It feels like you’re saving money by putting off that service call. But in reality, you’re just letting a small problem get expensive. You’ll Pay the Emergency Tax: A scheduled repair costs standard rates. A no-hot-water crisis on a weekend or holiday comes with a huge "I need someone NOW" surcharge. You Risk a Flood: That small drip you ignored for weeks can suddenly become a burst seam, leading to thousands in water damage. You’re Burning Cash on Bills: A heater struggling with sediment is wildly inefficient. You’re literally paying extra on your gas or electric bill every month for the privilege of having it fail later. Don’t talk yourself out of it. If you noticed it, it’s real. Call a trusted local pro. This isn’t the time for a DIY YouTube adventure. We’re dealing with high pressure, high temperature, and often gas or high-voltage electricity. A licensed technician can diagnose it safely. Get the straight story. A good plumber will tell you if it’s a quick fix, if a flush will buy you years, or if it’s time to replace the old unit.

When comparing a big block and a small block engine, which of these would you consider a difference? A big block engine will only use diesel as fuel. A small block engine uses smaller spark plugs. A big block engine has bigger bores. Let's look at the example of a V8 engine. BIg block engines have bigger bores over small block engines. This helps them generate more power as the piston moves further. Of course, they are far heavier and much larger. It can catch fire. It can grind to a halt and seize. It will perform poorly. The purpose of oil running through an engine is to lubricate the mechanical parts. Without it, metal will grind on metal and that will cause an engine to seize. In what year did Ford introduce its first V8 engine? V8 engines were certainly not new by the time Ford introduced their first offering in 1932. The Ford V8 produced 65 bhp, which was incredible at the time.

There is, however, one position that nobody can honestly hold but that many people try their best to hold. And that is what I call the Bishop Berkeley theory of Iraq, whereby if a country collapses and succumbs to trauma, and it's not our immediate fault or direct responsibility, then it doesn't count, and we are not involved. Nonetheless, the thing that most repels people when they contemplate Iraq, which is the chaos and misery and fragmentation (and the deliberate intensification and augmentation of all this by the jihadis), invites the inescapable question: What would post-Saddam Iraq have looked like without a coalition presence? The past years have seen us both shamed and threatened by the implications of the Berkeleyan attitude, from Burma to Rwanda to Darfur. Had we decided to attempt the right thing in those cases (you will notice that I say attempt rather than do, which cannot be known in advance), we could as glibly have been accused of embarking on "a war of choice". But the thing to remember about Iraq is that all or most choice had already been forfeited. We were already deeply involved in the life and death struggle of that country, and March 2003 happens to mark the only time that we decided to intervene, after a protracted and open public debate, on the right side and for the right reasons. This must, and still does, count for something.

NB: three of the Thursday evenings (April 9, 16 & 23) will be on location instead of on Zoom. What Students Say … If anyone is thinking about taking a course or is curious about how to take better photos, I can’t recommend this enough. Dennis Ducklow is a real gift and his course, for so many people, Peter Birkenhead has opened up all kinds of new pathways to creative expression and confidence in photography. You won’t be disappointed! I loved this course! It definitely took me outside of my comfort zone, for which I’m so grateful. Dennis, thank you for changing my life. Thank you, Randy and Mel, for your support and for sharing your knowledge. You are a great team and have created such a special learning environment. I had such a wonderful time in this class and look forward to keeping in touch with everyone. A special thank you to Dennis Ducklow who opened my mind and eyes to the more creative side of photography.

"If so, what do you think of her philosophy of the brickwall, jellyfish, and backbone parent? It is the same old rubbishy categories (referred to less picturesquely as "permissive," "authoritative,"and "authoritarian"). These are based on the false premise that children need a little coercion now and again for their own good, and that there are only two alternatives to this "moderate" path, namely, neglect or old-fashioned rigid authoritarianism. Taking Children Seriously does not fit into that scheme of things at all. We reject the whole idea upon which those categories are based. Taking Children Seriously is a whole new way of thinking. So do all parenting books, even the ones which tell you how to choose the appropriate implement with which to beat a 6 month old baby. No, she doesn’t. She advocates various forms of coercion which she says will produce inner discipline. "Although I’m not yet familiar with Taking Children Seriously parenting, is as much as continuum parenting is concerned, I believe that Barbara Coloroso is very adept at combining what needs to be done, with respecting people’s needs and wants.