#601

jellydance©2008 Robert Sommers

I decided to vacuum my shop yesterday, bent down to move a stool, and immediately seized up into a pretzel like shape. I stretched as best I could and then went and got a massage this morning, paid for by my spousal unit, but still feel pretty locked up. I told my bud Lena this morning that I was certainly no domestic goddess. It serves me right.

My massage lady Shanda, a Georgia queen of the south, is moving her tiny shop, downsizing once again. She raised four decent kids and a grandchild, husband a Memphis musician who made his exit long ago. Hasn't had it easy. We started talking about the economy and she said "Hey, welcome to where I live", a sentiment echoed by many these past few months. A lot of poor folk don't have a lot of sympathy for the newly arrived destitute but they don't seem to exactly hold a grudge either.

I see that Kevin Bacon lost money in the Madoff Ponzi scheme. Doesn't that mean that invoking the Kevin Bacon rule of 6, every person in the known galaxy has actually lost money in the scheme?

The Escondido police are targeting illegal aliens without driver's licenses for big tickets. Human rights organizations are up in arms and a cited driver was quoted in the local this morning as "wiping away a tear, and just seeking her legal rights." What legal rights? You are here illegally.

I know about that "anything west of the Hudson Myopia" but sheesh, Stan, I see this play out all the time. My wife got hit by an illegal alien two years ago - no license, no insurance - and the cops just let him go - don't bother with it they said. In my town, I must say that the illegals drive like shit. And they do get access to medical care that the native population doesn't enjoy. My buddy Tom Garcia was lucky enough to have $120,000.00 written off his hospital bill for his busted gut by virtue of his surname. Hoorah for Tommy but this stirs resentment for many. And the illegals absolutely take cabs and ambulances to the ER - I have sat there and watched it. You may feel comfortable sacrificing for the downtrodden but the basic Hillary supporter (white, no college) does not.

My grandfather paved and paid his own way, as did all my relatives, as did the vietnamese, italians, irish and other ethnic groups - but they did it legally. There's a difference. Sell your cameras and give them to the poor, I think it's a crime that you should have something that they don't. I grew up the poorest guy in every neighborhood we lived - worked from the age of 12, never got an allowance, cleaned sewer pipes, made it all the way to the top and then spectacularly crashed and lived on spare change - but built my way back from the dungheap without help from a single soul except my wife. Should I feel guilty? I shave the guy who is to blame/pat on the back every morning or so.

I sound like such a mean old prick and it's New Years Eve to boot. Our kitten is having Grand Mal seizures and I just brought her back from the vet - looks like kitty is about to get a little Phenobarbital monkey on her back.

I saw today where some Israelis are suggesting that they will have to institute a dangerous ground assault in Gaza because Hamas has located so many missile sites, vital communication and strategic centers next to high risk civilian targets and the Israelis don't want to risk further world opprobrium by attacking them from the air and causing more civilian casualties. Talk about evil disregard, how's Hamas for cynical manipulation. I wrote a very nasty letter to Daoud Kuttab last night after his ridiculous Washington Post article yesterday but they refused to print it.

I studied taoism and buddhism as a kid and always was interested in the concept of duality. Raised a strong suspicion that those most vehemently opposed to some idea, thing or situation, were ofttimes still caught in it's clutches. Like when I caught my militant vegetarian roommate going off and tearing into a raw steak in the seventies. And I feel the same way about money and things - I am a caretaker and I send it and them down the road but I'm not too attached to them. Like to have enough to pay the bills but like most of us, there's never enough cash. Relatively. And I'm not poormouthing - there are plenty in worse shape. But I don't think that I serve them or myself by eating sawdust with them. Hopefully won't happen soon. There's a biblical question here somewhere - Am I my brother's keeper and if so what are the bounds of my personal responsibility? Let me know.

Take care.