Good times

Things have been well at Eusebia. Long week last week, but we've been carried through just fine. Baby's neck and reflux are doing much better. Watch the videos for an exception however (sorry, the first one is pretty slow to download).

Hiiiiii-ya!!!!

Sputter baby

  The nursery at church was out of large diapers. Like the wedgie style?!
 
 
 

Pics 1

 
 
 
 

Heather visited

I'm getting political

I thought this story was just too juicy not to post. I'm really not sure exactly what I believe in this matter, except that I'm pretty sure we're heading in the wrong direction. Hopefully it's not to excessive "frogginess". I'll try to put more cute Hoggie pictures up soon.      How We Became the United States of France By Bill Saporito Sunday, Sep. 21, 2008 This is the state of our great republic: We've nationalized the financial system, taking control from Wall Street bankers we no longer trust. We're about to quasi-nationalize the Detroit auto companies via massive loans because they're a source of American pride, and too many jobs — and votes — are at stake. Our Social Security system is going broke as we head for a future where too many retirees will be supported by too few workers. How long before we have national healthcare? Put it all together, and the America that emerges is a cartoonish version of the country most despised by red-meat red-state patriots: France. Only with worse food. Admit it, mes amis, the rugged individualism and cutthroat capitalism that made America the land of unlimited opportunity has been shrink-wrapped by a half dozen short sellers in Greenwich, Conn. and FedExed to Washington D.C. to be spoon-fed back to life by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. We're now no different from any of those Western European semi-socialist welfare states that we love to deride. Italy? Sure, it's had four governments since last Thursday, but none of them would have allowed this to go on; the Italians know how to rig an economy. You just know the Frogs have only increased their disdain for us, if that is indeed possible. And why shouldn't they? The average American is working two and half jobs, gets two weeks off, and has all the employment security of a one-armed trapeze artist. The Bush Administration has preached the "ownership society" to America: own your house, own your retirement account; you don't need the government in your way. So Americans mortgaged themselves to the hilt to buy overpriced houses they can no longer afford and signed up for 401k programs that put money where, exactly? In the stock market! Where rich Republicans fleeced them. Now our laissez-faire (hey, a French word) regulation-averse Administration has made France's only Socialist president, Francois Mitterand, look like Adam Smith by comparison. All Mitterrand did was nationalize France's big banks and insurance companies in 1982; he didn't have to deal with bankers who didn't want to lend money, as Paulson does. When the state runs the banks, they are merely cows to be milked in the service of la patrie. France doesn't have the mortgage crisis that we do, either. In bailing out mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, our government has basically turned America into the largest subsidized housing project in the world. Sure, France has its banlieues, where it likes to warehouse people who aren't French enough (meaning, immigrants orAlgerians) in huge apartment blocks. But the bulk of French homeowners are curiously free of subprime mortgages foisted on them by fellow citizens, and they aren't over their heads in personal debt. We've always dismissed the French as exquisitely fed wards of their welfare state. They work, what, 27 hours in a good week, have 19 holidays a month, go on strike for two days and enjoy a glass of wine every day with lunch — except for the 25% of the population that works for the government, who have an even sweeter deal. They retire before their kids finish high school, and they don't have to save for a $45,000-a-year college tuition because college is free. For this, they pay a tax rate of about 103%, and their labor laws are so restrictive that they haven't had a net gain in jobs since Napoleon. There is no way that the French government can pay for this lifestyle forever, except that it somehow does. Mitterrand tried to create both job-growth and wage-growth by nationalizing huge swaths of the economy, including some big industries, including automaker Renault, for instance. You haven't driven a Renault lately because Renault couldn't sell them here. Imagine that. An auto company that couldn't compete with a Dodge Colt. But the Renault takeover ultimately proved successful and Renault became a private company again in 1996, although the government retains about 15% of the shares. Now the U.S. is faced with the same prospect in the auto industry. GM and Ford need money to develop greener cars that can compete with Toyota and Honda. And they're looking to Uncle Sam for investment — an investment that could have been avoided had Washington imposed more stringent mileage standards years earlier. But we don't want to interfere with market forces like the French do — until we do. Mitterand's nationalization program and other economic reforms failed, as the development of the European Market made a centrally planned economy obsolete. The Rothschilds got their bank back, a little worse for wear. These days, France sashays around the issue of protectionism in a supposedly unfettered EU by proclaiming some industries to be national champions worthy of extra consideration — you know, special needs kids. And we're not talking about pastry chefs, but the likes of GDF Suez, a major utility. I never thought of the stocks and junk securities sold by Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as unique, but clearly Washington does. Morgan's John Mack calls SEC boss Chris Cox to whine about short sellers and bingo, the government obliges. The elite serve the elite. How French is that? Even in the strongest sectors in the U.S., there's no getting away from the French influence. Nothing is more sacred to France than its farmers. They get whatever they demand, and they demand a lot. And if there are any issues about price supports, or feed costs being too high, or actual competition from other countries, French farmers simply shut down the country by marching their livestock up the Champs Elysee and piling up wheat on the highways. U.S. farmers would never resort to such behavior. They don't have to: they're the most coddled special interest group in U.S. history, lavished with $180 billion in subsidies by both parties, even when their products are fetching record prices. One consequence: U.S. consumers pay twice what the French pay for sugar, because of price guarantees. We're more French than France. So yes, while we're still willing to work ourselves to death for the privilege of paying off our usurious credit cards, we can no longer look contemptuously at the land of 246 cheeses. Kraft Foods has replaced American International Group in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the insurance company having been added to Paulson's nationalized portfolio. Macaroni and cheese has supplanted credit default swaps at the fulcrum of capitalism. And one more thing: the food snob French love McDonalds, which does a fantastic business there. They know a good freedom fry when they taste one.

