforting. Thankful is a state of grace. A respite from reality. It’s knowing that the generator remains—for the time being, at least—uncranked.”

Great post Allena!

I very much appreciate the details from your own personal experience. You certainly have my respect for bringing up the fact that Ben Jones has educated and helped many many people over the years through this blog.

Permit me to ask this again folks..if you have benefitted financially or been otherwise educated from reading or participating in this blog, give thanks!

Donate to the HBB and Ben Jones!

The HBB: Best Bargain in the Blogosphere!

Thanks again to Allena, Ben and everyone else.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

Comment by Danny Harbison
2010-11-25 11:55:16

You can stop the sack riding anytime now.

Comment by ahansen
2010-11-25 13:15:05

In the immortal words of our Dear Departed, Oly:

“Oh knock it off, Mr. Grumpy-pants. Not AAAAAAALLLLL of us are as tiny-hearted and sophisticated-like as you.” :-)

BiLA,

Sometimes you just gotta thank yourself. After all, who better deserves it?

Puss,

Enjoy yer bird! And your turkey, too.

Hwy,

Watch your six, son. And keep some birdshot handy for training purposes. A load in the foot will serve as ample and frequent reminder to your visitor that some properties are simply not up for negotiation.

Comment by Zeus Matuze
2010-11-26 21:25:01

Man, I surely do miss Miz Oly.

Thankfully, the other eloquent HBB Postettes have done a delicious job in her absence.

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Comment by cobaltblue
2010-11-25 11:39:30

On Being Not Thankful for the Euro Zone or its leaders and goals:

Famous euroskeptic Nigel Farage, in just under 4 brief minutes, tells more truth about the entire European experiment than all European bankers, commissioners, and politicians have done in the past decade. As we have already said pretty much all of this before, we present it without commentary:

“Good morning Mr. van Rompuy, you’ve been in office for one year, and in that time the whole edifice is beginning to crumble, there’s chaos, the money’s running out, I should thank you - you should perhaps be the pinup boy of the euroskeptic movement. But just look around this chamber this morning, look at these faces, look at the fear, look at the anger. Poor Barroso here looks like he’s seen a ghost. They’re beginning to understand that the game is up. And yet in their desperation to preserve their dream, they want to remove any remaining traces of democracy from the system. And it’s pretty clear that none of you have learned anything. When you yourself Mr. van Rompuy say that the euro has brought us stability, I supposed I could applaud you for having a sense of humor, but isn’t this really just the bunker [or banker] mentality? Your fanaticism is out in the open. You talk about the fact that it was a lie to believe that the nation state could exist in the 21st century globalized world. Well, that may be true in the case of Belgium who haven’t had a government for 6 months, but for the rest of us, right across every member state in this union, increasingly people are saying, “We don’t want that flag, we don’t want the anthem, we don’t want this political class, we want the whole thing consigned to the dustbin of history.” We had the Greek tragedy earlier on this year, and now we have the situation in Ireland. I know that the stupidity and greed of Irish politicians has a lot to do with this: they should never, ever have joined the euro. They suffered with low interest rates, a false boom and a massive bust. But look at your response to them: what they are being told as their government is collapsing is that it would be inappropriate for them to have a general election. In fact commissioner Rehn here said they had to agree to a budget first before they are allowed to have a general election. Just who the hell do you think you people are. You are very, very dangerous people indeed: your obsession with creating this European state means that you are happy to destroy democracy, you appear to be happy with millions and millions of people to be unemployed and to be poor. Untold millions will suffer so that your euro dream can continue. Well it won’t work, cause its Portugal next with their debt levels of 325% of GDP they are the next ones on the list, and after that I suspect it will be Spain, and the bailout for Spain will be 7 times the size of Ireland, and at that moment all the bailout money will is gone - there won’t be any more. But it’s even more serious than economics, because if you rob people of their identity, if you rob them of their democracy, then all they are left with is nationalism and violence. I can only hope and pray that the euro project is destroyed by the markets before that really happens.”

“They suffered with low interest rates, a false boom and a massive bust.” - Sound familiar?

Comment by Bill in Los Angeles
2010-11-25 15:21:27

I’m tired of low interest rates. I have $90,000 in cash earning less than 1%. Probably about 0.4%.

Comment by Hwy50ina49Dodge
2010-11-25 20:47:54

I’m tired of low interest rates. I have $90,000 in cash earning less than 1%. Probably about 0.4%.

Here’s a word to rectify your lament: “self-creativity” …you in-or-out? ;-)

 
 
 
Comment by Kim
2010-11-25 12:30:58

Happy Thanksgiving to all you HBBers!

Feast on!

 
Comment by ecofeco
2010-11-25 14:25:07

Could someone PLEASE pass the gravy?! :lol:

 
Comment by Rancher
2010-11-25 15:27:48

Coming to you from the right.

