May day

I love today. It's one of the nicest holidays we have here in Europe, and at the same time it is a call for help, for rescue. As with so many things, we can't have it both ways.

The 30th of April, of course, is Walpurgis Night ... I know you all knew that ... and it's still (fortunately) celebrated in many areas of the Continent. Oh sure, there is a lot of demon driving-away going on, but it is the "official" end of winter in these climes. Reason enough to celebrate. In good European tradition, if you are going to party long into the night, why not just party through the next day as well. And so it goes, that many communities with have their Dance into May, so that today, can be properly observed as a holiday; that is, by doing nothing.

I have no problem living amongst the non-Calvinists and non-Puritans. I've thought about it long and hard, and to be perfectly honest, I can't think of a single good thing that's come of those ideas. Psychologically, Mr. Calivn was a bit of basket case, but that never stopped anybody from declaring the crazy person the bearer of The Big Guy's word. True, He does have a habit of picking outsiders, but not a one of them was looney. That should have been a tip-off, but who am I to say.

No, what pleases me even more about today, is that International Labor has chosen it to be their day to celebrate. Once again, it's the world, and it's the US who just can't fit in. I know, I know, there are lots of folks across the Pond who would drop dead of shame if it were even intimated that they may have something to do with the Red Terror. If Irony weren't dead, we'd be astounded that the only Communists left are the biggest closest Capitalists going: the Chinese, but what we won't do to not offend our preferred trading partners.

Thanks to a good friend, I was pointed to a statement by a Republican congressman who maintains that over 80 of his Democratic colleagues are in fact Communists. I don't know how he knows. But what I do know is that he has no idea about communists, or politics, or economics, or ... he's simply proof positive that even nut-cases can find a job, even if the job isn't a real one.

Yes, Walpurgis Night is a night for pagan revelry, and the day after the night before is a chance to put work in its place. The truth of the matter is that the Grand Master of the Misunderstood, our friend Karl, got it right: we should work to live, but we should never live to work ... but, oh, I'm sorry, only my European friends can think about that now. My American friends have to wait until September.