Labor Day 2015

Why I Love Capitalism: Part 4,186

Capitalists never pass up an opportunity to make a buck (this is actually a good thing, by the way), so if we have to have a holiday celebrating...well, having a job,
I guess...the capitalistic spirit will be there to--you guessed it--capitalize (pun very much intended).

Because, of course, nothing says "Labor Day" like a comfy new mattress...

...or a shiny new kitchen appliance...

...or some new candles (you can never have enough scented candles, really)...

...or...well, I'm sure you get the idea.

"Clear as mud, yessir."

Be quiet, or I'll list you on eBay...with free shipping...

Anyway, as easy as it is to poke fun at ads for Labor Day Sales (and to bash the whole idea of Labor Day), no one actually thinks there is anything "special" about the products on offer today, or the prices for them, either.  If you don't think such prices are likely to go even lower between now and Black Friday, and lower still from there until Christmas, you don't really understand our wacky, wonderful country very well at all.

Thanks to capitalism (and the folks whose hard work makes all of these wonderful products possible), you can get a great deal on a mattress, or a refrigerator, or a blueberry scone candle pretty much whenever you need one.

If Bernie Sanders becomes president, though, we're all fucked...

Now, go barbecue something, and have some fun with those you love!

Have I Mentioned...

That's my Mr. Coffee Café Barista on the right.

...how much I am enjoying my new espresso machine? My coffee nook (pictured) is a little crowded now, but in a good way.

It was a gift from my best friend, and like most really good gifts it was a total surprise, AND it keeps on giving pleasure long after you've received it.

Life is tough sometimes, but a home-made vanilla latte helps me cope. Thanks, Skip...

"You know that thing will make your rear end go from Grande to Venti, right?"

You're going to comment on my rear end? Seriously?

From the Heart

Once upon a time, the late Jeff MacNelly's comic strip Shoe was one of my daily must-reads. MacNelly (a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist) began the strip on September 13, 1977, just a couple of months after my first wife died. At that time
I was grateful for anything that could put a smile on my face, however briefly, and Shoe certainly did that. MacNelly's sense of humor (and politics) nicely coincided with my own, and I was a devoted reader for nearly 23 years. When MacNelly died in 2000 (he was only 52), I felt the subsequent incarnation of Shoe, produced by Chris Cassatt (who died in 2013), Gary Brookins, and Jeff's widow Susie MacNelly, just didn't have the same magic. I still check in on it from time to time, but as with so many enthusiasms in my life, it isn't the same as it once was...

Until Next Time...

Twelve years ago today, singer-songwriter Warren Zevon died from an inoperable abdominal cancer at age 56. Warren had had an odd career, never quite finding the stardom so many predicted for him. Part of it, I think, was that the public's interest in singer-songwriters was waning just around the time Warren was at his creative peak. For whatever reason, "uneven" is the best adjective for both his professional and personal lives. He did write some terrific songs, though.

My late first wife was a big fan of Linda Ronstadt, as I was. Linda's Prisoner in Disguise (1975) and Hasten Down the Wind (1976) albums got a lot of play at our house. And after Terry died in June 1977, those albums were what I listened to most often when I needed to grieve.

Today's send-off is Linda's cover of Warren's beautiful song "Hasten Down the Wind." Enjoy...and then go hug someone you love...