Ahansen, nice post and thank you for the thoughts.

At our ranch, we had three diesel generators, one
gas Honda, three freezers, and two large pantries.
Two 1000 gallon diesel tanks and a 500 gallon gas
tank. There were times when the roads didn’t get
plowed for a week, the electricity was off for as long, and without our preps, we would have been up S&^% creek.

As a favor to this ol curmudgeon, you need to check
and run that generator of yours on a monthly basis.
Seals dry out, floats (gas) stick, condensation,
bacteria in the fuel. Just start and let it run for a
half an hour and then shut it down. It will give you
a lot of peace of mind

Comment by Prime_Is_Contained
2010-11-26 13:10:14

+1, Rancher.

Biggest risks are in the fuel, esp if it is sitting unused for long periods of time. Carbs gum up in gas-powered machines if fuel is left in them, and fuel for diesels grows bacteria much be polished or protected using biocide.

If you think of your generator as a piece of safety equipment, then you definitely want to know that it actually works if the situation arises where you need it.

 
 
Comment by Sammy Schadenfreude
2010-11-25 17:56:01

11/25/10 DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank said Thursday it is suing Credit Suisse and credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s, alleging it was misled over a 2007 investment that went sour.

The case is the second filed by the Abu Dhabi government-controlled bank in New York involving complex financial instruments known as structured investment vehicles that fell prey to the credit squeeze brought on by the subprime mortgage crisis in the U.S.

ADCB alleges that Credit Suisse failed to disclose conflicts of interest and provided misleading information when packaging and selling the investment vehicle, which went by the name Farmington. The bank says it was pressured to invest in the deal in 2007 to protect its stake in an earlier, similar investment known as Stanfield Victoria that was coming under pressure at the time.

As part of the agreement, ADCB claims it was required to enter into another transaction known as a credit default swap designed to protect Credit Suisse’s exposure to the Farmington deal, which it believed “carried minimal risk.”

Structured investment vehicles were set up to borrow money by issuing short-term securities at a low interest rate. They would lend that money by purchasing long-term securities at higher interest. Investors were able to profit from the difference, as were issuing banks that charged fees to structure them.

ADCB is suing S&P because it alleges the rating house made inaccurate assessments tied to the Farmington investment by assigning ratings to underlying assets that were “investment-grade,” suggesting they were relatively safe.

Ala’a Eraiqat, ADCB’s chief executive said the lawsuit aims to protect the bank from potential losses, but he doesn’t expect it to have a major effect on the company’s earnings.

“For the benefit of all our key stakeholders, it is appropriate to take action against parties who we believe misled ADCB,” he said in a statement outlining the lawsuit. “On close examination, the investment was sold to the bank in an unacceptable manner.”

Representatives for Credit Suisse and S&P declined to comment.

ADCB is pursuing a separate suit involving structured investment vehicles against Morgan Stanley, S&P, and another rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service.

That case, a class-action suit filed in 2008, seeks damages resulting from the collapse of an SIV known as Cheyne that was backed by U.S. mortgages and other securities.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Abu-Dhabi-bank-sues-Credit-apf-1922649766.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=7&asset=&ccode=

How many lawsuits are we going to have in 2011 ?

 
Comment by Sammy Schadenfreude
2010-11-25 18:03:07

Ahansen,

Thank you for your posts, which show a contemplative and throughly decent soul. Better do a function check on that generator, and use gas stablizer, to make sure it will be there if/when you need it. I fear the day is coming, sooner than we think, when millions of our fellow citizens will come to the horrifying realization that water may not always come out of the tap, electricity may not always come out of the socket, and our just-in-time, highly interconnected energy and transportation grids are all too prone to cascading and catastrophic failures. Be prepared, friends & neighbors. Today we enjoy plenty, but tomorrow the lean years could be upon us.

Comment by Rancher
2010-11-26 10:11:53

Sammy,
And sooner than we think. What we are experiencing today is probably the best we’ll ever have. A pessimist is just an informed optimist.

 
 
 
Comment by Housing Wizard
2010-11-26 10:16:32

Ahansen ..nice piece . I went a-visiting yesterday so I didn’t see your work
until today .My 65 year old brother in law had it made in the shade until
he decided to build a house ,so the contractor went 100k over the budget …whatever .I don’t know if he was lied to or what ,but he got sucked into
that hole and when you have a half built house and they change things on
you there isn’t any going back unless you want to leave a 1/2 built house .

My sister and brother-in-law always lived within their means until this
darn house put them out on the cliff . Why in the hell did they choose to
leave the comfortable life they had for this hell . Maybe they were getting bored. They had a big party at the new house ,but the stress was apparent .
They are not happy in spite of having their dream house . Financial stress
is a killer . I know one thing ,my brother in law is going to go to a early
grave trying to feed the beast of some stupid house .

