It's Friday

And about damn time, too. Having yesterday managed to, as Mike generously pointed out in his comment, piss everyone off, I guess today I'll just offer a few odds and ends to cap off an otherwise undistinguished week and help us coast into Cartoon Saturday and the Easter weekend.

Speaking of the Easter weekend, Tabitha - The Best Daughter-in-Law in the World - reminded me last night during our Skype call about this classic Easter conundrum ...

Today, April 22nd, is the anniversary of the birthday (in 1724) of philosopher Immanuel Kant, of whom it has been said that while Genghis Khan, Immanuel Kant, ha, ha. Immanuel Kant appears as a peripheral character in a series of gritty and atmospheric mysteries by Michael Gregorio set in Prussia during the Napoleonic Wars (strongly recommended reading, Andrea!).

Today is also Earth Day. It was first observed in 1970, but its roots go back to the publication in 1962 of Rachel Carson's landmark book Silent Spring, which exposed the effects of pesticides and other chemical pollution on the environment. An estimated twenty million people nationwide participated in the first Earth Day, on April 22, 1970, an event which helped pressure the government into establishing the Environmental Protection Agency and passing the Clean Air, the Clean Water, and the Endangered Species Acts ... all of which are considered terrible examples of job-killing out-of-control liberal government interference by Republicans, who think clean air, water, and endangered species are overrated, anyhow.

From the Department of How's That Again? comes this stop-the-presses quality news story: More than 7 Million Candles Recalled for Fire Risk*. Hmmm ... isn't that sort of the point of a candle? In a related story, Republicans are furious about the recall, claiming it is yet another example of an out-of-control liberal government imposing job-killing restrictions on the candle industry and limiting Americans' Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom to accept the risk of dying in a fire.

And finally to wrap up the week, thoughts on achieving inner peace:

If you can start the day without caffeine,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without alcohol,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs ...
You are probably the family dog.

Nessa wanted me to put that in.

Have a good day. Tomorrow is Cartoon Saturday ... more thoughts then.

Bilbo

* Yes, I know the headline doesn't tell the whole story, but just let me have the joke, okay?