Zoo, USC-UGA game

 
 
 

Redcoat band

lake, zoo, and USC game

 
 
 
 

Fun video #1

Squirmy

The Hoglet does not especially like sitting the "proper" way in his carseat. We have to be extremely careful now when he isn't (or even when he is) strapped in to things.
His "fuzzhawk" hairstyle is getting better and better. Hope he keeps it awhile. Sweet Sabbath yesterday.

back to work

I just got to work, after paying $4 for gas on the way here. Sarah and Daniel are at the zoo right now with my old friend Jason Smith and his family. I was there briefly, and it was sweet. Columbia actually has one of the top zoos in the nation.

THe lake was fun and relaxing. Some of the typical extreme cuteness from the Hoglet, which I'll post pics of later. He is now doing something resembling crawling quite well, and we now have to watch very closely what falls on the floor. I spent 2 hours yesterday babyproofing cabinets.

SALT (Spiritually Authentic Leadership Training) started last night. That's the men's discipleship ministry I've been a part of for 2 years now. Looking forward to how the Lord will grow me up this semester for His glory and to the benefit of my loving family.

Peace. God bless.

To the lake!

In 2 hours I will be done with this week. It's bittersweet. I have loved getting back to pediatrics, taking care of kids, and rejoicing with new parents in the nursery. Turns out I like healthy people too...who knew?   However, I've been away from home almost 90 hours this week alone. I miss my sweet lady-wife and my growing son (who is starting to almost crawl). So it'll be nice to have a few days off.   So, we're headed to the lake. Moses gets to play with Chewy again, and we get to kick back and enjoy lake time. Yay!

Yay, new pics#2!

 My exersaucer rocks!
  I wish I could have gone to Iowa with Daddy! I'd be a man alone in my field.
 His Majesty wants some candy!!!

I'm doing an entire week of pediatrics this week. Essentially, I am the only pediatrician at my hospital, handling the newborn nursery, attending C-sections, and taking care of admitted kids. Good so far, nobody too sick! I am away from home waaaay too much though when I am doing this. But, it'll be made up with more off time the rest of the month.

Yay, new pics #1!

 Daniel and Drew, his friend from NC
  And Drew's mommy Kelli, Sarah's old HS friend
 His newest inchworm, from his Aunt Stacey
  Wow, I even look good without clothes!

It's over

I've completed the Internal Medicine boards. Thank you for prayers. It was tough, but mostly, it's over. (as long as I pass, I don't have to repeat for 10 years). Pediatrics is now to come on October 27th. I'm doing my first week of practicing Peds on the floor now, and its coming back, slowly but surely.   Sarah is still trying to get over the cough leftovers from a cold 2 weeks ago, but otherwise well. Daniel has a little cold at the moment and had to miss church nursery yesterday, but he's his usual hoggie self for the most part. I had to miss them while I was in Iowa for my cousin Andrew's wedding, which was tough given my schedule lately, but back now. The wedding was lovely and God-honoring.      Sarah's sister Stacey and her husband Larry are now riding out Hurricane Gustav in Florida, as their home in New Orleans is hopefully weathering it well. Stacey lost her home in Katrina, and had just finished rebuilding it and was preparing to sell it, when this happened. Pray for them please.