If we follow the advice of Napoleon Bonaparte, "Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence"; and if we can accept the contention of the administration that the recent flurry of scandals reflect a failure to competently administrate rather than intentional misdeeds, then we must draw the conclusion that we have elected and hired public servants who cannot do their jobs.

"Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows."

                                                                                William Shakespeare, The Tempest

    The original Shakespearean quote referred to misery, bad smells, and a monster; but has morphed into the more familiar "Politics makes strange bedfellows"; not such a stretch since politics is replete with misery, bad smells, and monsters.

Watching the latest devastation from the tornados in Oklahoma, I am reminded of the proverb from Hosea, "For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.".  No, I am not insinuating that this bout of tragedy is indicative of God's outraged judgement on our decadent nation; nor am I making the case that a cyclical weather pattern that occurs annually is suddenly to be attributed to man-caused global warming simply because we all have smart phones and can take pictures of what has always been.  Both anecdotal positions are equally absurd.

    "They tried to be too clever-- and that was their undoing."   ---Agatha Christie

   The problem with hubris is that it defies reality, it's fatal flaw is that it can't acknowledge it's own limits.  The arrogant believe that their ingenuity allows them to always find ways to impose their will, to never lose.  Humility allows for failure, even reluctantly welcomes it, as what keeps us from becoming unconnected to the rest of humanity.  The powerful proud have no desire to be connected to the unwashed masses.  They see themselves as above and beyond, the enlightened elite; the rest of humanity a mob to be manipulated, a community to be organized.  In attempting to become our masters, they make themselves our enemies.

    There are realities that do not depend on politics or elections; laws that are independent of legislation or ratification; powers above the ones we call supreme.  The sun rises without permission, darkness falls unbidden to be banished again each morning by the dawn... daybreak serves no earthly master.

    This will not be an easy post to write, nor will it be an easy one to read.  There are things that must be spoken that we would prefer not to hear; ghastly things that must be looked at that we would prefer not to see.  Whistling in the dark will not banish what lies lurking in the shadows; hiding our heads in the sand only leaves us more vulnerable.

    There's an e-mail going around with some excerpts out of the 1934 Montgomery Wards Christmas catalog.  It's always fun to see what things used to cost less than a lifetime ago.  A pair of shoes for two bucks, dress shirts for seventy-five cents, bras for a quarter apiece; heck, Wards would sell you all the materials needed to build a six room house for $558!  Times change, we have Wal-marts instead of Montgomery Ward, a good pair of shoes can easily cost you over a hundred dollars, and your kid's Christmas presents will probably cost more than that house did back then.  It's one of those facts of life we seldom question, prices go up.  Temporary price hikes due to market factors are easy enough to understand, yeah, supply and demand... but why has basically everything in the economy just steadily risen approximately 10,000 percent in eighty years?  Of course the main explanation is that we made money.

    Some folks I know recently joined the great exodus out of what used to be known as the Empire State, to make a new life in the land of cowboys and the Alamo... Texas that is.  The decision was not a sudden one, but the recent gun control legislation certainly was a factor in their desire to find a less regulated home to raise their children.  First day there this fellow got his Texas driver's license, and with that was able to then purchase a hand gun within an hour. You have to deal with some pretty shady characters to pull that off in New York!

   To quote President Obama, "It's been a tough week.".  It's hard to believe how much news coverage of one event you can fit into one week, and I'm not sure what is left to be said regarding the terrorist attack at the Boston Marathon.  Just the same, in light of the gravity of the situation, to discuss anything else this week would be as absurd as calling a press conference to throw a temper tantrum over a failed gun control bill.

    I couldn't let April 15th go by without some mention of our wonderful federal income tax.  One is tempted at this time of year to recall the adage that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes.  Indeed, there are likely none left among us who can recall the time before the 16th amendment, allowing Congress to levy an income tax.  On the other hand, that was only 100 years ago; death has been with us quite a bit longer.  Just the same, neither death nor Constitutional amendments are often overturned.