(NPR has revived an old radio series, inviting members of the public to expound on their personal credo: herewith is my potted list of personal beliefs.)

Women of a certain age should not wear mini-skirts. Ever.

Actual proof of Islam being a religion of peace is pretty thin on the ground, and in the headlines these days.

Teabags are a scourge and invention of the Devil. Real tea is made from loose leaf tea. And the pot is rinsed out with boiling water, first.

Children should not be allowed to call their parents, or any other adult by their first name, unless said adults’ name is adorned with an honorific such as “Aunt/Uncle” or “Mr/Miss”.

95 Percent of any popular culture—books, movies, art, music, and fashion— at any one time is utter crap. In five years or less, everyone will be poking fun at all but that quality 5%. Teenagers arrayed in the latest popular fashions, body-piercings and makeup would do well to keep this in mind.

That William Morris had the right idea: “Have nothing in your homes that you do not know
to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” And as my mother said, “The bigger the house is, there more of it there is to clean.”

Only fools and the impatient pay full retail price. And second-hand will not kill you… how many previous owners do you think that expensive antique has had?

One way and another, the whole world is bigoted and prejudiced. To quote Tom Lehrer
“The whole world is festering with unhappy souls,
The French hate the Germans, the Germans hate the Poles
The Italians hate the Yugoslavs, South Africans the Dutch,
And I don’t like anybody very much!”
The best one can hope for, is to live in a place where they aren’t very much prejudiced about what you happen to be. It’s a human thing— adjust. Relocate, if absolutely necessary.

Children are not possessions, only undeveloped people.

(More to be added, as I think of them.)