The Death of a Friend

2 March 2010

To a friend:

Just a little while ago, my cousin called and delivered the news of your Mom’s passing. Apparently her mother informed her of this. So I’m glad you wrote to me. Of course I express my condolences to you and your family at this time in our lives.

The poet John Donne wrote something to the effect that every death diminishes each of us. I often think of that when I’m affected by someone’s passing away.

Tonight it was different. When your note came in e-mail I read the first sentences. Then I thought about it while I went downstairs and did some dishes. I knew I wanted to tell you how your mother brought joy to our lives, and even though it was many years ago true joy just stays around with you a long, long time. I felt a loss.

I returned upstairs to finish reading your note. My heart was so touched by your report of your father singing and telling the stories. And then I read of his reminding your mom of the picnic with my dad and mom and the rest of the family and guys from the shop, all by name. The singing, the memories, the stories for your mom. I am touched and honored to feel a part of the poetry of your family at this moment.

The poetry of our lives, our family’s, has been enriched as has yours. And like the poets, that’s forever.

Much love to all!

Tom Todaro

To Jan Vairio, Jules Gudchi

Did?

Done. On to more positive change for the United States of America.

Curiouser and curiouser.

The only tea party that ever made sense is showing now, in 3D at your closest IMAX theater. Take tea baggers take on taxes. This is what they think. And of course what actually is.

A Hand Large Enough For Palin To Write His Name

This is priceless. Sarah Palin goes after Allan Grayson, (D-FL), and he compliments her! for fitting his name on her hand and getting through an entire program without quitting. Promised to debate her on the issues on the unlikely event she ever learns anything about them.

This Placed Second In An AARP Contest

A Palindrome reads the same backwards as forwards. This video reads the exact opposite backward as forward and will knock you out.

My Review Of "Spring Awakening," The Broadway Show At The Fox In Atlanta

I hope to see more and more shows like this; the contemporary beat challenging our senses with what has been ingrained in our culture for centuries through the classics. Romeo and Juliet in this story? Goethe? (Faust is in there) perhaps. Is there a Led Zeppelin brick in this wall? yes. Do we strain forward to hear every word while leaning into our own futures, slouching to our pasts? these themes are universal, this play is beautiful. Bring your adolescents; if you're cool they'll be cool and you're doing them a favor plucked straight from the leitmotif of "Spring Awakening." It changed my internal perception of my early life, loves, what I thought of it all then and how I should perceive it anew now. --TT

Playing through Sunday at the Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta.

The "New Populism"

The government better do something about jobs but not get too big. Why are you bailing out the auto companies, whew, thanks for saving jobs in Detroit and beyond. The free market will guide us, except when the free market fails, then please, oh government, save us.

Tea bagers, slouching toward socialism, chaos in the political parties. Whatever happened to true patriotism, true community? only the true minorities? What's so funny about peace, love and understanding populism?

We don't insure burning houses.

HEALTHCARE SUMMIT. 2/25/19 POOR LOST DAVE, AND OF COURSE INSURANCE PROFITEERING IS OKAY AND LEGAL FOR NOW.

Best analogy I’ve ever heard was, “we don’t insure burning houses.” Which is fine. Insurance companies are in the business of turning a profit. In fact, they are not theoretically the problem other than they are exempt from Taft Hartley. They don’t have to abide by anti-monopoly law like any other company.

Here’s the problem. They can charge premiums as high as they’d like in a business atmosphere where the business is life or death. Often, even according to their own actuarial tables, the poorer people, the middle class, even the upper middle class in some cases, are sicker or more prone to sickness than others and/or they can’t afford to be without insurance. So they have to pay more and more and more. When they do get sick, insurance companies just keep jacking up the rates until they can’t afford their own care or the premiums and they are screwed. It’s happening to the best of us and it will happen to more of the best of us. Even Dave; too bad he’s buying off on what will kill him literally as well as financially, too. Many dumb asses are.

Remember, we “don’t insure burning houses.” And why should we? We’re in business to make a profit. American Way, right? Well, so is democracy the American way. And if there weren’t so many dumb fucks like Dave and the pathetic tea baggers we’d pass decent health care reform and come into life like the rest of the civilized world. After all, what is government for? Europeans don’t seem to think it’s for blowing things up needlessly, which is how America spends Dave’s big bucks. Balls, I say, balls.

On The Blog Again

I call this The Urban Farm Report because of where I live, on what was once woods adjacent to farmland along a river in close proximity to the City of Atlanta, where we sometimes work and always play.

I hope today is a political turning point. The turn will probably be for a big fight in Washington between the power of money and the power of people. President Obama’s health care summit is underway at Blair House.

Is the republican party really a wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry?