Dog On A Root

 

Backyard Biography - jim Young “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” - Oscar Wilde My lawn is a mixture of grass, clover and weeds. The grass represents the societal norm. That’s what a lawn should look like. Clover is my rebellion against the norm. The clover feeds wild animals like deer and sustains bees. And it’s still soft on my bare feet to satisfy the original purpose of my lawn. Is it pleasing to the eyes? Margaret Wolfe Hungerford would remind us that “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”... so, yes! The weeds however, represent my rebellions that went wrong and had a negative or less than satisfactory ending. I leave them there as a reminder. An occasional thistle in my foot reminds me not to step there again. Around my deck and the edges of my lawn are flowers like Daisies, Black Eyed Susans and the flowering CatMint. They too are weeds really, but unlike the unwanted weeds in my lawn, they add beauty to my life and remind me that sometimes even negatives can have s...

 

 

Schrödinger’s Prime Minister - jim Young Well this is kind of interesting. The report below shows a list of the approval ratings of Canadian Prime Ministers. It seems that some of the most popular Canadian Prime Ministers were also the worst Canadian Prime Ministers. I find this problematic in that this same report could be used to take the position that Mark Carney is one of the most popular Prime Ministers ever.  But at the same time, one could also support their position that Mark Carney is one of the worst Prime Ministers ever. It’s kind of like Schrödinger’s cat. While Schödinger’s cat could be thought of as simultaneously alive AND dead, Mark Carney could be thought of as simultaneously the Best AND the Worst. Is it possible that perhaps both bricks and bouquets are in order?  FYI - The specific question asked that generated this report was “List Canadian Prime Ministers in order of popularity.” This  is what AI had to say. Make of it what you will. - 30 - “List Can...

  Negotiating For Fitness  - jim Young “Exercise?! I thought my doctor said, “Extra Fries!” - anon The relationship between a patient and family doctor can be a little tricky. At least it is with me. I get that she’s the expert and knows what’s best for me. And I think she gets that I don’t always want what’s best for me. I want a doctor that will keep me alive for as long as possible. However there are caveats to that which requires some negotiation. For example, I am not now nor will I ever eat some foods even if they might help me live longer. Is spinach going to help me live longer?  A simple “Yes” isn’t an acceptable answer. Maybe I just don’t want to live longer if it involves eating spinach. You gotta give me a specific number before I’m even going to consider it. My mother couldn’t make me eat spinach and neither can my doctor.  But my doctor hasn’t even touched on my diet other than to hint that I could lose a few pounds. I just pat my stomach, grin and pr...