What I'm Reading 5.8; Mill, Dog's and jelly bean robbery!

In honor of the fundamental philosopher John Stuart Mill, who died this day in 1873; this post will be directed at the 'greatest good for the greatest number.'

Whether you know or not - assuming you don't and if you did, your lessons from Philosophy 100 are probably gone - Mill was a philosopher, an economist and a political theorist, born in London in 1806. Although devoloped by Jeremy Bentham, 'utilitarianism' was largely expedited to academia as a theory by Mill.

Mill's works include On Liberty; an argument for the importance of individual freedom, established in a place and time of little freedom from the state. Mill also supported the de-establishment of slavery, the fight for women's rights and free market economics; all things foreign to the establishment of the time.

As an exponent for Utilitarianism - the greatest good for the greatest number - Mill became known as one of the foremost progressives of the time in philosophy, economics and government.

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History lesson over, now on to the important stuff:

I plan on going to the dog park again, today.

My cousin Stacey's wedding is this weekend and I'm the photographer. It should be fun.

Here's a good poem for you, from a good book: Good Poems, by Garrison Keeler (a selection of poems read on the writer's almanac, on NPR)

Animals by Frank O'Hara

Have you forgotten what we were like then

when we were still first rate

and the day came fat with an apple in its mouth

it's no use worrying about Time

but we did have a few tricks up our sleeves

and turned some sharp corners

the whole pasture looked like our meal

we didn't need speedometers

we could manage cocktails out of ice and water

I wouldn't want to be faster

or greener than now if you were with me O you

were the best of all my days

Weird News:

A burglar in Pennsylvania took jellybeans and, well that was it.

A cow escaped the slaughterhouse, wandered through Queens, NY (there's one of these stories a year, methinks) and may get a new lease on life.

Now, I love popcorn and eat as much as possible, when I go to the movies; which is never, but I don't think i could eat this much.

Closed for a while, the statue of liberty's crown is set to be open for July 4.

Australian officials are set to shoot 6,000 kangaroo's, because of over population. One of my wishes in life is for kangaroo's to wander Indiana. Isn't there some way we can spare some of the kangaroo's with the bailout money and ship some to Indiana? Heck, I'll put some money up for them. Forget the banks, I NEED KANGAROOS!

Manny Ramirez, yes that Manny, tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Another one bites the dust.

I rented Last Chance Harvey. It's pretty good and one of the better-more-recent Dustin Hoffman movies.

And, last but not least: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is launching a new intimidating frangrance line. Thank to the Onion, for that one.

Bark in the Park

Assuming people out there know I have a dog - a most gracious dog - and assuming you all know that I've been by her side from week 8 of her life, I want to share with you a 'new' discovery, if you don't know about it already.

I had heard about the 'dog park' at Middlefork Reservoir, but had not been out there to see it for myself. Assuming where the park was supposed to be I had reservations, because i knew little about its construction and establishment. Thanks Pal-Item.

So my reservations led me away from the reservoir, nicknamed the 'dead sea', by my father. What's funny is that(now in my second publishing after safari crashed) that I haven't gone to the reservoir much in my life and it reminds me of the people in Italy I talked to that had never been to the coliseum, never ridden a gondola and never eater canoli's. . .it's kind of like that with me in my own hometown, in regards to the Indiana football hall of fame, as well as other things that escape me right now.

ANYhow, the dog park is sponsored by Hill's pet food and one could miss it, if not paying attention to the west of the reservoir. It is merely a fenced off area with a few barrels, a ladder and fire hydrants, aptly placed for the dogs to place on and over.

The most interesting part of the entire setting is the water fountain near the northern perimeter of the larger section of fencing. Here, you will find a water fountain for owner and ownee, and by pressing a large circular-protruding button, a water dish fills for the dogs to drink; a most handy invention for the summer days ahead, in our beautiful part of the country.