17 days into a 40 day cold-turkey Facebook Fast.

The Facebook Fast Approacheth the 1/2 way point, and a dark day looms.  The end is nigh,  Bellevue, sheer quantities…

Losing:

“Elizbeth! Here come da big one!”

Being off Facebook, I have nearly forgotten that on January 21 I lose $50.  I staked a bet with a couple people last January that Donald Trump would not be President of the USA on Jan 21, 2018.  I believed he would be gone.  How do you know I believed?  Because I bet money on it.  I gambled on the outcome.  I chose a path.  If you’ve been here a while, you know I assert that belief only exists in taking an action to get to the promised results of the belief.  Prior to the action, its a postulate, or posturing, an opinion.  When you act (or don’t act) that’s when you know what you truly believe in.  Put your money where your mouth is.  I have only 3 days left for a stroke to save me some money.

Bellevue 
I’ve been reading a fantastic history of Bellevue Hospital, in New York City.  My interests leaned explicitly toward the psychiatric department’s use of electro-shock therapy in the 1950’s, and that story alone is worth the price of the book. But Bellevue is one of the first hospitals in America, and the story is American History.  From humble beginnings as a 2 room infirmary in 1660, through 9/11 and Hurricane Sandy, to today.  It’s a story of the concept of “public” being denigrated and gutted, much as has been done with public schools.  To read it is to witness the evolution of social values.  It’s a story of graft and corruption, and it is a story of Medical miracles, discoveries and firsts. The book stands alone on either facet — Medical or American history. — but combined, this is a truly worthwhile read.

Reading
The amount of reading I have gotten done, absent the great distractor, is stunning.  The Bellevue book is 400 pages.  The Deep Springs College book referenced around day 3, was nearly as long.  Plus The Washington Post.  Plus materials for the class I’m taking. Not all reading on Facebook is wasted, but I do hope I can refrain from spending time in the sub-comments threads.  Those are almost totally useless time-sucks.