The Year of the Ox (and bees)

Happy (Chinese) 2009! OK, so it's not actually the Year 2009 in traditional Chinese culture - my understanding is that they do not have an actual linear numbering system but a cyclical one (feel to correct me!), making this the...

YEAR OF THE OX

Apparently, the Ox is the sign of prosperity (whew!) through fortitude and hard work. Everything seems to be pointing in this direction. Let's go America - no more living extravagantly off of high-interest rates. Myself, I am working hard, mostly at non-paying (currently) projects that make me extraordinarily happy. But hey, the Ox isn't driven by financial gain. (A by-product would be nice.)

And speaking of America, here's a quote from a good old buddy Thomas Jefferson. Thanks to Howard Zinn and A People's History of the U.S. - I particulary address this to those individuals consistently desiring to pay heed to our Founding Fathers:

"I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing ... It is a medicine necessary for the sound health of government...God forbid that we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion...The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is natural manure."

Granted, now is probably NOT the time to encourage this (although it's been well over twenty years!), lest the honorable Bill O'Reilly start encouraging the FOX News brigade to rebel against the current regime in the name of NOT volunteering, NOT saving schools, NOT doing science projects...

And finally, a bit of a story on the subject of hard work and fortitude (and the mysterious phantom prosperity):


The streets are
covered with petulant
bees buzzing jubilantly as if
honey were the most important
thing in the world. Confident in the
elevation of their self-worth through the
beekeeper’s approval (and stock options),
they toil indefatigably - side by side with neigh-
bors and progeny - until a mundane death
by exhaustion. Ironically, the beekeeper
will not mourn their loss (they are superfluous),
nor will the singular object of their sexual de-
sires, who is overstimulated and will, in fact,
remain oblivious to their demise. Thus, the
bees have been coerced into a life of
nonexistence and regret when all they
really needed was just enough
honey to feed
themselves.

B B

B

Question: Do bees eat honey?
Answer: The internet says they do. All hail the internet.