This journal is friends-only for the most part, due to nosy in-laws. Please comment here to be added.

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
- Samuel Johnson (1709-1784)

Summary
Tessa Carolyn P. was born at 12:20 am on Saturday, May 31st. She weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long with a 13 ½ inch circumference head. There were two interventions: 1) membrane stripping on Wednesday and Friday preceding her birth (after the second one she was born approximately 12 hours later), and 2) when I had a lip of cervix left I told the midwife to break my bag of waters in the hopes the baby's head would help. Tessa was born facing me (posterior presentation), which explains the wicked back labor. This was a planned home birth with the assistance of midwives. They had a tank of nitrous oxide and water injections for back labor available, but I never had a chance to use any of it since my labor went so fast. And actually they forgot to take the gas with them since it was in the baby's room - Jeff and I were making jokes about using it the next day.

( The Long Version )

( ...and pictures )

"People nowadays are unwilling to look into sayings: they just get together in groups to discuss this and that saying as being thus and so, calling it great enlightenment when they’ve managed to explain them clearly.

Since the teachers have no true insight, when they see a resemblance in the words of others, they give them useless stamps of approval, saying they are people of attainment. The teachers and their followers are engaging in mutual deception, defrauding each other."

- Avoiding Foxes and Dogs, Yuan-hsien (1618-1697)

"There is a point at which salvation lies in stepping off the escalator, of saying, "Enough! What I have will do. What I make of it is up to me." - Marya Mannes

Friends cut time. I'm tired of the bullshit. I have enough drama to deal with as it is. That's why I'm not a member of snark communities. This ongoing dialog is unhealthy for all involved.

"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against - then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it.

There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.

Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens' What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted - and you create a nation of law-breakers - and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with."
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Ajahn Sumedho started out life at Ajahn Chah's monastery as a very zealous, hyper keen monk. Within a few months of being there, he was convinced that Ajahn Chah was the greatest dharma teacher and the most enlightened master on the planet.

As the months and years went by, Ajahn Sumedho started to notice a few faults in the way Ajahn Chah handled certain situations and in some of his personal habits. More time went by. Being a true Western rationalist, Ajahn Sumedho eventually decided enough was enough. He developed a list that carefully enumerated all of Ajahn Chah's faults and asked to talk with Ajahn Chah.

After completing his long, detailed delivery Ajahn Chah looked at him gently and said, "Well, I'm very grateful to you Sumedho for bringing up these things to me. I'll really consider what you've said and see what can be done. But also you should bear in mind that perhaps it's a good thing that I'm not perfect. Otherwise you might be looking for the Buddha somewhere outside your own mind."

There was a long silence. Then the young Sumedho crawled away simultaneously heartened and chastened.

"To take on the suffering of others is the noblest thing a man can do, but you have taken on too much."
-Bhante Dharmawara to Rafi Zabor

I've decided to make a friends cut for the following reasons.
1. I don't read your journal.
2. You don't appear to read my journal.
3. You don't comment in my journal.
4. I don't comment in your journal.
5. You do not currently have an active journal.
6. A subset of the above reasons.

I'm converting my journal to friends-only viewing. Please add me to your friends list and I will add you back. Drop a comment here to expedite the process, lol. Thanks!