Small Garden... Big Sweat

Mix a spade, a rake, a hoe and some sweat

Turn over earth in small garden

Chase away over anxious retriever with tennis ball

Repeat, repeat, repeat

Mix in fertilizer concoction

Smelling of things moldy and manure

Plant tomatoes, sage, chives, basil

Ahhhhhhhh (expletive deleted)

Some would have a lot to say

About the therapeutic value

Of this exercise

You will find none of that here

Ability... To Need

Yes... I am still on the "ine Rand" pronuciation kick here... with apologies to Ms. Rand.

So here is the topic for the day, from somewhere in the middle of her book Atlas Shrugged: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."

The idea, in its purest form, doesn't bother you?  Well most of us want to help the needy, it's an admirable thing to be sure.  But, we have to be really careful about where we draw the line otherwise things can run amuck so to speak.  Example?  Consider this article:

Can You Be Too Fat to Work?

Mar 17th 2009
By Jeremy Taylor

None of the Chawners, a married English couple and their two adult daughters, have worked in 11 years. Yet the British government pays them a combined 45,000 dollars an annum in various disability benefits stemming from their morbid obesity. (The Chawners weigh between 240 and 340 pounds each.) 

Phillip, the family patriarch and the heaviest, claims the handout "barely covers the bills and puts food on the table. It's not our fault we can't work. We deserve more."

Granted there is a growing body of evidence that suggests obesity is, in fact, genetic. But can anyone think of a scenario in which a fat person's girth renders them unable to find any work? 

And, on that point, how quickly would our extra-large population bankrupt the United States if we ever brought a European-style welfare system to this side of the Atlantic?

P.S. No, I haven't finished "ine's" book yet but what a great read it is so far!!!

Murder on Las Cruces

With customary innocence

I approached the refrigerator

Opened the freezer side

For ice cream to top off my apple crisp

A tray, placed just so on top

Came crashing down upon me

While She rested in our bedroom

With television and book

I slipped the blow from above

And muttered "SOB, She just tried to kill me."

Quietly so as not to disturb our daughter

Napping in bed beside Her

I replaced the tray, retrieved my ice cream

And before dishing it

Went to the bedroom to see if She was 

Tallying life  insurance coverage

Instead She was stifling laughter

Trying to keep from cracking up

After just being responsible 

For trying to crack me up... literally

If you hear of my demise

From some unexplained accident

You will know where

To cast your first suspicions

A sinister deed... Indeed

Atlas is Shrugging

Okay I had to look it up. How do you pronounce "Ayn Rand"? Like this; "ine rand". Still not sure? Neither am I.

So I am reading her book, "Atlas Shrugged". Somewhere recently I heard that it described parallels to today's economic crisis. So I bought it.

It is a thousand-plus page opus. The kind that would make you wince when a college professor put it on the "must read" list.  I believe it is an all-time best seller but I ducked it years ago and now I am in it way over my head.  It is a great book, filled with creativity and (what seems to me) original thought.  I don't understand much of it but what I do understand is remarkable.  

A type of philosophy apparently rose from "ine Rand's" work... objectivism.  Don't ask.  I am still trying to figure it out but I can say I like the type of morality she espouses.  On the other hand, I am only three hundred pages into this puppy and things could take a turn for the worse real fast.  For the moment though I am hooked.

I am going to invoke my favorite Obama quote here; "Look".  

Look, I am just a normal novel reader but I  believe I am onto something.  I am getting to know an amazing author.  I will keep you posted.  And please, don't tell any of my old teachers or professors... wouldn't want them to get the impression something is finally sinking in.

Nest of Emptiness

It has finally happened.  After 29 years of having babies, children, youths, teenagers and young adults in our home... there are now none.

We must now set about the business of changing our lives.  We are not in the least excited. It is true they are nearby but this is surely the beginning of the end.  They are, in fact, the meaning of our lives so we are stuck in this bittersweet moment... without them.

It is truly a bad day in Blackrock.