Comment by Prime_Is_Contained
2010-11-26 13:22:28

“so the contractor went 100k over the budget”

Were they having the house built on a time-and-materials basis?? If so, that’s _crazy_!

There are really only three possibilities for how a project goes over-budget like this:

If they were having the house built on a fixed-price bid, and the contractor had cost-overruns, your sis/bil should not have paid them. Normally these contracts are negotiated to have certain portions of the costs released at certain project milestones. If the house was half-built but the contractor had not completed the next milestone, they should not have released the next round of funds and should have changed contractors at that point. That can be a litigious mess, but it’s likely less expensive than the mess they chose.

If the overages were due to negotiated design-changes after the initial bid, then your sis/bil have only themselves to blame—you can’t blame the contractor when you change your mind about what you want built.

If they negotiated to have it built on time-and-materials basis, then they were begging for massive overages, and pretty much have only themselves to blame again. The contractor has every incentive to over-run in that situation, so how can you blame them when you incented them to do so?

In pretty much all of those scenarios, your sister and brother-in-law screwed up, bigtime.

Comment by Rancher
2010-11-26 13:45:11

If you don’t know what a “Change Order book” is,
you have no business building anything, even a
chicken coop.

Comment by Housing Wizard
2010-11-26 15:16:31

I think they screwed up and it had something to do with one contractor declaring Bk and it had something to so with some time
thing. I never got the entire story ,just pits and pieces . The
brother in law isn’t really in good enough health to go back to
work , but hes doing it and he already got a job which is surprising that he could get one at his age .

This is a couple that always lived within their means and they got zonked in the last stretch of life just because they had a dream of doing something with a piece of land they had . At their age they ended up doing a lot of the finishing work themselves like the tile
work and the painting . These were people that were financially
set for life and a stupid house dream screwed it all up .

I haven’t seen my sister in a long time but you could tell the whole
ordeal had taken it’s toll on her .They were the last couple in the world that I would of thought would of got caught in a house
drama. They also had some stories of some loan officer lying to them . They were just plain sad ……just sad .

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Comment by Professor Bear
2010-11-26 11:26:34

Ahansen, thanks for a great post, and thank the Higher Powers that you are feeling inspired to share your inspiration.

 
Comment by Professor Bear
2010-11-26 11:31:37

Thanks are due to the San Diego Editors (Knights?) of the Round Table, for a great honest, rational take on the local real estate picture, which serves as a fantastic contrast to the propaganda stream from on high. These guys really do “get it.”

I will post a direct link to the transcript & audio recording later when and they become available (or you should be able to get to them later through the link below).

Why Are Local Home Sales, Prices Declining?

An audio recording of this interview will be posted here within a few hours of the live broadcast. A transcript will also be added within 24 hours. Thank you for your patience.

By Hank Crook, Tom Fudge
Editors Roundtable transcript | Friday, November 26, 2010

Will San Diego experience a double-dip housing slump in the new year? What impact will the banks’ backlog of distressed properties, and the expiration of a federal tax credit have on the market over time? We discuss the latest trends in the local housing market.

Guests

Kent Davy, editor of North County Times

Scott Lewis, chief executive officer of voiceofsandiego dot org

Alisa Joyce Barba, independent editor with NPR member stations

Comment by Professor Bear
2010-11-26 12:05:44

I do feel a tinge of remorse as I hear news programs like this one, as the convergence of MSM reporting to economic reality will tend to gradually take away my key inspiration for posting here, which is to provide an alternative to the nonsensical propaganda stream spewed by Wall Street and the REIC. Once the MSM starts doing their job again, who will want to bother reading our posts?

 
 
Comment by Prime_Is_Contained
2010-11-26 13:12:26

Great post, Allena!

Here’s wishing you and all of my other HBB family a holiday filled with whichever sort of grace is satisfying to you.

 
Comment by Blue Skye
2010-11-26 19:34:41

Thanks for the Thanksgiving post Allena.

I traveled to break turkey with my sister and mother. They live on quite a different road than I, but we share love and appetite.

I’ve had a ton of learning and twice that of entertainment here for the past four years, thanks all of you.

 
Comment by jane
2010-11-26 23:01:11

Another transcendent post, ahansen - thank you for the pleasure of reading it.

I don’t think any of us has remained untouched by this recession.

Let us be grateful for what we have held, and reframe the landscape of what has been lost.

And, of course, thank you so much, Ben!

 
Comment by alpha-sloth
2010-11-27 07:01:54

Great post, Allena. Happy belated Thanksgiving to all!

I think the HBB is like a Thanksgiving meal- the multiple viewpoints are rarely found together in one spot, just as the multiple dishes of the feast are rarely found together on one table. It’s the combination of these many viewpoints/dishes that makes it enjoyable (let’s face it, cranberry relish isn’t very good all by itself). So let’s be thankful we’re all here together- even the bitter relishes and overdone stuffing. :wink:

 
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